In this series, 10 Offset artists answer 10 questions about their approaches to visual storytelling. Each artist has a different style and subject matter, ranging from lively portraiture to stark architectural photography. Discover how their inspiration, techniques, and stories unfold.
Get the entire Offset Artists Series here.
Question 8: What influenced your decision to enter into photography?
1. Devon Hall: I would say when I was studying for my Bachelor of Fine Arts and was introduced to Sally Mann’s work and the university darkroom.
2. Ester Keate: My childhood – both my parents were photographers.
3. Jen Huang: I found myself in NYC at a job that was not fulfilling, yet very time consuming. The desire to pursue my photography was very enticing at that moment – the dream of owning my own business, being my own boss, and working towards my own success.
4. Jennifer Bogle: After my third child was born I got a little sick of my lackluster photos and decided to work on improving my skills and finding something to do outside of family and work. Once I took a few classes and started shooting regularly, the mixture of the technical and artistic elements of photography really resonated with me in a way that other pursuits hadn’t. I’ve run a small portrait business off and on, but stock art seems to be a good fit for my life at this moment.
5. Kyle La Mere: 10 years ago, I was designing a poster for a friend’s hip-hop group and needed a photo. They didn’t have one, so I bought a Canon Rebel XT and took their portrait and it wound up looking kinda OK. From there it just snowballed and people kept asking me to shoot more than design.
6. Lisa Tichané: When I was still a hobbyist, I created a little blog for myself to share some images with my photography friends around the world. Google performed its magic and I started to receive inquiries from strangers asking me to photograph their kids. I was so flattered that I accepted to do it for free during a few months, until I realized how much I loved the challenge of photographing people I didn’t know. At some point I left my day job to launch my photography business and never looked back!
7. Matt Armendariz: I was an art director in the food world for almost 20 years, producing and art directing tons of food shoots. Being in the studio or on location sure beat being glued to a computer in a cubicle staring an InDesign for hours and hours. So I slowly made the switch to freelance commercial photography and have never looked back. I still use InDesign when designing on occasion, too!
8. William and Susan Brinson: Skipping photography class in college to wander the wilderness for great locations to shoot.
9. Shana Novak: My grandparents were both photographers. It’s in my DNA.
10. Benoit Florençon: As a hobbyist I really don’t remember. As a professional, the day after I was paid for my first shoot.
Go to the next question: Where do you find your inspiration?
Offset artists are visual storytellers with a deep passion for their craft. Images in the Offset collection are gathered from world-class and award-winning assignment photographers, illustrators, and agencies, with a focus on unique content with narrative, authentic, and sophisticated qualities.
