ReadysetDC A CREATIVE URBAN ENTERPRISE

Words w/ Joshua Yospyn [Fixation Fotog]

Reported by Tracy

Photo By Drew McDermott

The most grounded, funniest people I know wear a camera around their neck.

If our last three interviews with Fixation photogs weren’t enough evidence of the healthy photography community in DC, then our final installment will certainly convince you to pick up a damn camera. I caught up with Josh Yospyn and we discussed porn, flirting and chromatic aberration. Oh and DC he wants you take some fashion risk.

Interview after the jump:

TC: What can I expect to see from you at Fixation?

JY: Everything I have in the show is from the Maryland Renaissance Festival. It’s a medieval Woodstock. Here’s a group of people who get drunk on honey, shop for steampunk and weave chainmail. They make their own armor. They can stick a dagger down their throat. As crazy as they might sound, they’re among the kindest people I’ve ever had the chance to photograph.

Most of the images are traditionally framed, but there’s a very large print of a Viking we saved room for. I use 6×7 medium format film and always prefer to make prints as large as possible, so I’m excited about that one.

TC: What are your thoughts on the DC art scene or DC photography scene in general? Do you think we as photogs are a “subculture?”

JY: Yes! Someone should photograph us. We should be on display. How many people do you know with 90 cameras? How many people do you know who walk the streets for hours photographing complete strangers? You say things like LOL but we say, “do you know an MUA who will TFCD?” You might know what a viewfinder is but do you know what “parallax” is? This morning I told someone to check the pin on their diaphragm activation lever. I really said that, I’m not kidding. It sounds pornographic.

One of my favorite things to talk about is chromatic aberration, but that doesn’t mean I’m boring. Photographers are an adventuresome bunch. We travel, we explore, we’re insanely curious and we have good stories to tell because of it. The most grounded, funniest people I know wear a camera around their neck.

I told someone to check the pin on their diaphragm activation lever…It sounds pornographic.

TC: I first discovered your work through your Anonymous project. How did that come about? Why not show eyes?

JY: Several years ago I saw Nuno de Campos speak at the National Portrait Gallery. He’s a painter that made portraits of unidentifiable women. A woman whose face is hidden behind a freezer door. A woman sitting in a chair but all you see are her hands folded in her lap. To quote him off the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery web site, “My paintings acknowledge the impossibility of ever fully defining a person in an image. Portraiture reveals as much about the sitter as it exposes the authors fantasies and judgments.”

Sometimes I see artists speak and it’s like someone slapped me across the face. Before he finished talking I decided I wanted to photograph a form of anonymous portraiture, similar to what he achieves with a paintbrush. Over time I began to realize what’s missing isn’t my subject, but something in myself. Of all the projects I work on, this one is the most important to me.

TC: The flying tortoises, tell me about the tortoises.

JY: While I love doing creative composites like this, I get concerned that it typecasts me into the “Photoshop” group. Like I can’t be taken seriously as a street or portrait photographer because I have these damn turtles on my site. I hope that’s not the case but when I send my web site portfolio to editors I worry it has a negative impact.

Regardless, one day I hope to do a children’s book with my sister and create more of them. They’re not finished yet. A lot of people ask me about the flying tortoises. Even the guy who might buy my car asked about them. He Googled my name and told me his wife loves them.

I talk to people. I ask permission. I flirt. I run after them.

TC: Ha, trust me, no one is going to typecast you as “Photoshop,” each of your photo projects can stand on its own, like you ring light work. Many photographers are hesitant to use flash and stick to ambient light, but your ring light work is amazing, will we see more ring light portraits?

JY: Absolutely. Usually as the sun disappears in the winter I start shooting with artificial light more often. If I lived in northern Canada my strobist skills would be tenfold what they are now.

Photographing close up with a ringflash creates a very harsh lighting situation, so I really have to find the right subjects for this project. It’s not meant to work on everyone. Martin Schoeller’s book “Close Up” is so genius because I feel anyone would look amazing in that setup. Midway into this project a friend gave me his book and it kept me going.

TC: Describe your photographic style?

JY: Human. I talk to people. I ask permission. I flirt. I run after them. I grumble when they say no, but that happens less often than you’d think.

TC: Your work has been featured in The Washington Post street style, what makes a good street subject what catches your eye?

JY: What makes a good street style subject in Washington, DC? Try six hours of walking around. In some instances the weather will help. If you’re doing a series on women’s black leather boots, now is the time. For the longest time I wanted to photograph in the rain, so recently I did a series on wellies. I photographed 30 pairs in crappy weather and almost ruined my camera in the process.

TC: Ah, that’s how the wellies series was born. So how did you get into photography?

JY: I dated a photographer for four years. I also dated a girl who knew a lot about birds. Now I’m interested in ornithology. Women are like that.

I dated a photographer for four years. I also dated a girl who knew a lot about birds.

TC: You prefer digital or film? Why?

JY: They’re both great. People moan and groan about this subject, one way or another. But I’m on both sides. They’re completely different mediums. I see it like acrylic and oil. I’d paint with either. They both make a beautiful canvas.

However I will say, in my opinion, that a drum scan of 6×7 medium format film blows away any 12 megapixel image. Since I like to print large, I’m shooting a lot of film these days. But for editorial or commercial work I would stick to digital (well, mostly).

I also feel that fine art galleries don’t care anymore. That debate is over. I’m sure collectors still love film, but they’re buying digital photographs.

TC: Any advice for photographers just starting out?

JY: Carry your camera to work. Carry your camera to lunch. Carry it on errands. When you start feeling like a total dork, congratulations! You’re a photographer.

Also read Diane Arbus: A Biography by Patricia Bosworth, Slightly Out of Focus by Robert Capa and Avedon at Work in the American West by Laura Wilson.

TC: What do you love about D.C?

JY: Why do people assume DC is lovable? But it is. I think recently it was named one of the most walkable cities in America. That’s very good for photography. No excuses.

DC has a very strong photography community. Suds and Silver, aka, the Cult of Frank Van Riper, is this group of 50 local photographers or so who e-mail all day long about everything related to photography. We meet regularly for beers, have shows, photograph weird events around town and we’re about to have our 2nd annual Christmas party. We learn a lot from each other.

TC: What do you hate about D.C.?

JY: Street sweeping. Is it over yet? I’m really tired of moving my car. But as a street photographer I wish the residents of DC would take more chances with their wardrobe. Go a little nuts. Be different. Take a risk. Sometimes I run into people I’ve photographed before and they say, “I just got back from Argentina, you would go nuts down there. The people look incredible.” I think, wow, that sounds amazing. Then I walk around for another three hours and think about photographing a series on khakis.

Go a little nuts. Be different. Take a risk.

TC: Is there a place in D.C. you go to find inspiration for your work?

JY: I go to the Corcoran, National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Art every month. The National Gallery has a fantastic cafeteria, by the way. But I also hit the art galleries and events around town, you never know what you’ll find. DC has a very strong arts community. I’m equally inspired by painters as I am by other photographers. DECOY and DIABETIK are two local painters whose work I love. I think seeing artists whose work I agree with, maybe understand, that’s really important to me. I wish I could collect more artwork but photography is a very expensive bird.

TC: [Clearing throat] I just interviewed DIABETIK, stay tuned for that post next week folks. Any upcoming projects or shows, beyond Fixation?

JY: A few large prints from my anonymous project will be part of a portraiture exhibition at the Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center in Silver Spring on November 12.

You can see further anonymous work upstairs at the Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia. I really recommend spending an afternoon at the galleries in Anacostia during FotoWeekDC. The women who run these galleries are incredible.

***

You can see more Yospyn at his web site yospyn.com or via Flickr. Fixation is this Saturday November 7th at Industry Gallery located on the second floor of Conner Contemporary. I hear there will be portraits, PBR, and live chickens.