JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

GEORDIE WOOD: An alarm clock I’ve used since middle school. It still has remnants of a glow in the dark paint job on it, classy.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

GW: These people are not necessarily “emerging” but I have to give a shout out to the photo bros Adam Golfer, Jake Stangel, Daniel Shea and Thomas Prior. Some others include Marcelo Gomes, Tim Barber, RJ Shaughnessy and David Black.

JC: What is your current project all about?

GW: My family’s from northern Maine and I have a tremendous amount of reverence and love for that place. This summer I started working in the two small towns where my parents grew up. A lot of the details remain to be seen, but I hope to incorporate some of my living relatives and a trove of family slides in the project. Maine holds such a special place in my heart, it would be a tragedy if I never made work there. 

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

GW: I love the process, the challenge of being handed a personality and seeing what I can make of it and what surprises are stumbled upon. I’m also a glutton for new experiences and being pushed into situations that are out of my comfort zone.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

GW: I definitely segment the two in my brain and end up working in waves. A few months will be spent on personal work and then a few on showing and trying to reap some reward from it. I can be a total perfectionist so it helps me to concentrate on one at a time. 

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

GW: I went to a photojournalism school where for years I was criticized under accepted norms for that style of work. After two years my portfolio seemed so generic. I got fed up with the right and wrong of it all so I just started making work that resonated with me. That’s what’s carried me since then. Beyond having a good understanding of the work being made around you, I would say that recent graduates should stay true to their heart and don’t follow hip photo gimmicks that come and go. Having your own voice is the only way that you’ll stand out in the primordial sludge of photography that’s out there these days. 

JC: Favourite tree?

GW: I’d have to say a dogwood, we had one in my front yard growing up and I love seeing it in bloom every year.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

JEREMY EDWARDS: My four year old son and his eternal thirst to begin a new day; the gnawing sound of coffee beans grinding in the kitchen, and the overwhelming weight of meeting my day to day obligations.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

JE: Yes, I have an exhaustive list of photographers that I admire on my site. I’m not one to try and define what “emerging” actually means, because I don’t know who or how to measure that. But, here are some that are highly inspiring to me right now: Hudson Gardner, Simon Kossoff, Hee Jin Kang, Jeff Luker, Tony Luong, Tatum Shaw, Daniel Shea, Davin Youngs, Debbie Carlos, Sophie Harris Taylor, Corey Vaughan, Justin Visnesky, and Brian Ferry.

JC: What is your current project all about?

JE: I have various ongoing projects at the moment, but I’m most active and inspired by the “There There Now” project. The project doesn’t necessarily offer any sort of theme or subject matter, rather it functions more as a visual diary of the strange and familiar of my day to day. I don’t think the project is groundbreaking or unique from any other documentary-style photographer, but it’s provocative and captivating for me personally - and I think that’s the most satisfying part of my relationship with photography. The phrase “there there now” is used frequently as a gesture of comfort in the rural life I once knew. So, too, do the images in the series now serve as my visual comforts. The other projects in my portfolio have similar tones stylistically, but have suggestive themes. I’ve grown quite fond of the “Perhaps You Have a Real Gift”, and “There Is No Story Here” projects, as well. I’m deeply inspired by social commentary, the beauty in the mundane, and the absurdity and hilarity of life. 

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

JE: That’s a great question. I’ve never considered myself a portrait photographer. I’m not trained in portraiture, nor do I have the intention of practicing traditional portraiture. I know it may sound elementary and trivial, but I capture portraits when I feel there is something powerful happening in the moment, whether it be expression, posture, or emotion. Often times, I’m drawn to portraits by the lack of emotion, or personality. I feel that I’ve learned a great deal about portraits over the years, and the constant struggle between the photographer and the subject when it comes to maintaining a true identity. I’ve learned that when I’m trusted in the moment, the image is much more powerful. Just like any photographer - light, color, and authenticity draw me to taking photographs of people. 

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

JE: Well, I can’t say that I do much commercial work at all, really. Editorial and polished material isn’t quite my thing, as you can see from my portfolio. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love more documentary and story assignments, and perhaps a magazine gig every once in a while. But, I much prefer the narrative over technique - I think that’s sort of become my artistic philosophy, and some may see that as a cop-out, or art-less statement. I do my best at making beautiful images, and I try to maintain that simplicity. If that appeals commercially, that’s fantastic. 

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

JE: I’m not a photography graduate - entirely self-taught. And, I know many talented photographers who are also self-taught. I suppose my only advice would be to stay as true to the reason(s) why you pursued photography in the first place. I believe the common denominator amongst the great image makers, is that there work is simple, authentic, yet thoughtful. Try your best to not over-complicate and distort the simplicity of what first put a camera in your hand. Be reminded of the story, and worry less about technique and the equipment race. 

JC: Favourite tree?

JE: Sugar maple. I grew up surrounded by thousands - and I love me some syrup. 

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

SARAH MOORE: I recently finished a long road trip around the U.S, so for a while it was the plethora of possible adventures road trips involve. These days, I’m house sitting for my dad in Ohio while he’s away for a while, so it’s his tiny yorkie-poo that wakes me at the crack of dawn. Normally though, it’s work or hunger or some sort of menial responsibility.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

SM: Lately I’ve been following a few different photo blogs/websites for inspiration, since there are hundreds of great ones to sift through. In general, I try to avoid religiously following other photographers because I tend to get a bit lost and overwhelmed. Though, a few photographers (not all emerging) I’ve been really into lately are William Rugen, Rob Hann, Bryan Schutmaat, Eric Ruby, Katie Shapiro, and Michael Marten.  

JC: You recently quit your day job … why?

SM: What finally led me to quit my job was the aforementioned road trip. I had been living in Philadelphia, PA for about two years and suddenly woke up and realized I wasn’t happy with my life. I think I had been unhappy for a while, but it was a sudden development to realize that I could change that. The change involved quitting my job, leaving my apartment and friends, and setting off on a road trip so I could concentrate on my photography. It was a hard thing to do, but I’m really happy that I made those changes.

JC: What has 2012 got in store for you photographically?

SM: I feel like there’s so much I want to accomplish over the next year! I want to make books out of my two portfolios, Expanse and Scape. I’m going to try to participate in the big portfolio review in Santa Fe over the summer. I’ll be traveling to Philadelphia in February to go the ONWARD Compé ‘12 exhibition opening, where I will meet one of my favorite photographers, Todd Hido. Then there’s the constant search for more paying gigs and more shows. I’m also slowly but surely trying to figure out where I’m going to move next. A big part of me wants to set out Westward for a while. The idea of living in Montana is really appealing right now, but I also fell in love with New Mexico when I was last there. All in all, I really just hope to continue to make new work, share my photography with people, and travel a bit more. I spent the last six years or so feeling very rooted to people and places, so it’s rather nice to feel like the world is my oyster again. I think it’ll be an exciting year.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

SM: I try not to think too much about perfecting some sort of balance. I’m at the point in my career where I’m really happy to get commercial work, so I try to engage with whatever project it may be, offering up my style and ideas as much as possible. I put a lot of energy and thought into my personal work, and I hope by doing that it will garner attention in the commercial world. I have a lot of respect for my photography, and I try to demand that others do as well.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

SM: It’s funny, because after I graduated I kind of stopped taking photos. I still thought about photography, and was in a few shows and such, but I was in a rut, and I accepted that rut and sort of dug myself in deeper. In hindsight, I wish I had embraced my graduation momentum and engaged more in the photography world around me. However, if I had done that I’m not sure if I’d be where I am now. Taking time off from photography allowed me to realize how much I needed it in my life, which allowed me to take a big leap and quit one part of my life so I could dedicate myself to photography. So my advice would be do what feels right. Don’t force yourself to do something that doesn’t make you happy. No matter what, work your ass off, listen to any feedback you can get, keep a great circle of people around you, and remember that being a photographer was never supposed to be easy!

JC: Favourite tree?

SM: The Brazil Nut Tree. Mostly for the idea of them (they’re amazing and complicated trees), but they’re also just beautiful.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

JOSHUA DUDLEY GREER: Marimba.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

JDG: At the moment I’m trying to get away from looking so much at what other photographers are doing and focus on other sources of inspiration - writers, filmmakers, etc. I think the accessibility of emerging photography can be too much at times and I feel like I keep seeing the same kind of work again and again. It doesn’t mean it’s not good work, but most of it just feels unimportant to me right now.

JC: What is your current project all about?

JDG: For the past few years I’ve been focusing on Point Pleasant, a project that documents a military installation in rural West Virginia that manufactured and stored TNT during the second World War. After decommission, the land was repurposed into a wildlife management area despite evidence of massive environmental contamination. Today it’s a popular area for hunting and fishing and yet the bunkers are still being used to house explosive and hazardous materials. It’s a site that has been steeped in secrecy and misunderstanding and is home to a great deal of paranoia and mythology. My primary interest there is land use and the ways in which many of my interests in culture and history seem to converge.  

JC: What draws you to shooting landscapes?

JDG: I appreciate photographs that allow the viewer to think and use their imagination rather than explicitly showing a particular event or situation. And as a person who is interested in history, I don’t often have access to the subjects I’m primarily interested in so the landscape provides me with some kind of connection to the events of the past. I’m also inherently an introvert, so exploring the land is often an excuse for me to be alone and be silent.  It allows me the freedom to slow down and commune with something greater than myself.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

JDG: Well, commercial work has never really been a priority for me but as a teacher, I do have constant struggles between my personal work and my teaching. The two are inherently linked and they inform each other, but often my own photography can take a back seat to my everyday job. I think that’s normal, all of us have to work and make sacrifices - sometimes it’s easy, but other times it can be rather disheartening. I’m not someone who needs to make pictures everyday, I’ve never really been that kind of photographer. I like to do research and conceptualize and I can go for weeks without actually shooting as long as I’m involved in some sort of creative process that is getting me closer to my goals. But there are times when the weather is right and the last thing I want to do is go to class and that’s when it becomes difficult to keep your energy positive.

JC: What equipment do you use?

JDG: I have a Calumet C-1 8x10 that I’ve been using for 10 years and I also use a 4x5 Toyo field camera. The smaller format allows me to be much more agile and responsive to my subjects and the cost of 8x10 film can be a little prohibitive, so I’ve been weening myself off the big camera lately. It depends on what I’m trying to do and how I want the photographs to be seen; the 4x5 allows me to take some risks and make some different kinds of pictures, but the 8x10 allows me a ridiculous amount of control and description so when I really know what and how I want to say something, I go for that. I scan the 8x10 film through Silverfast on an Epson V700 flatbed scanner using anti-newton ring glass, which is a really time consuming and precarious process. My 4x5’s are scanned on a Flextight X5 which is much faster but doesn’t always give me the amount of control over the tonality and color that I want in my pictures. Photoshop CS4 is a part of my everyday life and while I do miss C-prints, all of my printing is now done on Epson printers.  

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

JDG: I’m not sure I’m in a position to be giving anyone advice, but I do know how hard it is to put yourself out there and be constantly rejected or overlooked. Most of the pictures we make aren’t any good and even if they are, we won’t get into a show or publish a book or win an award. It can be difficult to see other people finding success and making work that you don’t think is interesting while you continue to struggle, but that’s part of this life and it’s not for everyone. I think work should be a priority that dictates the majority of your actions and decisions in life. The single most important thing is to be making pictures that are personally meaningful to you and it takes honesty and investigation to discover what those things are. There are lots of good ideas floating around but they don’t necessarily belong to you and they’re not just going to fall into your lap. Keep your chin up and continue to do what you think is important, everything else is just decoration.

JC: Favourite tree

JDG: Shoe Tree, Nevada

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

ERIK SANCHEZ: College. I started out as a business major but then took a photo class for fun. After that class I decided to add photography to my studies and haven’t stopped since.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the mo?

ES: The internet makes it easy to be inspired, its great. I’ll wander through the web for a few minutes and never fail to find great work from all over. But if you’re looking for specifics, Ryan McGinley is making some really great strides – oh and have been coming across a lot of Ryan Trecartin’s work too, pretty amazing stuff as well.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

ES: Lately, I’ve been mostly playing with the animated/video still portrait. I was recently commissioned to do a series of these types of portraits at the New Museum in NYC, of members of the thriving DIY music culture. A good chunk of my work the past couple years has revolved around experimenting with this technique, particularly with members of the music industry.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

ES: I recently moved to Baltimore from Chicago a few months ago. The cities definitely have much different vibes. I’ve been exploring much of what Baltimore has to offer, and I’m learning so much about myself by being exposed to things I’ve never imagined. I worked on an ad campaign a few weeks ago, in which I had to do a series of portraits of select members of the Ball culture in Baltimore. I had no idea what Ball culture was until I was approached to work on this project. It’s essentially an underground LGBT subculture where members compete in various genres of drag. I had no idea there were actually genres of drag. I’ve met a lot of drag queens before, but not like these ones. Baltimore has been very enlightening and am growing and learning, constantly.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

ES: Know who you are as an artist. Never stop learning, never stop doing.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

ES: Work a lot. Spend time with my boyfriend. Adopt a puppy.

JC: Favourite tree?

ES: Japanese Maple

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

MARIBETH KEANE: Recently, the smell of local New Hampshire coffee. I really enjoy long mornings so I’m usually happy watching the sunrise with said coffee.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

MK: Some friends of mine are making really inspiring work: Kellen Medina, Patrick Aguilar, Paccarik Orue, Kenny Hurtado. 

JC: What is Pushing Air all about?

MK: Pushing Air is about finding the quiet, still parts of a city that was often defined to me by chaos and violence, both by people and nature. In early 2011 I moved to Memphis, Tennessee and spent most days driving around places that the locals had warned me about. The idea behind the project was to spend time in these places, to sit and wait, to watch the city become something during my time there. In the end Memphis became a city pushing towards a constant transition, but stuck in its unfinished landscapes. 

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

MK: I assume it would be a good challenge, however, I haven’t had the experience yet. Since I graduated in 2010 I have been traveling through America and Europe. It’s been a struggle, but to fund trips and film I have worked odd jobs, usually taking the mornings, evenings, and days off to shoot. Thus far, everything has been personal work. I hope to change that in the coming year.

JC: What equipment do you use? (from cameras - software - hardware)

MK: I was using a 4x5 Crown Graphic and now I shoot with a Mamiya RZ.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

MK: Keep shooting, remember patience, talk to people, follow your instincts, and trust yourself. Experiment and keep making mistakes!

JC: Favourite tree?

MK: Magnolia. Willow. 

Maribeth also has a tumblr.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

REBECCA MILLER: Today its Jet Lag, 4 am in California, but yesterday it was my friends cat that has been staying with my for a few months he yells at me for food in the morning.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

RM: I am unsure as to who is emerging and who is established. At what point do you stop emerging? I ask myself questions like this all the time. Is there ever a time when you aren’t climbing anymore and you can just feel like ” Ok here I am, I’m at the top, I’ve made it” I wonder what its like to be Paolo Roversi or Annie Leibovitz or anyone at the top of their game. I suppose its a whole new set of worries when you’re up there.

Anyway I can tell you what contemporary photographers I have been in love with recently.

Bryan Schutmaat makes me want to escape with nothing but film and a good camera.

Scarlett Hooft Graafland makes me want to escape into my own head for a while to see what happens. She is so clever and I love the space that she leaves.

Eliot Lee Hazel makes me want to live in a completely different world all together. I love how surreal everything feels.

Maja Daniels makes me want to find Monette and Mady and make friends with them. Definitely check out her Monette and Mady series.

And my latest crush is Thomas Devaux, his photos are the kind of photography that made me want to be a photographer in the first place. Reminiscent of the greats Paolo Roversi and Sarah Moon but he definitely has his own vision.

JC: What is your current project all about?

RM: I don’t want to say too much, its still working itself all out to be honest. But I’ll say a little bit about the project. I have spent the past few years researching my family history and last year I spent 5 months traveling around the states documenting what I’ve learned through my research. I’m basically looking to create a family album. Thats kind of the most basic way of putting it.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

RM: Well it is a bit of a juggle. The commercial work funds the personal work, there is no way I could operate without both. Sometimes the personal work has to be put on hold just to raise the funds which is a bit frustrating. I have never applied for an artists grant or found myself a sugar daddy but there are times when both seem appealing. I do miss art school where you spend your days just doing work that is just feeding your own brain.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

RM: This is a really tricky business to be in, especially right now. I think you really just need to keep going, if you really want something you have to keep pushing, learn to take rejection, learn to live on very little money (at least for a while), learn to be self motivated, learn to stick to your own vision, learn how to be alone without getting lonely, and be patient.

JC: Favourite tree?

RM: Weeping Willow

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

ALAN MAAG: Since my last trip to England I actually have the memory of good morning teas and toasts next to the sea which gets me in a good mood.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

AM: I can’t really answer that question, because I rather tend to like certain pictures, not photographers. Plus my own taste seems to be changing all the time, which makes it all the more difficult. If I had to name somebody who’s work I keep on following there would be certain skateboard photographers like Eric Antoine or Sem Rubio who were able to break out of the ever repeating realms of skateboard photography and move on into new fields. Or Swiss photographers like Ueli Alder or Andri Pol who bring a very own point of view into their work. But I wouldn’t call those guys emerging photographers, cause their work is so solid and known by many.

JC: What is your current project all about?

AM: Shooting only Ollies, if possible. It’s one of the purest forms of skateboarding and I would like to put together a strong collection. And I have some fruits on my balcony which I try to get shrinking as far as possible without letting them turn bad. Just full of wrinkles.

JC: What’s next?

AM: Working at a Fashion/Advertising Studio and learn as much as possible about light. Then shoot in all directions, experiment and try figuring out where I want to go. After some years and 1000’s of pictures I might find an own style.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

AM: My personal work includes way more freedom than commercial work. However, so far I only have done commercial stuff where I was able to bring in my personal point of view. Or maybe I’m just able to talk myself into the latter? … However, trying to find an own style which can be adabted to both certainly is a goal.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

AM: Well, I am one myself. So I don’t think I can give much advice. Some of the crucial points I learned during the last years are: To learn to have faith that in the end your pictures will turn out alright. That it’s interesting to try and make ugly things look interesting, but if your subject is actually uninteresting by itself it’s difficult to make a good picture. That a lot of photographers only get famous because they shoot famous people, without actually doing something special themselves. Trying to compose a picture that also works without the main subject in it can be helpful (like if you are shooting a portrait, try to think of the background without the person in the picture). What else? … Even if you have a set plan, always try to shoot an spontaneous option? … Keep moving.

JC: Favourite tree?

AM: I don’t know what it’s name is, but it is rather small, has thin red leafs similar to cannabis and I always wait under its branches it at my bus stop.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

MATTHIEU GAFSOU: Photography caught me.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

MG: There’s a lot. So let’s talk about friends. There’s Anne Golaz, Yann Gross, Mathieu Bernard-Reymond, Augustin Rebetez, Joel Tettamanti, Benoit Vollmer, Nicole Hametner, Eduardo Serafim & Christian Lutz.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

MG: My current project is about catholic church in a state of Switzerland called Fribourg, where this religion is still very strong. I am doing a mix of formal/patrimonial approach (near Dusseldorf school style, with a large format camera) and a more documentary aspect, doing portraitures with a strong and hard flash light.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

MG: I live in Lausanne, Switzerland. This place could depress the most optimistic (especially on Sundays) but it also a beautiful one and it’s where I belong; where family and friends live.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

MG: Forget a lot of things. Do what you really like and not what you think people may be expecting you to do. Work, work and work. Learn a lot of things.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

MG: Publishing two books. One is already funded.

JC: Favourite tree?

MG: Tree of life.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you have for breakfast today?

MEGAN KATHLEEN MCISAAC: Leftover steel-cut oats & quinoa with seaweed, yams, ginger, and white miso. I also drank four cups of hojicha. 

JC: Are there any emerging practitioners who are inspiring you at the moment?

MKM: I wish I could say I was more up to date on other emerging photographers right now… I don’t know what to say. I really enjoy all of Jody Rogacs photographs, she just continuously finds the most wonderful light. 

JC: What draws you to working in black and white?

MKM: I like to use both colour and black and white film, almost evenly. Black and white simply teaches me not to rely on colour, to look deeper into whatever I’m photographing because I don’t have as many distractions when looking at the print later on. It’s cyclical for me, in the past I’ve usually shot colour only for months and then spent the next however many months using black and white. It simplifies things for me, cleanses and refreshes the way I see things. 

JC: In your opinion what makes a successful portrait?

MKM: In my opinion… well, when I make a portrait (both in a studio or on location) I really try to shake everything off. Shake off what I know and shake off what portraits have inspired me, and just try and be as present as possible. For that to come through in a portrait, that I am, or was, present with the person or animal I was photographing, is most often when I feel I’ve made one that I’ve considered successful. when looking at photographs made by others, I don’t really have any guidelines or any sort of check-list for it to be inspiring. It all depends on so many levels. 

JC: What is your current body of work all about?

MKM: To be honest, I havent been making as many photographs as I would like to be right now. I’m in a transitioning period and am about to leave portland, where I’ve been living for the past three years. My partner and I have been working on our R.V., a 1977 toyota dolphin, for the past couple of months and we’re gearing up to leave portland together next month, for life on the road. I feel like I am just entering the beginning of a new body of work, all relative to this. I would love to spend my time on the road making photographs with the intentions of including them in my first book that I want to produce in the next couple of years. I have so many ideas of what to expect, but who knows what will happen, who we’ll meet, what we’ll see, and what I’ll be photographing… 

JC: What does photography mean to you?

MKM: A large part of what photography means to me is about the relationships I have and make with people, animals, and places too. Also, the notion that I can share how I see things with anyone else still amazes me. I’ve always been fascinated with how we all see things, even basic colours, differently. 

JC: What is next?

MKM: Just to get on the road and start traveling. Heading south to stay with the sun and make photographs day in and day out.

JC: Other thoughts?

MKM: If you live in any of the southwestern states, keep an eye on my blog for when we’ll be near you and hopefully we can meet up.