In my journey as an artist, I find it necessary at times to revisit my roots. How did I get here? What lessons have I learned and how can I apply them to what I create in the future? How can I use those lessons to help other aspiring artists?

So here is a story for you.

Once upon a time, there was a portrait photographer. She loved creating extraordinary portraits of people that were different than the norm. She based her brand upon this principle and grew her business exponentially. Creative people were attracted to her style and referred their creative friends. She thrived.

Yet, something was missing.

(If you haven’t guessed, that portrait photographer is me.)

I knew that there was more that I wanted to do artistically. I wanted to tell stories. I wanted people to make connections and see themselves and feel empowered to live their best lives through viewing my work.

It was then that I began to tap into the creative young people who came to me for their portraits to tell stories and make art. This is how my journey as a conceptual photographic artist began.

2014

Start Simple.

I reached out to Grace, one of my favorite muses, to “play” in downtown Baton Rouge one afternoon in January 2014. Being creative herself, I let her handle the wardrobe choices. We landed on an old-time feeling, jazz-inspired look for our shoot. Keeping it simple, we ventured out into the city and let the architecture and the light guide us through our images.

Don’t be afraid to experiment.

It was spring/summer of 2014 that I began experimenting with wardrobe creation and backdrops. Grace, again, was eager to be part of the magic.

In May, I transformed an old bridal gown into a woodland princess dress. We spun a tale of the golden apple and of the golden light that streams through the canopy of a local wooded area.

Backdrop building became a favorite activity of mine. Creating patterns from simple things like paper plates or flowers kept my artistic brain engaged and happy.

Look for light in different places.

Sunlight is beautiful, no doubt, and I often prefer it over other light sources. I was inspired by the Burning Man festival to create something vibrant and almost alien. Using a projector and gradients I created in Photoshop, I photographed a series of images with Emily that led the viewer out into the desert for a wild trip into art and madness.

2015

Sometimes, you need to jump.

In early 2015, I visited San Diego for a conference. I was wildly inspired by the sea and the landscape and took a trip with friend and fellow conceptual photographer Robin Spalding to the Sunset Cliffs. It was there that I took my first leap into true conceptual storytelling.

Keep pressing onward.

Sometimes I look back at my old work and cringe. I see so many “problems” that I would fix – things I would change to improve the image. There are reasons these images aren’t included in my portfolio. However, it’s looking at these starting points that I realize just how far I have come as an artist and how far I could go. It’s this sort of reflection that allows me to keep pressing forward and creating new, “better” works.

In looking back, I learn. In learning, I can better teach others. In teaching others, I become a better artist.

If’ I’m better tomorrow than I am today, I am a successful artist.

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It’s a goal of mine to write more and reflect more. I hope you’ll come along as I look back through the years in this short series, talking about my older works, and grow with me. – JE