We were lucky to catch up with Theo Skudlark recently and have shared our conversation below.
Theo, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Capturing Hope and Beauty: Finding Optimism in Photography
In a world often marred by uncertainty, chaos, and challenges, I have found that the art of photography stands as a remarkable source of optimism. I capture beauty in nature, people, architecture, and simple moments. Through my lens, I glimpse moments of hope, beauty, and inspiration. This is a means of perceiving the world in a way that elevates my spirit and reminds me of the inherent goodness around me. Capturing these moments reminds me that I have a purpose: to share messages, to help others, and to capture memories for others through the lens of my camera.
When I photograph scenic shots in nature. I am reminded how fortunate we all are to share this beautiful planet. The reactions I have received from showcasing this work are inspiring. Most of us rarely take the time to sit back and take in all the beauty that surrounds us every day. Too busy to stop and smell the roses. When I hear “gasps” or “oh wow” after showing my scenic work, I know I’ve taken their breath away and stirred their hearts. This makes all of the planning and preparation such as waking up before sunrise and climbing up that steep mountain path just to capture the first rays of sunrise worth the effort.
Hope, resilience, positivity, joy, triumph, and moments of connection are a common thread I aim to capture with many of the photographs I produce. I’ve shot fashion shows, modeling, weddings, bat mitzvahs, reunions, social events, protests, news conferences, and the list goes on. The looks newlyweds give one another, or parents watching their child graduate are some of the most endearing emotions I have had the privilege of capturing.
I was a photojournalist for a labor union several years ago and became accustomed to shooting protests. Now I often attend community actions from time to time because of the optimistic energy behind them. They are symbols of hope that have a unified cause. I can suspend in time the convictions of my subjects. Fundamentally these shoots have to do with humanity. They show us how important issues can be for the individual, a community, nations, and in turn the world. While shooting a community protest last year I was told by one of the organizers that locally the voices were being heard loud from the bull horns and mobile sound systems but what I was capturing, however, had the potential to be even louder and more powerful. These images can reach across the entire world changing hearts and minds in places where the chanting cannot be heard. While I’ve always known this, no one had ever told me this before which gave me a feeling of elation I’ve never felt amid a protest. I had to take pause, the message brought me to my knees, the realization of the impact my photos could have on the world.
When I shoot portraits of people. I have found that some of my subjects have a negative self-image. I love being tasked with the opportunity to show them just how beautiful they are as seen through the eyes of another. The beauty has been there all along they just needed the right angle or lighting to bring that to the surface. This can be an uplifting and healing experience; building confidence in both my photographic skills and also building self-esteem in the person being photographed.
I constantly play with light and color to convey emotion. These simple adjustments determine the mood of a photograph. Imagery is what I use to tell a story, one photo can indeed say a thousand words. I challenge myself to look at things from as many perspectives as possible. Whatever the subject, I explore different angles, lighting conditions, and colors. I often find optimism in unexpected places.
I typically carry my cameras with me at all times. Life is full of fleeting moments of happiness, joy, and inspiration. Nature also changes rapidly such as a sunset or cloud formation. I try to capture these moments before they disappear.
Photography for me is a form of mindfulness. When I am immersed in the process it becomes a meditative state that helps me stay present and hyper-observant of the world around me. Through continuous practice, I learn and improve. Every shoot is better than the last. The further I evolve in my growth process, the more passionate I become about it.
In conclusion, the optimism found in photography is not limited to the images themselves but extends to the way we all perceive and engage with the world. It’s a celebration of the beauty, resilience, and positivity that surround us every day. Through the lens, I find hope, I capture joy, and I am reminded that even in the face of adversity, there is optimism to be found.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an internationally published Photographer, Designer, and Artist with over 25 years of experience. Primarily I shoot portraits for private clients and commercial photographs for brands, fashion, and print publications. This includes editing, retouching, and graphic design for advertisement media. Occasionally I shoot events such as runway shows, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, private events, and community actions. I travel frequently and have been fortunate to also produce landscape and scenic photography in the various places I have visited.
In the pursuit of photographic art and advertisement media, I also produce luxury photoshoots where I organize every aspect of a photoshoot from concept to completion. I book locations such as studios, outdoor locations, commercial properties, and/or homes for shoots. I manage teams of creative professionals ranging from models, and wardrobe/costume designers, to make-up and hair design all to produce a vision I am aiming to create. I lend these services to clients who also wish to produce media and photography based on specific themes, looks, locations, and/or specific branded products.
I’ve planned and executed photoshoots for Tinas Vodka. An upcoming Vodka brand that is entirely woman-owned. I shoot various models in a multitude of settings for the brand and produce product shots and graphic designs for the company.
A recent creative project is a series of models posing in flying dresses shot around the Eiffel Tower, other landmarks, and in a private studio in Paris, France. The plan is to continue this series in several other international destinations.
The most exciting aspect of the work I produce is the creative outlet. Combined with the imagery that is produced my task is to create and extrapolate beauty that has the power to stir hearts and uplift spirits. In this process, I create opportunities for a team to lend their creative skills to projects. This makes every shoot a collaboration of creative expertise combined to produce engaging content. I cannot claim much of the work as entirely my own, while I hold the vision and take the photographs, there is a great number of people who contribute specific details to each project. Some of these projects have also allowed me to travel to some beautiful destinations and meet some truly amazing people.
I’m constantly taking pictures whether I’m on assignment or just visiting various sites in my journies. As a result, I have amassed a very broad body of work. The most fun I have had while shooting has come from pictorial projects, telling stories through a series of still images.
Some of the collections I have produced have been featured in magazines and print publications around the world. I am fortunate to have reached an international audience. Some of the projects are featured and can be found on my portfolio website. https://longwind.co. In addition to the various publications that have published my works. I aim to further my travels and continue to expand my portfolio through more creative projects as time goes on.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Compassion, Patience, and Persistence. I believe these are the three most important qualities or virtues that have impacted my journey.
Compassion, whatever your business or career path is or plan it to be you will likely deal with people. Your business may manufacture widgets or provide a service. Whatever you choose to pursue the most important element in this chain is the people you will encounter. Whether employees, co-workers, clients, or customers the key value proposition is the impact you will have upon them. Be of service to others and have compassion, for all of us are embarking upon a great adventure and are all having a different human experience. Be open to new ideas, listen, and learn to understand the human element in all of its imperfections.
Patience, Rome wasn’t built in a day and there are no shortcuts to any place worth going. Take your time pursuing perfection and mastery through diligence, practice, and repetition. Nothing rushed will stand the test of time. Always remember that your greatest work will be done in silence. Over the last 12 months, my photography has exploded, yet it took me 24 years to get here.
Persistence can be the determining factor in how successful you can become. If things get hard, keep going. The difference between successful people and those who do not succeed is that when the going gets tough mediocrity gives up, yet the tough keep going. Don’t give up, stay steadfast in the pursuit of your goals and dreams. Remember that failure is one of life’s inevitable follies. The important thing is don’t let it stop you. Failure is a better teacher than success, for it has the power to nurture critical thinking and problem-solving. When it is embraced and perceived as an opportunity to learn and grow the result can be a lesson that propels forward momentum.
By mastering these three virtues the success that can be achieved is limitless. Life is emergent, no one is perfect and we will make mistakes along the way. When they happen, and they will, do not dwell in them. These virtues can help anyone who finds themself there to work past them. Compassion, don’t be so hard on yourself. Patience, What can I learn from this situation? And finally Persistence, how can I apply the solution to change outcomes?
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
While I can attest more than just one book to my development, I have read countless over the years that are all gems. The one that stands out to me is “Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao” By Dr. Wayne Dyer.
In this book, Dr. Dyer goes through the teachings of the Tao in a simplistic form that can be applied to the modern day. He quotes many authors and masters that have gone before. A few of the gems I have extracted from the book that apply to my everyday life are:
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”. This implies a shift in perception of which radical transformation can blossom.
“There is no way to happiness, Happiness is the way”. This suggests that happiness is a conscious choice that we either choose to make or not.
Dr. Dyer opens the book with an intro originally written by Carl Jung. This gem has had a profound impact on me and has helped me reexamine my priorities and focus on what’s important in life.
“Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie.” ~ Carl Jung
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.longwind.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loongwind/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theo.skudlark.7
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-skudlark-312ab22/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gqxfE58TZflO8MdOc-yoQ
- Other: https://kavyar.com/theo-skudlark
Image Credits
Image 1. Model: Jessica Rodriquez Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 2. Model: Brittani Overacker Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 3. Model: Andrea Dennison Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 4. Model: Monika Marciniak Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 5. Model: Anastasia Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 6. Model: Gogo Siouxan & Theo Skudlark, Behind the Scenes Photographer: Sam Ohyesss Image 7. Model: Martina Ostojic Photographer: Theo Skudlark Image 8, Bride: Angela Agrious Photographer: Theo Skudlark All images are copyright 2023 Longwind.co.
