BENJAMIN RUTHERFORD

BENJAMIN RUTHERFORD - photographer
Benjamin Rutherford is a 25 year old African photographer. While his work has the depth and wisdom of someone who has spent multiple eternities on the continent, it also covers the ground only an unencumbered youth with a lustful eye could achieve. His profound work arrested us from the moment we caught sight of it, so we had to find out more.

1) Who are you?
I'm a 25-year-old professional photographer and artist. I grew up in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa and am now based between the UK, Australia and Zambia working on various long form documentary projects.

2) Describe your medium and process for your photos...
My process takes time, sometimes maybe too much time. I'm either shooting or thinking about shooting, mostly the latter. I am addicted to research, whether it's spending all my money on every visual orientated publication I can get my hands on or reading just about anything that's slightly related to a new project I'm considering. When I'm doing a story I get very involved, it consumes all my attention. For my last three projects I have lived and worked with my subjects for months on end, and often, I find I have only taken a couple pictures in a week. As for medium, I love my mamiya rz 67, but it's a logistical nightmare when travelling. I shoot pretty much all my professional work with my canon 5D, Logistically it makes sense and I find the medium easy to work with. The freedom to be able to experiment without spending a bomb on film processing is a bonus.

3) How did you find your passion, who and what influences your work?
It was progressive, evolving out of a love for the visual and a dislike of staying in one place for too long. I never really took much interest in photography when I was young, for instance I took more interest in the illustrations in national geographic than the photos. When I found a course on photojournalism I decided to give photography a shot. It was and still is the process of finding and creating the images that I enjoy the most, and that's where it took off for me. My friends are a huge influence; there is intense competition between us. It’s extremely important for us to have that creative community to share and develop ideas with, to help built an engaging visual narrative. As for other influences, literature, art and film probably affect my work more than other photographers.

4) What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
To be honest I have never been a fan of my own work’s aesthetic. To me the most exciting thing about my work is working out how to improve what I have, how to push the boundaries in a projects next stages. I struggle with my own pressure and keeping my ideas obtainable, I'm always slightly disappointed with what I have after a trip, but that's what keeps me going back. I can't remember which editor I heard it from but it's a quote that sticks with me, ‘we are up to our necks with good photographers, but up to our ankles with good ideas.

5) What are your goals, where do see yourself going?
I have no idea; I’m just hustling and taking it one step at a time. I'm currently working on a collaborative book with Photographer Joshua Cunliffe, and starting to expand into film making to compliment my projects. The only way I can explain it is like driving at night, I can only see a few metres ahead but I know the rest of the road is there. With any luck it will involve some place warm where I can surf and have a dog.

You can see more of Benjamin's work here:
website • instagram

BLAKE MYERS

BLAKE MYERS - filmmaker & photographer
Blake Myers is 23 years old filmmaker and photographer with a wicked eye and a touch of cheeky humor. Born in Whangamata, New Zealand, he started experimenting with media by making Lego films at the early age of nine. Later, as a sponsored teenage surfer, Blake found his passion aligning more and more with cameras, which led him to Australia and now America. Several passports later, Blake works for What Youth, exploring and documenting the skate and surf worlds while making inroads into the commercial world...

You can see more of Blake's work here:
website • vimeo • instagram

TRENT MITCHELL

TRENT MITCHELL - photographer
A new father and the recipient of this year's Moran Contemporary Photography award, Trent Mitchell is moving very quickly through life. A longtime ocean and travel photographer, his work has consistently expanded into new and exciting dimensions, never growing stale as he points his camera at every moving and still thing on his fantastic continent. We caught up with him to explore his newest body of work and find out more about this amazing artist...

Who are you?
I’m Trent Mitchell. I’m 36 years old, just became a Dad and I live in Burleigh Heads, Australia.

Describe your medium & process for your work…
I shoot still photographs. My personal work seems to flow in short intense bursts. Im either on or off. I’ve always thought I’m either in a state of conception or in a state of creation. Both are equally productive but I don’t do both at once with my personal work. My process ultimately is very fluid and I incorporate my life into my work. For a while there I was in the ocean every spare minute I had. I made a body of work around that, two books actually. Things have changed and I find my interests else where at the moment. I am pointing my camera at places and spaces to make a statement about my home and hopefully a body of work that stands up over time. Who knows thats my goal for now.

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work? 
I found photography during art class at school and later on when I had a year off it all fell into place. We had to keep a visual diary about our major works and a camera was the easiest way to do that. I learnt about films and colour. Later I taught myself all of the technicalities I needed to create most pictures I wanted to. Then I got hooked once I got a water housing. My art world and surfing world collided and I knew I had found what I needed to be doing. Early on I looked to other photographers for inspiration but realised very quickly that all the inspiration I needed was in the subject and in the limitless potential of the creative process. I still hold the same inspiration now. I am driven by creativity and visual language. I am inspired by my subjects, people and places.   

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I get excited about getting my film back from the lab, about light, about colliding elements and colour, about Australia and about the a sense of freedom in the unknown. I get excited by creative possibilities and long term projects, about telling stories and making pictures that just work. I get excited about seeing new places and shooting new subjects. Im excited by change.

I struggle with, like most artists, confidence in my work. By nature I lean more towards being shy and introverted. I really have to work at overcoming this frequently, and I do overcome it to a degree. Some how I think it makes me work harder. I use my pictures as my voice and thats about as simple as I can explain how I feel about struggles. Pictures are my way of explaining all things. I know it’s a cliche but its true. Pictures are the purest form of communication.

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
My goals at the moment include finishing a longterm body of work about Australia, then submitting it to publishers, curators and one of the bigger art agencies in the world. I want to gain representation for commercial work overseas, as well as at home. I wish to make a transition into film making. It really does interest me. I’d love to direct short films and TVC’s. Once all these things take effect I see myself leaping out of the Australian market to work with global clients on a regular basis or having them come to me. Then after that I see my self publishing another book or two. Ahhh … it never ends :)

You can see more of Trent's work here:
website • instagram

CHRIS GURNEY

CHRIS GURNEY - photographer
Western Australia is one of the most remote places in the world. Filled with snakes, crocodiles, and just about every other deadly thing you can imagine, it's inhospitable edge of the Outback Desert borders a marvelous thing: the Indian Ocean. And exploring it's wild waters is Chris Gurney, an incredibly prolific young photographer. Chris's work both amplifies the chaos of some of the world's most extreme waves, and the loneliness of the sea. We caught up with him to see what he's up to and where he's going...

Who are you? 
I am Chris Gurney, 24 years old from Perth, Western Australia. 

Describe your medium & process for your work...
I try to tell a story about my subject while allowing for wonder and curiosity. I find the photos that inspire me the most leave something to the imagination, usually just simple observations about a person, place or thing. 

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I became interested in photography as a teenager after seeing the work of a few Western Australian photographers. Their work was generally shot on saturated, contrasty slide films like Fuji Velvia and it perfectly captured the feeling I got when I explored the coastline around home. It was like you could feel, smell and see the beach just from a photo. Lately I have been shooting these same films and have been more satisfied with these images than just about anything else I've shot. Maybe because it takes me back to those early memories. These days my biggest influence is the people, land and seascapes of my native state, Western Australia. It's an amazing place. 

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I'm mostly excited about future subjects, places I want to visit and document. Just in Western Australia, there is so much I want to immerse myself in. I struggle with being subjective about my own work, there are very few images I have shot that I am really happy with, but that's probably what keeps me going in many ways. I'm looking forward to doing some personal work I hope will fill this void. 

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I'd like to get back to those early inspirations I talked about with my own work, evoking that vastness and space we all love about the ocean. Ideally, I'd just like to keep progressing with my work, travelling, exploring and enjoying myself. 

You can see more of Chris's work here:
website • instagram

KEIRON LEWIS

Keiron Lewis - artist
Keiron Lewis is a young Brit living in Sydney, Australia. A surfer at heart who wears many hats, his work touches on a simple beauty often forgotten in the 21st century. As fans of his work and intrigued by his kindred character, we reached out to him to find out more about the man behind the artwork.

Tell us about yourself...
I'm Kerion 'seamouse' Lewis a 35 year old Englishman now living in Bondi Beach, Australia.  Some words to describe me are: husband, father, friend, designer, illustrator, surfer...

Describe your medium & process for your work...
The majority of my work is print based being that it is either an actual print or I've used a method or process to replicate or imitate printmaking in some form. Print making has a fairly logical and methodical process and I really enjoy working within the structures it sets. Generally my work is defined by stong geometric shapes, Blocked colour and wordplay.

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
Like most creative people it's just something I've always done.  A way to release, unwind, express or just have fun.  I'm heavily influenced by alternative beach culture and a lot of my work reflects that. I'm constantly being inspired by new artists but have a few favorites that seem to 'nail it' every time for me. For me I love seeing people achieve great statements with simple imagery (which is probably why I call myself an illustrator rather than an artist) so guys like Nat Russell, Geoff McFetridge & Cody Hudson really strike a chord.  

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
People. Hands down the best part of doing what I do is building relationships with the people I work for. I've been fortunate enough to work with and for some really inspirational individuals. What do i struggle with? Interview questions......

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
Just to keep getting better at that first list of words that describe me. Also I'd really like to own a dog.

You can see more of Keiron's work here:
website • instagram

FOSTER HUNTINGTON

FOSTER HUNTINGTON - photographer
Foster Huntington is a twenty-seven year old Instagram celebrity. The difference, however, between Foster and your common social media star is that he spends no time worrying about how to grow his fame and fortune; instead he spends his every waking moment planning adventures, networking with creatives and exploring the great outdoors. From living out of his van while traversing America to building what might be the most epic treehouse of all time, Foster lives every day engaging the purest form of our wonderment. 

Who are you?
My Name Is Foster Huntington and I am currently at a coffee shop in SLO, heading back up to my home after hanging in Santa Barbra for Trevor and Maddie Gordon's wedding with the Breakfast crew.

Describe your medium & process for these photos...
I'm a hack photographer that's getting more into video. I take some film photos and more and more digital becuase its insanely good theses days. As video equipment gets more accessible in terms of performance and ease of use,  I find myself picking up a video rig more and more. 

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I started taking photos in my early 20's because i was bored to death with school. I'd always been really into movies and photography but never really fancied myself a photographer.   Today, my stuff is influenced by my friends that I spend time with, but more than anything, I try to create environments where anyone could take a cool photo. Take for example building a tree house or chasing down a bunch of cool campers, its more about the subject than the subtitles of the or video clip.  

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I get really excited when I scheme up a new project to take photos and videos of. Some new idea that builds off of the things I've done and requires me to learn something new. I struggle with self doubt and figuring out if im doing a project for the right reasons. I've been very lucky to have been able to make money off of my ideas for the last decade or so and sometimes theres a draw to do specific projects because you think that they could make a quick buck... But i struggle with this conflict.

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I want to focus on fictional video and photo projects that build off of my background doing documentary work. I have no idea where I'll be in a few years but I imagine it will have to do with developing stories that are both still and video based.  

You can see more of Foster's work here:
website • instagram

MARK JASON WESTON

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MARK JASON WESTON - artist
Collages are a quiet bottleneck for the entire spectrum of creative endeavors. Transcending fashion, art, photography and design, they can parlay humor as effortlessly as power and thought. Mark Jason Weston is a Philadelphia-based creative who explores the reaches of his medium, making work that can hit any note of emotion. We had to catch up with him to share and showcase his fantastic work...

Who are you?
Mark Jason Weston. I'm 45 years old, living in Philadelphia.

Describe your medium & process for your photos...
I'm an image junkie and I used to write poetry. My collages are a kind of visual translation of bits of poetry that I still write in my head.

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
Through poetry, again. It informs a lot of what I do when I try to make an image. I want to provoke a bit, make you laugh, feel nostalgic. I got to meet Howard Hussey when I catalogued a large chunk of his extensive book collection. He was an assistant to Joseph Cornell. Now I own a few books on Cornell's work. And John Stezaker and Ray Johnson I can look at every time.

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
Not knowing what image will be next that I can be pleased with, that does what I want it to do. What do I struggle with? I want each collage to have multiple meanings. In the end an image should hold the attention of the viewer.

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I want to make much larger images collaboratively, or on my own. I'm also going smaller with a series of paper collages on postal stickers for my neighborhood. I want what I do to continue to be seen by a wider audience. I want it at street level as much I want it in more  formal spaces.

You can see more of Mark's work here:
website • instagram

SINZIANA VELICESCU

SINZIANA VELICESCU - photographer
Its with great curiosity that some of the most subtle photos we've featured come from the mecca of chaos, Los Angeles. Sinziana Velicescu is a twenty-six year old artist who observes the city with an incredibly delicate eye, highlighting its strange accents of beauty and design in medium format. Her daily observations make for a sublime follow on Instagram, so we had to investigate who she was and how she came to develop such a unique take on the crazy metropolis. 

Who are you? 
My name is Sinziana Velicescu, I’m a 26 year old photographer & filmmaker from Los Angeles, CA. 

Describe your medium & process for your photos.
I shoot mostly with a medium format camera. I try to allow a few hours each week for shooting; I'll randomly pick an area of LA depending on my mood and wander around aimlessly by car or on foot. 

How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
My relationship with photography began out of the boredom and disappointment I felt immediately after high school, when I realized I would be spending (at least) four more years in the city & neighborhood I had grown up in my entire life. Los Angeles isn’t the worst place to be “stuck” in, but its urban landscape is deceptive; suburbia reigns in the very heart of the city, the automobile impedes human interaction, and the distances between destinations alienates the city from itself. Instead of rejecting these circumstances, I used photography as a vessel for exploring these themes of familiarity and loneliness that come about from living in a place like Los Angeles for too long. Aesthetically I’m influenced by abstract expressionism, graphic design, Edward Hopper, and the New Topographics movement. 

What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I’m most interested in the details that make up the ever-changing backdrop of our daily commute, the ones we often overlook because we’re too busy worrying about traffic or making that appointment.  

I often struggle with locations and subjects I’m not familiar with. I need time to ingest the background story of a place and spend enough time there to understand what I’m photographing and what the story I’m trying to tell is. 

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I’d love to explore every crevice of Los Angeles and every small town and highway in California. I’m also interested in documenting the effects of climate change & the excesses of consumerism. I have always been fascinated by the myth of the American Dream and I am curious to see (and of course frightened by) what the next wave of consequences will be.

You can see more of Sinziana's work here:
website • tumblr • instagram

TOSH CLEMENTS: ROAD TRIP

TOSH CLEMENTS - photographer
This past summer I went on a road trip from New York to California with two of my good friends. If we weren't driving we were skating, eating ice cream, drinking coffee, and jumping off of cliffs into swimming holes. I've always had a love for traveling around the states by car and seeing the odd details of each place I visit. These are a dozen selects from a bigger gallery that is up on my site... - Tosh Clements

You can see more of Tosh's work here:
website • gallery • instagram

CHRIS BURKARD

CHRIS BURKARD - photographer
It's impossible to imagine a human being on this planet who is not familiarized with Chris Burkard's work. The globe-trotting, TED-talking Instagram phenomenon has taken the world by storm with his inspirational landscape-inspired work. While outdoor activities are usually the focal-point of his magnificent work, we've found ourselves absolutely enraptured by his series of aerial river photos from Iceland...

1. Who are you? (age, name, location, etc)
My name is Chris Burkard, Im 29 years old.. Husband and father of 2 boys. I have been a photographer since i quit my job at 19 to pursue somewhat of a nomadic lifestyle chasing surf around the California coast for Surf Magazines. I call Central California my home. Pismo Beach is where I grew up and live now.. its a rural dot on the map of California. Close to Big Sur and rolling ranch lands. I tried to live in the city but realized it scared the hell out of me. I was bred for wide open spaces that have inspired my work.. its those places that i find myself traveling back to again and again. 

2. Describe your medium & process for these photos. 
In the last few years i have gotten a little bored with my process; surfing photography turned into work and commercial photography becomes kinda draining. I love landscapes... but always struggled finding an approach that did them justice. In 2008, while in Iceland and flying over the glacial rivers I saw these incredible patterns and had to learn more about them. I researched and Googling what they were and realized they were sediment patterns from glacial silt being deposited in the rivers systems and flowing out in braided patterns, it was really intriguing. To be honest, I fell in love with it. So i rented a plane, got a polarizer, and started researching which rivers were best to shoot... its become an obsession. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I’ve been influenced from so many things.. nowadays its from architecture, music, as well as my traditional mediums of film and photography... but more and more, I really like seeking out art in nature, just seeing and studying the patterns I see in the landscape. I am really intrigued by aerial photography, in particular the work of Bradford Washburn, an aerial photography pioneer. Early in my career Michael Fatali was really a huge influence of my work, as well as the work of early surf photographers like Jeff Divine, Ron Stoner, and many others. I think passion is simple: it comes from being outside, seeking out places that feel wild... and inspiring others to do the same. 

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
i get excited about seeing new perspectives... thats why aerial photography has been so rad to me. Also, underwater is still a huge passion. I get excited as well about a story or a location, especially somewhere wild that feels untouched. I got into photography to trave and that's what has always pushed me along... seeing places in real life that i used to only look at on the glossy pages of magazines. I think i struggle like anyone else in the sense that i struggle to stay inspired in my work, to mix up my style, to stay relevant... but things have changed a bit. Now I struggle to be a good husband and father more than anything else, those are really my biggest concerns in life.

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I think for me, my goals over these last 10 years have always been the same. I want to inspire people to care about the planet and seek out these wild places. I love the fact that I can help spread that message with my work. I hope it will never be about money... for me it has never been about that. I try to keep my entire life focused around service; in one way or another I hope I can continue to help people and inspire them to get outside more. I personally think its the cure to a lot of life problems, finding your place in the outdoors. I see myself moving into more directing, more human interaction with films event, and larger more involved projects that study our relationship with the world around us.

You can see more of Chris's work here:
website • facebook • instagram

MORGAN MAASSEN'S STORMSCAPES

MORGAN MAASSEN - photographer/filmmaker
My obsession with storms formed out of the perpetually cloudless seasons of my Southern Californian youth. The few yearly rains that would pass through were always short-lived and colorless, something that spurred only more hunger to travel to tropical places. While photography and filmmaking has seen me to many corners of the world to shoot a vast array of subjects, nothing will ever excite me more than when the wind switches, the air grows sticky, and the sky darkens. I live for those moments and whatever nature presents, despite often being caught in it's crossfire while swimming in the ocean or on a smaller-than-desired boat. Here are a few of those photos, a collection of moments i'll forever reminisce on fondly... - Morgan Maassen

You can see more of Morgan's work here:
website • facebook • instagram

JAMES ETTELSON

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JAMES ETTELSON - artist
James Ettelson resides in the lush northern beaches of Sydney, Australia where he spends his days surfing and painting. The young artist's work is a breathtaking exploration into both the rhythmic beauty and chaotic nature of a million delicate strokes, so we had to catch up with him...

1. Who are you?
My name is James Ettelson. I'm a 30 year-old artist currently working out of Sydney, Australia.

2. Describe your medium and the process of your work?
l like to look at positive things, which I convey through lots of vibrant colours. My practice involves working on large-scale canvases using multiple layers of colour and different application techniques. As the painting evolves I add more and more detail. I’m interested in creating depth in a unique way - not though perspective or dimension but with layered marks.

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
From a young age I’ve always loved doing creative things. Growing up I had a few different jobs but ended up coming back to the thing I loved most - painting. Working on my first solo show I realised, with certainty, that this is want I wanted to do.

I’m influenced by lots of things, but particularly our contemporary age of technology and social media. I like to portray the humorous and absurd side of our culture - the ridiculousness of ‘Instagramming’ a meal rather than eating it, or the ironic depersonalisation of Tinder. I’m very influenced by the environment that I’m working in. I prefer to have lots of space and need to be near the ocean.

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I’m excited that I get to paint everyday. As long as I’m making art, I’m happy.
I struggle not being able to turn my brain off from thinking about painting.

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
The main thing is to keep creating new work.  I want to make sure I’m always moving forward.

You can see more of James's work here:
 website • instagram

JACOB VANDEN BERGE

JACOB VANDEN BERGE - artist
25 years young, Jacob Vanden Berge tackles art and design with a uniquely minimal approach. Humor and sexuality drift amongst the clean lines of his work. We've been a fan of the Long Beach artists Instagram - a vast array of drawings, doodles, tags, projects and street photography - for sometime, so we thought we'd catch up with him.

1. Who are you?
My name is Jacob Vanden Berge and I’m 25 living in the suburbs of Los Angeles. 

2. Describe your medium & process for your art…
All my pieces are done with india ink and fine point micron pens. I’ll usually also do some work on the computer to fix and perfect my work. It’s the simplest drawing though but they take a lot of time to get it exactly how I want it, so Illustrator always helps out. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I use to draw Pokémon growing up, haha. Then, I upgraded to drawing anything I saw on skateboards. Ed Templeton and Gonz boards were ones I would try to recreate the most. After that I just kept drawing my own characters and eventually just matured and thought to do something i felt was more timeless. Early Andy Warhol line drawings have been something influencing me the most right now. 

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
Just the fact that I’m going to be making this work for the rest of my life is pretty cool. I don’t think i’ll ever stop. Maybe thats what I struggle with... I can’t stop. I don’t want to do anything or have a normal job, i’d rather just create and be creative for as long as I can even if I don’t make money off it. 

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
Right now my only goal is to keep consistently making work. Get a few more gallery shows this year and put out a few more zines. Those seem to be something people buy more than art pieces now. 

You can see more of Jacob's work here:
 website • instagram

RENEE CAREY

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RENEE CAREY - photographer
Living and working out of Sydney, Australia, Renee Carey's photographs of women are subtle and beautiful. She has a talent for creating images that feel so natural and effortless you often find yourself consumed in the moment and atmosphere. The ability to shoot women the way Renee does is not learned or easily duplicated, it's a combination of intuition and talent that photographers and artist struggle to find their entire careers. She has a impressive list of clients and her work can be seen in publications like Cake, Junk, and Oyster. We love her work and are happy to have her part of the Breakfast Club.

1. Who are you? 
 My name is Renee Carey I'm 25 and I live in Sydney, Australia currently but originally from California.

2. Describe your medium & process for these photos... 
As much as I can get away with it, which right now is 100% of the time (thanks to my stubbornness), I'm happiest shooting film. Conceptualizing and bringing ideas to life with a story is my best way to achieve a vision. I love to think of a story behind each image, a certain place you can go/feel. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?  
In a search to creatively express myself. I was never that good at drawing or painting so I started taking photos for fun at an early age. My photographs evolved as I did and fell deeply in love with it. Fashion was easy to fall into because I found it the easiest way I personally could be creative. Who/what influences your work? I'm extremely influenced by music. It paints a picture in my mind that then pushes an emotion in the images. I'm also extremely influenced by the creativity that fashion brings to an image. 

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
When I feel that I am constantly growing and evolving. I struggle when i feel like I am not pushing myself as hard as possible to evolve.

5. What are your goals? 
 I'd love to keep shooting, working with talented creatives, and focus on getting more work in LA as much as I have here in Australia so I can bounce between the two. I'm also coming out with a self-published book next year partnered with my brother that is something to look forward to. Maybe a solo show too - who knows. 

 6. Where do you see yourself going? 
One - day - at - a - time, right?

You can see more of Renee's work here:
 website •  blog • instagram

KINDAH KHALIDY

KINDAH KHALIDY - artist, surface designer
While Monterey Bay's Kindah Khalidy might be soft-spoken in person, her art is anything but: colors and shapes swirl together, existing so freely that every individual has a different perception of her work. A studio visit only reaffirms the the beautiful chaos of her art, with both the floors and ceilings of her San Francisco atelier looking like extensions of her work. Kindah spreads her talent far beyond just painting, so definitely pay attention to her instagram to follow the breadth of her pursuits.

1. Who are you? 
Hi I'm Kindah! I'm a 26 year-old artist and designer currently working out of San Francisco, California.  

2. Describe your medium & process for your art. 
I'm interested in how I can attack a surface. Everything is a blank canvas, whether it's clothing, wallpaper, gift wrap, or a giant wall. I address these different surfaces as they're presented, and try to make them as unique as possible in my own style. I got into surface design after not being able to find weird/funny/hand painted/colorful enough fabrics and clothes and have been running with it ever since. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
Through a lot of trial and error, I found what I really enjoy doing. I've changed career routes many times so far, but finally found a multidisciplinary one that I'm sticking with. I run my own business which let's me tap into all creative areas that I love - mixing colors, prop design, fashion, photo, etc... I also design patterns for other companies. 

I'm most influenced by color combinations in the city. I take those concepts and translate them into coexisting forms that sit within a plane. Lots of shapes on a plane. That's what fuels me to paint everyday. I have to keep adding to this ongoing series until I run out of ideas. I've been playing with this concept for the last 6 years and feel like it's only just begun. 

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I love when my work makes viewers laugh, or even confused. I don't title most of my work so that it's more open for interpretation. It's become the most fun activity for me, making art. If I'm not in the studio for a few days I get irritable, sleepy, and or bored so I have to work a lot. 

It's tricky knowing when to back off and call a piece finished. I prefer not to talk about unfinished work, so the ongoing challenge is developing this abstracted vocabulary and then deciding when the message is complete and ready to be viewed by the public - but that's what I signed up for. Working as an artist nowadays there are a lot of opportunities to show your work, and it's tough to find a balance of exposing your work in new ways (especially with the internet) without losing the magic. 

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I would really like to do some public art pieces. Creating work that is accessible for many people to view without being charged would be the dream. I'm going to keep painting and making fabrics, until I have to move into a bigger work space. That's the fun part - having to upgrade because you're busting at the seams. 

You can see more of Kindah's work here:
website • facebook • instagram

OFF LEASH

Presenting "Off Leash", a short film by Will Adler documenting his brother Travers's antics around California. 

ZAK NOYLE

ZAK NOYLE - photographer
Hailing from Hawaii, Zak is one of the most highly-regarded surf photographers of all time. Combining his talent for swimming in massive waves with an eye for aquatic beauty, you can look to him to push the limits of surf imagery. Jet-setting between exotic places like Tahiti, Japan, and the Caribbean, his photos can be seen everywhere from Apple ads to H&M store openings.

1. Who are you?
Zak Noyle, age 30 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. Describe your medium & process. 
Swimming in big large barrels around the world, with only fins and a camera in hand. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I found my passion through my love for the ocean. Being able to capture something that very few can ever see with their own eyes; it drives me to create and share. I am influenced by my father, Ric Noyle, a commercial photographer with a passion for detail. 

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I am excited by searching for new angles or different looks, especially ones that people had previously thought to be impossible. I struggle with procrastinating, but I mean well.

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
My goals are to have fun and grow and keep pushing my self as a photographer. Never stay still and always innovate and swim deeper!

You can see more of Zak's work here:
website • facebook • instagram

SHAWN THEODORE

SHAWN THEODORE - Creative director, photographer
Based in Philadelphia, Shawn is a creative director by day, but is quickly becoming recognized for his unique portrayal of the African American community through his street photography. With a strong emphasis on colors and a distaste for portraying the clichéd blight of Philadelphia's ghettos, Shawn's work rivets us for its simple approach to such a complex entity.

1. Who are you?
Shawn Theodore, age 44 in Philadelphia.

2. Describe your medium & process. 
Most of my creative time is spent on the streets. I use my camera to express reinterpretations of my memories. My current project is a personal journey through neighborhoods, familiar and unfamiliar, local and distant, witnessing and recording each person I encounter as existential actors connected by certain, but often unseen circumstances. Every portrait and candid is a soliloquy held within the broader story of people who are living in a shrinking landscape. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
Before I was introduced to the camera, my first method of creating art was painting, a skill developed with the guidance of one of my aunts, who was accomplished painter in her own right. I’ve never had any formal training in photography, I’ve learned everything I can from my interactions from other photographers. I began shooting street photography in 2008, my visual story as it appears on Instagram is told most often in my hometown of Philadelphia. I began with photoreportage. My photographic influences are Roy Decavara, William Klein, Jamel Shabazz, Theirry LeGoues, Viviane Sassen, and Hans Silvester.

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
My vision has evolved over the past 4 years into a more artistically driven expression of street and studio photography techniques. The only struggle I face is that I can't shoot 24 hours a day, I wish that I could. 

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I hope to share my work with the world, exhibiting it internationally.

You can see more of Shawn's work here:
website • facebook • instagram

BRYDIE MACK

BRYDIE MACK - Photographer, stylist, creative director, and actress 
Brydie is one of Australia's most coveted young fashion photographers. While hailing from Sydney, she spends her time jet-setting around the globe, capturing elusive moments of beauty on her precious film. She's also the mind and vision behind Wolfcub, a beautifully-curated melting pot of her own work and her inspirations.

1. Who are you? 
Brydie Mack, 24, Maroubra Beach, Sydney, Australia. 

2. Describe your medium & process. 
I started off shooting digi, but it never felt right for my style or mood of photography. I've been shooting analogue for about 3 years - both 35mm or 120. Mood-boards are a huge part of my process. Inspiration is important. Just ask my bedroom walls. 

3. How did you find your passion? Who/what influences your work?
I wouldn't say photography is my #1 passion, it's more of an 'I accidentally fell into this & it's allowing me the freedom to pursue my true passion' situation. But it's definitely addictive - I do love the feeling of creating something original, which will be left behind long after I'm gone. And the feeling of someone else liking my pictures is so lovely. 

I'd say my biggest influence is nature. Big time. Ma & Pa were/are tree-hugging hippies, they raised my sister & I to be conscious of the fact that all things are most beautiful with as little human interference as possible. And Mum walked around naked a lot, so that's where the love/casual attitude towards nudity stems from.

4. What excites you about your work? What do you struggle with?
I'm so lucky that my work allows me to travel & see little corners of the World, which I never would have without a camera in my hand. Meeting new, interesting & beautiful people is also a major plus. And last year I got to experience an airplane with wifi, for the first time (yo Delta). 

I really struggle with the pressure of being a photographer - on big jobs especially, with big budgets, a lot is riding on what the photographer can produce from that one moment. I used to get major anxiety, but now I try not to think about it & just have fun. It's working out so far. 

5. What are your goals? Where do you see yourself going?
I'm going to keep riding this wave for a little while, until I either wipe out or kick-flip (had to google surf lingo for that one) my ass to LA & live happily ever after. 

You can see more of Brydie's work here:
website • facebook • instagram