Photographer Amy Arbus sits down with me to talk about what it was like growing up surrounded by so much creativity. As the daughter of one of the most famous and recognizable names in photography, Diane Arbus and her well known photographer/actor father Allan Arbus, Amy had no shortage of inspiration and expectation when she decided to pursue her own creative callings. She realized she felt a natural pull towards photography and wanted to find her personal voice as an artist. She would go on to create a deep body of work across the fine art, editorial, and commercial worlds, and establish her own legacy as a respected photographer, artist, and teacher. During our conversation Amy tells me about the tragic loss of her mother and how that effected her at a young age, what it was like studying under Richard Avedon, the 10 years she spent shooting street portraits in the east village of New York for the Village Voice during what many would consider one of the most creative eras ever, and how she's given back to the community by years of teaching at the International Center of Photography.
To Learn More About Amy Arbus Visit:
And Follow Her on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/amyarbus/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Photographer, creative director, and entrepreneur Leif Steiner joins the show to talk about how he went from studying biochemistry and running track and cross country at Penn State, to switching his major to graphic design, moving to Colorado, and creating his own very successful ad agency, as well as his most recent decision to walk away from it all and pursue a creative calling to travel the world and photograph some of the last indigenous cultures that have still only had minimal contact by the outside world. I was recently introduced to Leif's work by a feature and interview with Phase One camera and was instantly fascinated by a lot of his stories and attitude on work, creativity, and travel. After our long conversation, it is clear to me that Leif has a work ethic and drive that would bring him success in whatever goals he sets for himself. Leif talks about having children very early in life and how that helped spur him forward to founding and becoming the creative director of Moxie Sozo in Boulder Colorado which would grow to 35 employees and clients worldwide by the time he decided to sell the company. During our conversation Leif tells me what made him decide to walk away from a lucrative creative career, what it was like hitchhiking across the Pakistan/Afghanistan border, the commonalities and kindness he has experienced in cultures across the world, how he plans to keep photographing different indigenous people, and the advice he gives to those seeking to fulfill their own creative goals.
To Learn More About Leif Steiner Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/leif_steiner/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Brooklyn based photographer, writer, and educator Amy Touchette joins the podcast to talk about her work as a street and documentary photographer and portraitist, and how tragedy and the reminder of her own mortality is what caused her to reevaluate her life and career in the publishing world and set out to pursue a life dedicated to visual storytelling, as well as living her own truth. Amy was always an artistic kid with a passion for reading, writing, and creating art in general. She continued to pursue that passion studying literature in college with dreams of teaching and writing. After earning her masters degree in San Francisco, she ended up in New York City working in the publishing industry and slowly making her way to a position as a managing editor. Before long however, she was yearning for a more creative outlet and realized that she was building a career she didn't love. She was painting a lot, but felt like she wanted something that would pull her out of her own solitary world and found photography, inspired by the characters of the NYC streets. But it was the tragedy of 9/11 that would give her another reminder that life can sometimes be cut too short, and to not waste anymore time doing things she wasn't passionate about, and she began chasing her creative aspirations with a more focused dedication. During our conversation Amy tells me what inspired her to take on a 4 year long personal project of photographing and living with the burlesque dancer The World Famous Bob and the book "Shoot the Arrow" that would help establish her in the photography world, the inspiration she finds everyday from wandering the streets of New York and the characters that inhabit it, what she's learned about the human condition from years of street interactions, what inspires her to keep moving forward, and the advice she gives to others who want to pursue a more creative lifestyle.
To Learn More About Amy Touchette Visit:
And Follow Her on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/amy_touchette/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/