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00:00:00 – 00:15:43
The video features Jack Richland, a fashion, music, and commercial photographer, who details his journey and insights in the field of photography. Richland highlights the importance of practical experience over formal education, noting significant learning moments from assisting established photographers and conducting his own shoots. His career began with photographing friends in London and expanded to capturing artists and street scenes in New York and Los Angeles.
Richland’s work was heavily influenced by vibrant colors from cartoons, particularly Looney Tunes, and the aesthetics of the 90s culture. This creative use of color led to collaborations with notable figures including model Jordan Barrett and actor Robert Pattinson. His shoot with Pattinson, particularly for GQ Global, became a pivotal moment in his career. The concept for the shoot was dynamic, evolving from safe ideas to bold, transformative themes, highlighting Pattinson's versatility.
Richland underscores the value of personal projects and unique vision in building a standout portfolio, emphasizing creative freedom. His approach and success are encapsulated in the memorable advice: "Don't give people what they want, give people what they don't know they want." This credo has guided his distinctive style and achievements in the competitive photography industry.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, Jack Richland, a fashion, music, and commercial photographer, shares his journey into photography. He explains that he initially didn’t know what career path to choose while in school but gained inspiration from a senior student named Ed Cook. Richland reached out to Ed via Tumblr, which led to an opportunity to assist him, significantly accelerating his learning. He emphasizes the practical knowledge gained from working real photo shoots, such as punctuality and interacting with people, which schools often don’t teach. Richland’s early efforts involved traveling to London every Saturday to photograph friends, helping him to explore different lighting techniques and develop his style. He later expanded his work to New York, highlighting the importance of reaching out to others on Instagram to create opportunities and connections.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker details their journey of photographing various artists and individuals in New York and Los Angeles. They highlight the initial phase in New York where they photographed music artists, fashion designers, and general street scenes without a substantial budget. Moving to Los Angeles, they experienced a significant cultural exposure and captured candid street photographs, including an encounter with rapper Lil Xan, which they managed to document for their portfolio. The speaker emphasizes the importance of surroundings in photography and notes their increasing focus on props and setting to enhance the mood and energy of their photographs. They share an anecdote about persuading a subject to change their clothing for a better shot, reflecting their evolving understanding of their photographic needs.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses how they transitioned from being inspired by movies and photos to drawing inspiration from cartoons, particularly the vibrant colors of Looney Tunes and sweet wrappers. They began to implement these colors into their work, shifting their creative process and opting for studio shoots due to England’s rainy weather hampering outdoor shooting plans. The speaker emphasizes the influence of 90s aesthetics, inspired by their older brother’s XXL magazines.
They also describe their recent work with magazines, where they experiment extensively with colors. This experimentation led to a collaboration with model Jordan Barrett. The concept involved contrasting sportswear with unhealthy habits, though initial responses from stylists were lukewarm due to a lack of understanding of the idea.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of working on personal creative projects without restrictions for portfolio development. They explain how a specific photoshoot gained significant attention on Instagram, ultimately catching the eye of actor Robert Pattinson. Pattinson, impressed by the work, requested a photoshoot through his agent. After initially missing the agent’s email, the speaker received a late-night call while at a bar, where they were asked to shoot for GQ Global with Pattinson. Despite internal excitement, the speaker played it cool on the call. Following up a couple of weeks later, GQ confirmed the shoot, which the speaker anticipated would need to align with promoting Pattinson’s role in Batman. However, the magazines and Pattinson’s team encouraged the speaker to follow their unique style, which was a refreshing departure from past shoots where clients had specific demands.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the creative process behind a photo shoot with Rob. Initially, the concept seemed too safe, but Rob was particularly interested in a wild card idea involving getting tattooed. Together, they developed a unique shoot focused on transformation, unrelated to the Batman theme, aiming to catch people’s attention. The shoot features Rob in various styles, starting from a clean, classic look, transitioning through old 2000s vibes, and scenes inspired by the movie “8 Mile.” They incorporated elements like bleach, lab environments, and contrasting colors, including pink. The speaker particularly enjoyed photographing Rob in white vests and gold teeth, achieving a unique and sinister look. Their favorite shot involved a white vest and grills, marking a departure from previous portrayals of Rob. Finally, they recreated the tattoo shot that initiated this creative journey.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker mentions that being featured on the global GQ cover significantly boosted their career, attributing their current success to that opportunity. They express gratitude towards Will Welch and Rox from GQ Global for trusting them with the shoot, despite their lack of prior experience with such a high-profile project. They also share a memorable quote: “Don’t give people what they want, give people what they don’t know they want.”