What’s in your camera bag?
- Canon R5
- Canon 5D M4
Are there any specific equipment or gear innovations that you believe will have a significant impact on the industry in 2024?
The ever-improving LED light technology has and will continue to impact the industry significantly.
Where do you get the latest news on new gear? Where do You usually buy new gear?
I have a good relationship with a smaller camera house in NY called Fotocare. It is great to get the kind of pro attention you get at smaller shops. I highly recommend it.
How is photography making the world a better place in 2024?
The world is progressing at a very fast pace, and photography contributes to helping keep people informed, keeps them engaged and entertained, and is a driving force behind major technological innovations in media, communications, and AI. While it sometimes feels like the industry is being surpassed by video, photography is still a ubiquitous creative medium that has a very big place in our daily lives.
What emerging photography trends do you foresee gaining popularity in 2024?
I have seen a real interest, almost fetishization, in film photography building momentum over the past few years. Film is to photography, like what vinyl is to music. As the industry gets further from its roots, people are still curious, creative, and driven to explore older technologies. I think we will see this trend make its way further into the mainstream and a film look begin to appear commercially among the cooler, more progressive brands.
If you could pick a photography mentor in 2024, who would you pick? Why?
I think that a single individual would not suffice. I think my greatest mentors over the past few years of my career have been my students. I learn so much by teaching and always have. Looking at the teaching process as a two-way street has always provided me with so much guidance and fuel for my creativity. So, in 2024, I hope to continue this practice and, in the process, stay young at heart, informed, and curious.
The unavoidable question: How do you see the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning impacting photography in 2024?
I think that AI will force photographers to work even harder to separate themselves from the crowd with their ideas, creativity, empathy, and humanity. These are the things that a machine cannot do or understand. When we infuse our humanity into our work as artists, it makes the work decidedly personal and intimate. As the machines improve technically, limitlessly, and flawlessly, it will be up to us to use our ideas and hearts to make work that speaks to others and our shared experiences.
What is your favorite photography-related book or resource that will continue to have a significant impact on your career in 2024? Why?
Although it is not a book about photography, it is a book about what it means to be an artist, so “The Creative Act” by music producer Rick Rubin has been extraordinarily influential in how I think about WHY I create. The core of any creative practice is getting deeply in touch with the soul of what drives you to make things. This book is like an instructional manual on how to find that place. I recommend it for any creative, especially when we feel stuck or stagnant.
What is your go-to method for overcoming creative block and finding inspiration in 2024?
Music and writing. I find that when I move to experience and participate in other art forms, I find my way past the artist’s block. Just listening to music with a critical ear is very helpful. Find a song you have heard forever that you know inside and out, and then pick out one instrument from that song and listen to it very carefully. It will unlock something you never knew about a work you thought you knew intimately. Also, I write. It makes me communicate my thoughts and feelings in a different way and often will open up pathways to creativity that were not there before.
When figuring out what kind of photographer you want to be, don’t look around; look inside.
Andrew Scrivani
If you could give one piece of advice to a beginner in photography, what would it be?
Stay curious. Nothing is more important to any artist at any level than their level of curiosity in the world and other people’s lives. If you are eager to learn about something, do it through your camera. It is a wonderful way to grow as an artist and, even more importantly, as a person.
Can you share a specific tool, technology, or software that has revolutionized your workflow and significantly enhanced your creative process as a photographer?
Coffee.
No, seriously, the new AI-based tools in Photoshop and Lightroom have been an incredible spark to my creativity and a time saver during the shooting and editing process. These tools do exactly what I used to do but are infinitely easier and faster. Knowing what I can fix quickly in post-production offers me more time on set to create and experiment, knowing that I do not have to belabor certain shots or approaches to a shot list.
NFT and photography? Any thoughts?
I think it is a dead issue for now. Until more people understand and use blockchain technology in everyday life, these kinds of projects will not go anywhere. We will have fits and starts with NFT projects, but the tech is still very hard to understand and makes people uncomfortable. We need these technologies to become easier to engage with and to be explainable, a language everyone can understand for it to become a significant force in our industry.
What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness as a photographer in 2024?
My strength is my ability to create complex narratives with simple frames. My weakness is that sometimes, I get lost in the narrative and let my technical expertise slide. I need to be able to walk and chew gum.
What is the biggest challenge in your photography genre in 2024? What are the solutions?
Food photography is so ubiquitous and, quite frankly, cheap. It is a difficult business when quantity over quality becomes the catalyst for art buyers. Being unique is seen as a flaw rather than a strength, and experience has less value in a market like this. It will be up to those of us who have been seen as leaders to encourage our clients, students, and mentees to push against the “catalogization” of food photography and start creating meaningful, heart-felt, narrative imagery that our genre deserves.
What is the most important factor to consider when choosing a photography niche or specialization in 2024?
When figuring out what kind of photographer you want to be, don’t look around; look inside. You need to document what you love and are passionate or curious about. Unless you put your creative soul into the work, convincing others of your authenticity will be very difficult. You also cannot get into this field to get rich. Be good, be passionate, and hopefully, the work will get noticed, and the rest will follow.
Is there anything else you would like to add or any final thoughts you would like to share about your artistic journey, inspirations, or the impact you hope to make through your photography?
I have always thought of myself as a photographer by trade and a teacher by vocation. I hope to continue to share my experience, knowledge, and passion for this art form by being around other creatives. This has always provided me with the greatest source of inspiration and drive. I also hope to continue to be collaborative with other talented and interesting artists and make provocative artworks. This is the lifestyle I always wanted to live, and by making this my life, it has consistently provided me with what I needed emotionally as a person. There is no replacement for living your passion. I encourage you to try.
- Favourite photography digital tool in 2024
— Adobe Express - Favourite Photographer in 2024
— Andrew Hetherington. He has reinvented his approach to his work, and I love how he has combined his passion with his existing style. - Which photography conference, workshop, event, exhibition, etc., would you recommend to photographers in 2024?
— Adobe Max - Which social media platform do you use the most as a photographer?
— Instagram - Will you use or experiment with NFT in 2024?
— No - Do you think the always-improving cameras on smartphones will result in less work for professional photographers in 2024?
— No
- What is your motto for 2024?
— ”Work hard. Be Nice. Same as every year.” - Three must-have photography gadgets or tools for aspiring photographers?
— A good tripod, a good LED panel, and a camera bag on wheels. - Can you name one unconventional location or setting that photographers should explore to create memorable images?
— I find ghost towns really compelling. Everything in a ghost town has a story to tell. Every object, every location, and every person sticking it out in many of the shrinking towns around the world has wonderful stories to tell. - Name one unconventional source of inspiration that photographers should explore for fresh ideas in 2024.
— Abstract art. Find the emotional responses you have and see what makes you consider shooting.
- Which photography trend will dominate the industry in 2024?
— Film. Retro is in and cool. - One underrated photography technique that can instantly enhance a photographer’s portfolio
— Make prints. It is very different to experience your work printed these days. When you take some time to print your work, it may very well change your perspective on how and what you shoot. - What is the most innovative use of technology you’ve seen in photography recently?
— I really love what people have been doing with the “eliminate background” features in software and hardware. Photography should be fun, and these features are really a lot of fun. - Which online platform or marketplace is currently the best for photographers to sell their work and reach a wider audience?
— Adobe Stock
