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/
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I have so much gratitude for this show and the opportunity to have long talks with such legendary creatives like my conversation from way back on episode #38 with Magnum Photographer and all around inspiring artist David Alan Harvey. Enjoy the holiday......and find a moment to be grateful.
To Learn More About David Alan Harvey Visit:
https://www.davidalanharvey.com
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/davidalanharvey/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Painter, Graphic Artist, and Element Skateboard Brand Collaborator Chad Eaton, better known to many by one of his more popular art personas "Timber", joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in LA with a rough start on his early family years, to creating a successful art brand of his own as well as working for major clients all over the world. Growing up in southern California in the early 90s, Chad was introduced to skateboarding at an early age and quickly fell in love with the freedom and since of belonging it provided for someone who usually felt on the outside. Although Chad had always been a creative kid, and his mother was an artist herself, it was years later that he found his way back to the therapeutic practice of sketching, painting, and creating in general. After a while he got the opportunity to create some branding for a skate shop that would end up leading him to some of his now famous characters and to the world of Timber the artist. With the arrival of Etsy, he soon found himself in high demand for all of the apparel he was making and it would end up leading him to forming a long lasting relationship with the skateboard company Element. During our conversation we talk about how Chad first created the world and all the characters that live in it he has become known for under the Timber moniker, what it's been like having such a long lasting and successful relationship with a skate brand like Element, the trips he's had all over the world creating murals and doing art tours, and the advice he gives to others who have big creative dreams.
To Learn More About Chad and his Timber Brand Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/timberps/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Renowned skateboard and commercial photographer Mike Blabac returns to the podcast to talk about his new book "Family Portraits...Mike Blabac Photography 1994-2019", as well as the new film by the same name directed by Jacob Rosenberg that follows Mike's storied career, the process of shooting the book, and what skateboarding has meant to his life. Make sure to check out Mike's full biographical episode way back at #14. During this conversation we talk about what inspired him to want to create this book, what goes into the selection process of picking each portrait, the beautifully shot film collaboration with Jacob Rosenberg, working with St Archer Brewing company as a creative partner, how skateboarding and the culture around it preserves his youth, and what he's learned from so many amazing creative people he's been fortunate enough to be surrounded by. Make sure to pick up a copy of his new book at the link below as well as watch the new film.
To Pick up Your Copy of "Family Portraits" Visit:
https://www.etsy.com/market/mike_blabac
To Watch the New Film "Mike Blabac...Family Portraits Visit:
To Learn More About Mike Blabac Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/blabacphoto/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
Best selling author, photographer, video producer, and educator Marc Silber joins the show to talk about his latest book "Create: Tools from Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life", and how he went from an artistic young kid with a camera hanging out around Heigh Ashbury in the late 60s, to the art institute of San Francisco, to teaching mountaineering, to spending years as a business consultant, to finally re-kindling his love of photography, filmmaking, and a creative way of living. Marc grew up in the hills of Menlo Park, CA and was introduced to photography and the darkroom at a very early age. During his high school years he had the opportunity to spend some time in Mexico with his Rolleiflex and created a body of work that still inspires him today and sent him on a path that would lead him to the art institute of San Francisco. Although Marc was always drawn towards visual storytelling, he was also very drawn to the outdoors, and started teaching mountaineering at the National Outdoor Leadership School. It would be those years of early leadership training that would soon lead him back to education in the creative fields he always loved. During our conversation Marc tells me what inspired him to start his YouTube series "Advancing Your Photography" where he interviews some of the top photographers in the world, the daily tools and habits he uses to help him stay motivated, creative, and productive, what he's learned from long conversations with so many successful creatives, and the advice he gives to others struggling to fulfill their creative goals.
To Learn More About Marc and To Buy His Book Visit:
To Watch his YouTube Series Advancing Your Photography Visit:
https://www.youtube.com/user/marcsilber
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Award winning ski and action sports photographer Reuben Krabbe joins the podcast to talk about his most recent celestial ski photo and the newly released short film "Nebula" (links below) that traces his journey to capture a skier in front of the Orion Nebula, as well as take you inside some of the creative process on what it looks like to chase after such an elusive photograph. Growing up in Calgary, Rueben was always attracted to the mountains that were so close by and the lifestyle that went with them. But when one of his friends got a hold of his Dad's SLR camera and they started taking pictures of each other on their ski and mountain bike adventures, Reuben began to dream about a future as an action sports photographer, and all the adventures that might entail. Before long, after a short stint in photography school, he was living in a van in Whistler chasing that goal with a drive and work ethic that would soon enough pair him with the right athletes and companies to start making the images he had imagined. After a while his imagination for a ski shot became a little more advantageous which would lead him to creating an image of a skier in front of the northern lights first, and then an even bigger project working with Salomon to try and capture an image of skiers in front of the solar eclipse which would lead to several awards, recognition from the industry, and another short film about the process. With the film Nebula, Reuben sets out to capture what he says is the third and final image of a series of celestial events. During our conversation Reuben tells me what's it like to try and work around getting pigeon holed as the guy who shoots ski images in front of celestial events, how he manages to stay relevant in such a saturated niche of the industry, the way he goes about visualizing and organizing personal projects, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the world of action sports photography.
To Watch the new film Nebula Visit:
To Learn More About Reuben Krabbe Visit:
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/reubenkrabbe/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Award winning photojournalist, documentary photographer, and filmmaker Sebastian Meyer joins the show to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in New York, to spending ten years living in Kurdistan, co-founding the first Iraqi photography agency, and his beautiful new book that documents the journey and the people called "Under Every Yard of Sky". Although Sebastian had a similar experience as so many others that have been on this show before of getting the chance to learn photography in a high school class, it wouldn't be until years later during college while he was studying abroad in France that he would truly fall in love with it. After seeing some of the photos he was taking during his travels, a friend turned him on to the field of photojournalism and gave him a book on Magnum photographers that would change his life. Soon enough Sebastian was chasing his own dreams as a photojournalist, and even ended up as an intern at the Magnum photography agency. After moving to London to try and establish himself as a photographer there, Sebastian was given the opportunity through a friend to travel to Kurdistan on an assignment. While on assignment, he met who would become his best friend and future business partner Kamaran Najm and the two of them would go on to create something idealistic and amazing in Kurdistan. During our conversation Sebastian tells me what attracted him to life in the middle east and how he ended up calling Kurdistan home for so long, what it was like trying to build a photo agency, the tragic story of his best friend Kamaran, how he feels about the current state of photojournalism, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the field.
To Learn More About Sebastian Meyer Visit:
To Buy a Copy of Under Every Yard of Sky Visit:
https://www.sebmeyer.com/bookstore
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/sebmeyerphoto/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
My good friend, and bad ass photographer, Emily Polar returns to the show to have an honest conversation about what it looks like to truly value and honor your time, the issues she has with the conventional model of the the role of an advertising photographer, what it was like to live and study in Nepal for the last three years, the influence Buddhism and daily meditation has on her life, how she manages her money and lives with almost no overhead in order to stay on the move, and the plans she has going forward with her career and her personal life. Make sure to check out Episode #4 from the way back machine to hear Emily's first appearance on the show where she discusses her backstory and how she got to where she is today.
To Learn More About Emily Polar Visit:
And Follow Her on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/emilypolar/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Documentary photographer, respected photojournalist, and educator Glenna Gordon joins the show to talk about how she went from a kid growing up in suburban Orange County, to living in West Africa covering everything from Boko Haram to Muslim women who write romance novels. Although Glenna was raised in a loving home and in a sheltered community, she was no stranger to stories of tragedy and hardship and was brought up with the intimate knowledge of what true suffering and sacrifice can look like. She knew from a young age that Irvine was not the place for her and she had dreams of living in New York and seeing what else the world had to offer. After studying art history at UC Berkley and then getting a job that would move her to NYC, she realized that she wasn't creatively satisfied and wanted more than sitting at a desk full of paperwork. She attended journalism school at Columbia and then decided to go visit her older brother who was living and working in Rwanda. On a whim, and full of youthful courage, she somehow managed to talk her way into a Rwandan prison and put together a story about women who were being held there. That story would end up being the catalyst to her chasing her passion of story telling, becoming more dedicated to photography, and falling in love with the people of Africa. During our conversation we talk about what made her decide to move to Uganda at the age of 25 and the transition from being a writer to focusing more on telling stories with her camera, what it was like to create such a viral media piece like her story on the 300 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, her eventual move back to New York and realizing some of the stories that needed to be told here in the states, and the advice she gives to those dreaming of one day telling their own visual stories.
To Learn More About Glenna Gordon Visit:
And Follow Her on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/glennagordon/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Editorial and Commercial fashion/lifestyle photographer and educator Clay Cook joins the podcast from his studio in Louisville, KY to talk about how he went from years on the road as a guitar player in a popular hard rock band, to shooting fashion editorials and commercial campaigns across the country. Although Clay was very influenced by movies at an early age and loved trying to create his own short films, at 16 years old he joined a band that would alter the trajectory of his life and send him out chasing the dream of stardom and touring the country for the next 10 years. Music became everything to him during that time and his band put out an album that attracted the attention of some in the music business and became the foundation of so many of the stories he has from the earlier part of his life. During all those years of touring, Clay started doing graphic design work to supplement his income, which led him to finally picking up a camera in an attempt to create his own stock imagery for design purposes. Before long he became more and more fascinated by figuring out photography and his band began to realize that it might be time to move on with their lives. Clay began to put more of his focus on becoming a better shooter and finding clients and the rest is history. During our conversion Clay talks about the personal project and book that helped launch his career, why he's chosen to keep his studio in a smaller market like Louisville, KY when he is shooting national work, what motivates him to keep creating, some of the positive and negative aspects of getting involved in the online education world of photography, and the advice he gives to others coming up.
To Learn More About Clay Cook Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/claycookphoto/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Action Sports and Commercial Filmmaker, and one of the co-founders of Anthill Films, Darren McCullough joins the podcast to talk about the crew's latest film "Return to Earth" and how he went from being a kid growing up in the small town of Lions Bay BC to becoming part of a filmmaking team making some of the most cutting edge mountain bike films available. As a kid growing up in a small town with access to both the mountain lifestyle and the ocean, Darren had an early love for skiing and outdoor adventures. So it was only natural that after his older brother started getting him involved in photography and filmmaking in High School, that he had created his first ski film before he even thought about the prospect of college or the future. Because of those early tastes of creative success, and with his older brother's mentorship and encouragement, Darren began to pursue what else could come from what seemed to be a fairly natural eye for shooting. After years of working for others in the commercial realm and continuing his education through a short stint in film school and multiple professional mentorships, Darren realized that he missed being a part of the mountain lifestyle that his first ski film had afforded him. During that time he met a crew of like minded creatives working on a mountain bike film that would soon become the foundation of The Collective, and would go on to produce three full length feature films and after that would form the basis of what makes up Anthill Films and a very impressive list of film titles that are helping to revolutionize what a mountain bike video looks like in today's standards. During our conversation we discuss the amount of time and schedule that goes into making a full length film like "Return to Earth", how they go about juggling commercial work with their passion of making mountain bike movies, how he deals with burnout when it sets in, the democracy of working with a big crew, and the advice he gives to those who dream of one day making their own sports action movies.
To Learn More About Anthill Films or buy the movie Visit:
To Rent or Buy the movie "Return To Earth" Visit
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/return-to-earth/id1470555308
And Follow Them on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/anthillfilms/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
On this episode of the podcast Matt Porteous drops in to talk about how he went from creating a successful business as a stone mason to becoming one of the go to portrait photographers for the Royal Family, building his own successful commercial studio, and creating a staggering amount of personal photography and film projects as well as multiple outlets to showcase them in. Matt grew up on the small island of Jersey in the U.K. It was there that he fell in love with the ocean and the culture that surrounded it. He spent most of his days surfing and dreaming of one day traveling the world in search of better waves. At an early age his mother remarried and Matt found himself not only introduced to more disciple in his life, but also to the many new adventures that his stepfather began taking him on that would shape a lot of his adventurous attitude for years to come. Matt had also become fascinated with photography during his younger years thanks to a small underwater camera that he constantly carried around with him, but it would be in his early 20s as he set out to travel through Indonesia, Australia, and other surf locations that the camera became a more important tool that he understood could tell a story. After returning home from his travels he felt it would be a better career move to continue to pursue work in the trades, and formed what would become a fairly successful stone masonry company. As he worked at that business he continued to constantly try and hone his skills in photography, until one day he finally made the decision to chase his dreams of becoming a professional. He walked away from his business and the rest is history. During our conversation Matt talks about how he first began building the portfolio that would help him create a successful wedding photography business, the way he ended up first working with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, how he created enough time to constantly continue to pursue his love of adventure photography, and the advice he gives to those coming up in the creative world trying to decide the right path to take.
To Learn More About Matt Porteous Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/mattporteous/
To Learn More About Ocean Culture Life Visit:
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
On this episode of the podcast I sit down with automotive and lifestyle photographer and commercial director Jeff Stockwell to talk about how he turned a professional career as a rollerblader into becoming a sought after photographer working with some of the biggest car companies in the world. Growing up in San Clemente Jeff always felt like an outsider because the things he was most passionate about seemed to be outside the norm of those around him. Although he lived in a beach town, he had little interest in the ocean, and while surrounded by skateboarding, he gravitated more towards rollerblading and quickly began to gain recognition in what was then an exploding sport. Through competing, video parts, and team sponsorships Jeff traveled the world and began to form the foundation of what would later become a visual aesthetic that would serve him well. Although he was one of the top pros in the county, roller blading wasn't quite cutting it for paying the bills and so Jeff stayed close to the industry of his other passion....cars. He worked in a machine shop and continued to learn more and more about the mechanical world and figured that would most likely represent his future. It wasn't until years later when an opportunity arose to assist a busy automotive photographer that Jeff started to realize that he could combine his love of cars with his creative side and became fascinated with the world of photography. Jeff put in his time working his way up in the assisting world, but before long he began to attract the attention of other art directors and decided to set out on his own. The rest is history, and Jeff has proven he has his own vision as an artist and the drive it takes to succeed in a very competitive industry. During our conversation we talk about constantly shooting test work and how that helps you to not only stay sharp, but to remain relevant in the midst of so may other shooters, what it was like making the decision to go out on his own after years of steady work as an assistant, how his love of vintage clothing, architecture, and cars influences his photography, and the advice he gives to others coming up in the creative world.
To Learn More About Jeff Stockwell Visit:
And Follow Him On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/jeffstockwell/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Renowned celebrity portrait photographer, documentary filmmaker, host of the popular show "Off Camera", and man of many creative pursuits Sam Jones joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Fullerton, CA with a focus on skateboarding and punk rock, to creating a very successful career as a photographer and filmmaker. During his younger years Sam always had a lot of outlets for creativity. Whether he was playing music in many of the bands he was in, drawing cartoons for his school newspaper, or riding his skateboard, Sam was beginning to shape the way he viewed the world around him. During his third year of college he decided to take a photography class, and with the encouragement of his good friend Neil Blender, start creating images of what was around him. Although music was still the main goal, Sam began to work as a photojournalist for his school paper, which quickly lead him to becoming a stringer for national news outlets. Before long he found himself on a plane to New York to chase the growing dream of creating a life for himself in the world of photography. During our conversation Sam tells me the story of how he created the image of Chris Rock for Vanity Fair that would help launch his career to another level, what it was like learning how to become a documentary filmmaker while actually in the midst of making a film about Wilco, how he juggles all of his creative pursuits and how he feels that keeps him from ever burning out, and the advice he gives to others who want to make a life for themselves in the creative world. Given his background in the DIY world of punk rock and skateboarding, and all is creative pursuits, it's no wonder that Sam is just as comfortable having a long conversation with someone like Robert Downey Jr, as he is taking his portrait.
To Learn More About Sam Jones Visit:
https://www.samjonespictures.com
To Watch or Listen to Off Camera Visit:
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Adventure photographer, director, filmmaker, Canon ambassador, and all around bad ass Krystle Wright returns to the podcast to talk about her three most current short films "Chasing Monsters", "In Perpetual Motion", and "A Restless Peace" (Links Below). Make sure to check out Krystle's original appearance on the show back on episode #52 to hear the story of how she got started. During this conversation we discuss what it was like trying to create three new films for Canon over the course of three years, putting together creative teams and knowing how to let them help guide her in expressing her own vision, what it was like chasing storms through "Tornado Ally" with the most recent guest of the show Nick Moir, trying to create films that have more space to breathe and interpret the imagery instead of always needing to let the audience know what you are saying, her thoughts on the current state of "like driven" content on social media, and what's next for her as she continues to evolve as an artist.
To Learn More About Krystle Wright Visit:
And Follow Her on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/krystlejwright/
**Links to all Three Films**
Chasing Mosters
In Perpetual Motion
A Restless Peace
Award winning photojournalist and renowned storm chaser Nick Moir joins the show to talk about what it's like facing down every type of severe weather you could imagine and how he has continued to evolve as a photographer, journalist, and creative after years in the field working with the Sydney Morning Herald. You can get a brief glimpse into what the fast paced world of storm chasing looks like in Krystle Wright's new film "Chasing Monsters" which features Nick and his work. Growing up in Sydney's Blue Mountains, Nick was inspired at an early age by the natural beauty and power of the storms and bushfires that were part of existence in that landscape. As the son of a political cartoonist, art and creative expression were also a part of his young life and soon he would find his voice through the lens of a camera. He became fascinated by the lifestyle of the newspaper photojournalist and began working his way up the ranks. During the early 2000s, he set out with another photographer to document a devastating bushfire and after two years of coverage they had both brought home the prestigious World Press Photo Award. Although he works as a daily news photojournalist, his continued fascination of storms has sent him all over the world from covering devastating tornadoes in America, to the Tsunami in Indonesia, to raging bushfires in his own backyard. During our conversation we talk about what it's like to mentally recover from the power and tragedy that can be involved in what he shoots, how he prepares for shooting in places like the infamous Tornado Ally, and the advice he gives to other out there wanting to brave the severity of mother nature.
To Learn More About Nick Moir Visit:
http://www.nickmoirphoto.com
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/nampix/
To Watch Nick in Krystle Wright's New Film Visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCBfClDGxo
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
On this episode I sit down with Jonathan Mehring to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in a holler in Virginia in a log home his "return to the land" parents built with no concrete in sight, to a skateboard enthusiast and one of the most well traveled skateboard photographers in the world, and finally the way that would lead him to working with National Geographic on his book "Skate the World" to help spread the global message of skateboard culture. As a kid growing up in a rural town with pretty adventurous and outdoor enthusiastic parents, skateboarding wasn't necessarily the first thing that you would assume would become the driving force of Jonathan's life, but while driving around one day, he got a glimpse of a skater airing it out over a privacy fence of a backyard ramp and that scene would stick with him and alter the direction of his life. Once that passion was paired with a high school photography class, his future was suddenly becoming more clear. He would go on to study photography in college and try to ignore the advice his professors gave him to give up on the idea of photographing something like skateboarding. Before long he proved them wrong by signing on as a photographer with slap magazine. After a long run there, and several trips to Europe, he got the travel bug and an opportunity to work with Skateboarder. It would be at that publication that he would soon birth a mission to go to the most remote skate locals he could imagine and create editorial skate trips like no one else had ever seen. During our conversion we talk about what it was like to ride motorcycles from Hanoi to Saigon looking for skateable terrain, how he convinced a magazine to let him spend months on the Trans Siberian Railroad, what it was like to realize that he had helped get National Geographic interested in skate culture, and the advice he gives to others with big dreams of travel and photography.
To Learn More About Jonathan Mehring Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/mehringsbearings/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Commercial, action sports, and fine art photographer Jussi Grznar joins the show to talk about growing up in former Czechoslovakia and watching the fall of communist leadership and repression, and how that led him to chasing his dreams not only for himself, but for his parents that never had the same opportunity. At an early age Jussi's parents always encouraged him and his sister to let themselves be influenced by travel, music, and whatever other culture they could absorb. At age 10, when communism fell, Jussi remembers starting to finally get his hands on skateboard and snowboarding magazines, and hear some of the music that had not been allowed before. It would become the spark of a dream that would eventually lead him to North America and through a ton of random jobs before finally picking up a camera to document the mountain lifestyle he had fallen in love with. While living in Whistler and attending the pro photography showdown, Jussi told his close friend that one day he would stand on that stage. It would be a prophetic statement that would give Jussi a goal that he would chase for years before making it come true and winning best in show and the people's choice at the same competition. During our conversation we discuss the trials and tribulations Jussi dealt with not only getting to Canada, but figuring out how to survive there and get his foot in the door of the competitive world of action sports photography, what it is was like to accomplish his goal of winning at Whistler's renowned pro photographer showdown after putting in years of work, how he made the transition from action sports photographer to commercial lifestyle shooter, and the advice he give to others coming up.
To Learn More About Jussi Grznar Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/jussi_grznar/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
Mike Lewis, aka @mike2swim, joins the show to talk about how he went from being a collegiate swimmer, to working at the executive level for the Olympic Canoe/Kayak and Water Polo teams, to finally deciding to focus on photography and find himself back in the pool with the athletes he knew best. Growing up in southern California, Mike gravitated towards the water at an early age and quickly became an accomplished swimmer. It would become a sport that would help him have a drive and focus throughout his high school years. During that time, like so many others that have been on this show, he found photography and fell in love with the process. Throughout his years as a swimmer, and then later on in his professional life working with olympic athletes, the camera was always close by and gave Mike a meditative and creative outlet that he became more and more focused on becoming proficient at. When one of his close friends started Swim Swam, which would become one of the biggest swimming media outlets in the world, Mike found a way to be able to focus on two of his biggest passions, swimming and photography. Before long Mike created some images that would help launch his career to a new level and provide him opportunities to work with the biggest name swimmers and brands around. During our conversation Mike talks about how he created a niche portfolio and career dedicated to one of his life's biggest passions, the specific challenges photographers face when photographing aquatic sports, how he tries to bring mindfulness into his daily life and work, and the advice he gives to others coming up in this world.
To Learn More About Mike Lewis Visit:
https://olavistaphotography.com
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/mike2swim/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Award winning photographer/director Joey Lawrence (aka Joey L.) joins the show to talk about how he went from photographing his musician friends in high school, to shooting portraits of celebrities like Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence, to traveling the globe extensively in the pursuit of some of the most ambitious personal projects ever discussed on this podcast. Although he's now old enough to not be the youngest person on his sets anymore, Joey L. is still a young face in the industry, but at age 29 his portfolio is packed with work most older veterans could only dream of. During our conversation we talk about how Joey found photography and the work ethic and drive that had him shooting professionally at the age of 16, and how he continues to evolve as an artist. Although Joey has had no shortage of interviews and press throughout his photography career, the true testament to his talents is that he hasn't slowed down a bit. Over the years he has continued to hone his craft and blur the lines between his personal work and his commercial projects, earning him coveted spots like the Lavazza calendar is 2016, previously shot by other top photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger. Joey gives us an insiders look at what goes into creating his personal work, how he stays organized with his schedule, why he feels "burn out" is no longer an issue for him, and the advice he gives to those veterans out there that think the golden era of photography is over.
To Learn More About Joey L. Visit:
https://joeyl.com/overview/category/quick-portfolio
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/joeyldotcom/
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
Filmmaker, Commercial DP, Photographer, Adventurer, and man of many talents Steve Rokks joins the podcast to talk about how he went from a kid growing up in Long Island with a fascination for jazz drumming, to dreams of a Navy Seal career, to working as an engineer, to a job in the music industry in Dallas working with labels like Def Jam and artists like Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, to editing videos on the side for a filmmaker friend, to finally finding himself behind the camera focused on his current career of commercial DP and documentary filmmaker. From his earliest years that he can remember, Steve was always inspired by the work ethic and DIY attitude of his father. It's a thread he's taken through his own life of "when a door opens, go through it and see what you can make of it". He applied it through his younger years of making music, through the opportunity he was presented to work as a sound engineer, and finally to working as a filmmaker. We talk about what goes into that mind set and where it comes from, and the sometimes random curve balls life throws at you that you can knock out of the park if you are willing to swing at them. During our conversation Steve discusses how he found climbing in high school, when the name Steve Rokks came about, his latest short film "The Art of Living" that was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick, how he balanced life as a commercial DP with the personal projects he sets out to create, and the advice he gives to other creatives coming up in this world.
To Learn More About Steve Rokks Visit:
And Follow Him on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/steverokks/
To Watch The Art of Living Visit:
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
We finally made it to episode 100 of the podcast, and to celebrate I'm joined by special guest host Kenna Klosterman to help lead me through telling my own life story. You might know Kenna as the host of Creative Live, or from her own great photography podcast "We Are Photographers", so she seemed like the perfect person to come in and take over hosting the Visual Revolutionary Podcast. Kenna has also been a guest on this show before so make sure to check out Episode 64 to hear her story. Believe it or not, I've had several requests over the last 99 episodes to tell my own story, so during this episode you get to learn more about me. Therefore if you are one of the people who have commented that I talk too much, it might not be the episode for you. During our conversation I tell Kenna about what it was like growing up in a small town in Kentucky, how skateboarding was the impetus of so much creativity and rebellion in my life, what it was like traveling on tour with the Grateful Dead, my stint in life as a purveyor of illegal substances, how many times I had to be threatened by legal troubles before trying to get my act together, my long standing relationship with meditation and the present moment, and what ultimately led me to a life and career in photography.
To Learn More About Kenna Klosterman Visit:
And Make Sure to check out "We Are Photographers" at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-photographers/id1435736290
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow On Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/
My good friend Sean Boggs returns to the show to talk about his recent personal project working with the Ninash Foundation, where he traveled through India to document people from all walks of life and captured some of the amazing changes Ninash has made in their lives and the lives of others. During our conversation we talk about taking on personal projects and giving back by donating your services to non profit organizations, how he went about planning and executing this project, the logistics of creating environmental portraits in all types of situations, and the way others have received the work thus far.
To Learn More About Sean Boggs Visit:
To Learn More About the Ninash Foundation Visit:
To Learn More About Visual Revolutionary Visit:
http://www.visualrevolutionary.com
And Follow on Instagram At:
https://www.instagram.com/visualrevolutionary/