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How did you become a photographer, and all around creative, specializing in men’s style?
I’ve always loved clothes- I grew up in a small town in Ohio- sifting through thrift stores and reading menswear blogs. I always knew I wanted to move to NYC to be around men’s fashion, and after I finished college, I did just that.Photography is actually a recent pursuit- I shot my first roll of film in 2019, back when I was still working for Drake’s of London. I’d never really thought about it and decided to try it out on a whim. It wasn’t something I truly fell in love with until the height of the pandemic- looking back at trips and nights out with friends, I really realized how much I enjoyed capturing a moment- and how much I enjoyed looking back at them. So I really started to take it seriously, and spent a lot of those early pandemic months reading up and trying to really improve my skill set.
What's your favorite part about the New York creative community?
New York is an incredibly inspiring place- I’m friends with so many photographers, illustrators, writers, designers- you name it- that are constantly inspiring me to work harder and push myself creatively.I’ve been lucky to have gotten to know a lot of the people in the men’s fashion community, from a few years at Drake’s, to my current role at J. Mueser, that have been really helpful and supportive of my new passion. I’ve been lucky to shoot for some amazing brands- from J. Crew to L.L. Bean to Ralph Lauren, and a whole lot more- and none of that would have happened if it wasn’t for a lot of amazingly kind people that were willing to throw me a bone.
What's inspiring you right now?
So many things- I love seeing what a lot of the photographers in the UK are doing- James Harvey-Kelly, Alex Natt, Jamie Ferguson. I’ve been trying to keep a sketchbook lately like I used to do when I was in school, so I find the odd pen or tin of watercolors inspiring. And John Martyn! I’ve been on such a John Martyn kick lately- especially The Road To Ruin, so that’s sort of been narrating my photo walks and commute to work.
Follow along:
@chasehwinner on Instagram