Ajaye

There’s something pure about a portrait, a continuum that stretches back to the beginning of photography. An image that tries to capture the raw and unrefined truth— the sitter and what they’re wearing and how they hold and present themselves to the world. It’s photography as the uneasy balance between performance and reality. It's how we dress and how our attitude mediates between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us, the formality of a suit and/or dress, or the informality of a hoodie and/or t-shirt that shows who we are... at that moment in time.

Natalie

 Smoke & Mirrors.

Becky

Permission— so much of photography has to do with permission. Sure, it's permission to stare... longer than would otherwise be acceptable. You have to be willing to not linger too long, though, and do the work. There are other kinds of permission, as well— to demand, to control, too direct, and sometimes touch (within established boundaries). I have to admit that it's quite appealing, and I really enjoy spending time in that space. Beyond that, deeper than that, it's also permission to indulge in things weird, peculiar, whimsical— or even awkward or graceless. Or even kinky and erotic. To search for a moment that takes both you and your subject to a place of trust, exploration— and perhaps, if you're lucky, truth. It's permission to ask someone for their faith in you, in the hope you'll both be rewarded with the process.

Becky

I like to blast my subjects with sunlight. It's amazing what can be revealed by the harsh light of a powerful sunbeam. Your subject can only handle it on the eyes for a limited amount of time, but it just means that you should just shoot faster. On a cooler day, but with bright sunshine— it feels nice on the body. No hurry there. Alternate with the eye shots. Wash, rinse, repeat. With as much light as possible.

Izzy & Chelsea

”I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today’s existence.” ~Robert Mapplethorpe

Tali De'Mar

What is, and what will be 21st Century photography? So far, the real difference between 20th Century photography and now is that it primarily existed on a printed page before, whereas now digital offers other possibilities. In the 21st Century a print is still relevant for sure, but now somehow quaint, and certainly not the way most of us see and/or use images for the most part now. Many print magazines and newspapers are dying and bookstores (where you can see actual books) offer a paltry selection of coffee table photo books. Remember those? In its place, there is now a luminous screen, and its other side remotely plugged into an unimaginably large stream of data. We now look at social media, websites, blogs, and online newspapers/mags for our images most of the time. And yet, there is still an image, and the image can be of something or other as always. The next wave will be virtual reality, for better or worse. It will be, at the very least, interesting. It will probably take on new names, such as immersive multimedia. Despite all of this, an image of a cat still will just represent a real cat (or perhaps, sort of), according to the same logic that maintains that paper money represents gold bullion (gold standard). It always was, and always will be, an illusion based on inherent trust. But that illusion will be stretched and the inherent trust will be further tested to be sure...

Ajaye

You have to start believing that your morning commute is cute and fun, that every cup of coffee is the best you’ve ever had, that even the smallest and most mundane things are exciting and new. You have to, because that’s when you start truly living. That’s when you look forward to every day.