Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Austin Anthony. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Austin , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
For the work I do, creativity is a conversation. Sometimes it’s between me and the client, other times it’s between me and the future viewer of the photo. If I ignore the conversation the photos can end up beautiful but without purpose, or literal but lacking emotion. A successful photograph to me, whether for advertising or for journalism, speaks to the left and right brain of the viewer. People’s attention spans are shorter than ever. I need to make a compelling enough photo to make viewers stop and consider the subject matter, be it a company or a cause. By necessity creativity appears in the gap between a need and the solution. The key to being able to summon the creativity when I. need it is a combination of practice and living a full life away from the camera. You can’t work your way to creativity, at least not in the short term. In America we’re obsessed with the idea that if you just work harder your dreams will come true. But keeping your nose to the grindstone will often do more harm than good in creative work. You have to leave the computer and the camera between shoots whenever you can. Exercise regularly, do outdoor activities, read, watch tv, whatever. Just be sure to take your non-work life just as seriously as your work life, otherwise the spark will fade and burnout will begin.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Austin Anthony Photography offers premiere high end advertising and commercial photography for companies and other clients. Based in the Nashville metro area Austin is conveniently located to be available for shoots across the Midwest and East Coast. Coming from a background as a photojournalist he specializes in creating photographs that tell a story. What story do you want to tell?
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?
It’s really just two things for me: understanding people and understanding light. Being a photojournalist was essentially a job of observing people. Seeing them at their worst and at their best, and learning how to talk to them in sensitive situations. My goal as a photojournalist was to present the most authentic version of a person or event that I could. Now I use those same communication skills to suss out a brand’s vision and how to create it. Equally important is the technical knowledge of light. You should be able to walk into a room and know the correct ISO, f stop, and shutter speed. Also what is the color temperature and consistency of the light source? If it’s overhead and you want to eliminate the bags under people’s eyes, where are you placing an external strobe? What modifier will you use, what power setting, what wattage? Unfortunately the only way to learn this is practice.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m currently considering agency representation, and would love to talk to any interested agents. I’m also always looking for creative agencies to work with on large projects and bids. There’s no client to small though, so anyone feel free to reach out about rates! Best way to reach me is by email at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: austinanthony.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austintanthony
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austintanthony/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustinTAnthony
Image Credits
Photo of myself is credited to Sam Kirby / VidMonster Productions. All other photos are mine.
