There's a question out there in the creative world that is all too often misguided and typically ends up as a poor reflection of one party or another...
"Who are your 3 biggest influences?"
95% of the time I could care less. Not because I'm a jerk - rather because it's so much more than a simple question with a 3 name (band/inanimate object/etc.) answer. Beyond that, influence is so wide spread and ever changing that to meddle it down to a hardly thought through tip of the tongue response seems careless.
To me, just because someone's photography work blows my mind - doesn't mean they can sit on the top of my list. In fact, the photographer whose work I 'admire the most' (if that truly exists?) from a photography point of view does not sit on my biggest influence list.
Because it takes more.
I don't care what your job is or how well you perform it. There's thousands of great photographers, musicians, painters, etc. in this world. What stands out to me is what happens beyond your insane talents, that is - your inability to control your creative core, and the authenticity that bleeds forth (and of course in some way - I'm able to relate on some level to who you are as a human being).
With all that said - for the rare time-being, I can wholheartedly say that I do indeed have a 3-deep list, and I thought it time to give some rightful recognition. So to these three souls, I want to thank you for going before me, for being excellent at what you do and for blazing the creative trail of your innermost.
His 7 word Twitter bio is quite a good summary,
'Photographer to the stars and the suffering' - but he's also so much more. Yes - Jeremy is a killer photographer (whose work has most definitely inspired me) but beyond that, Jeremy stands out in a few different areas as well. You may remember Help-Portrait from a blog post (or two) on here - that was started in Jeremy's brain. Jeremy is also mind-blowing in the fine-art arena, and has a couple (1 & 2) remarkable books under his belt. Really though...that's not what pushed Jeremy over the top for me. I've had the pleasure of interacting with Jeremy on a number of occasions - and the guy is two things: real and caring. He authentically cares about relationships with friends, strangers, clients, and notably his wife and kids. Thanks for being a stand-up guy Jeremy, you impact many.
First - he's out of Seattle, which already is a bonus point (I love that city!), and yes, again - photog extraordinaire. But those are just details - what pushes Chase over the top? He is a creative across the board who finds inspiration everywhere, and then shares that inspiration and encourages others to do the same! Chase has this little saying that has gained him a fair amount of attention, "The best camera is the one thats with you." In his case...his iPhone. Which then led to this sweet little idea to have an iPhone app made called 'The Best Camera' which also led to a book, and a fully dedicated website. So that's awesome - but not enough. He also dabbles in some pretty slick film projects, and not only are they high quality in terms of production, but they also have meaning. Beyond that? Chase pushes the envelope in the creative industry doing things that only a few years ago would have alienated him from his peers (sharing behind the scenes 'happenings' as well as 'tips & tricks' of the pros). And to top it off? Chase's blog is a constant poker - either pointing the spotlight on someone else doing sick things in the creative community, or giving the general public some pretty awesome insight. Cheers Chase, next drinks on me.
Wait - John Mayer isn't a photographer? Well 1) yes he is, and a quite good one I might say but more importanly 2) I told you it's about more than just pictures. John is also a genius at his trade, no question. Many fond memories have included some of his licks on the soundtrack, but again - it's much more than that. It first started when I stumbled upon this video. I thought John made music? Oh my naivete. He creates, and creates, and creates, and can't help himself. In the midst of it all, he carries a career, and attempts to just live (though very publicly scrutinized) life. He makes savoring melodies, is a master wordsmith, takes his camera everywhere, cares about and promotes things that need promoting, and even bakes. Take a look back through his Tumblr and it's easy to see that his tortured artist self is just a man trying to utilize the gifts God gave him to the fullest. After all - its the only way he knows how to connect with his soul - to create - and I hope he does until the day he dies.
Be inspired, be influenced, and at the end of the day - be yourself.
