This month we are interviewing our monthly take over of August 2020 @thedaniellittle
1. Tell us more about yourself and the work you do?
I've always been into art that tells a story. That evokes emotion. So as I've grown into my own style with my photography, I've gravitated towards concepts and visuals that do this for the viewer. My current career is as a Graphic Designer so Photoshop has always been my program of passion in my design work, and over this past year or so, I've really been focusing on using that strength to work hand in hand with my photography to create more whimsical environments around my subject.
2.How were you inspired to pursue this kind of career?
I got into photography a few years ago to save some money on my daughter's senior photos. Being a designer, I felt like I could figure out the editing pretty easily. So about a month before we were going to these senior photos, I started youtubing everything I could about photography. How to work a camera, how to shoot, how to skin retouch, etc. I immersed myself in learning so that my daughter could be proud of her photos. When the weekend came that we were shooting, I rented a camera and lens and we went to town. I don't know that I hit the bar that I wanted to hit, but it started my photography hobby in motion. I started getting offers to do more senior photos and was able to buy a camera setup. Then it was all about poking around on instagram and youtube and learning all I could.
3.Can you tell us what style of art you do and how you developed your own style?
Developing your own style is a process. It doesn't come easy in my opinion, but nothing worthwhile comes super easy. First, you have to do some self-reflection and figure out what aesthetic you like. This can come a number of ways. Which artists do you look up to? What images do you fall in love with when you look at them? What tones/color schemes bring about a feeling in you? What do you like to shoot/edit/paint? There's a ton of questions that can get you looking within and figuring out what lights that inner fire. From there, it's figuring out how to do that with the tools you have. I tried many ideas throughout the process. I went with a super saturated blue, and definitely over-edited motif for a while. I went through a lens flare phase. I've tried a number of paths to get to where I'm at now. And even a year or two from now, I'm sure my style will be tweaked a bit from where it is now. So it's a constantly evolving process, but that's a beautiful thing. My advice for others who are looking for their own style is not to copy. It's ok to look up to an artist and figure out how they do things, but don't copy them. Be yourself. Don't paint yourself into a box of rules that someone else follows or that others say you should. Sometimes we can put there boundaries around us that squashes the creative process. And that will offer no benefit at all to setting yourself free to create and find that style that makes your work unique.
I've always been into art that tells a story. That evokes emotion. So as I've grown into my own style with my photography, I've gravitated towards concepts and visuals that do this for the viewer. My current career is as a Graphic Designer so Photoshop has always been my program of passion in my design work, and over this past year or so, I've really been focusing on using that strength to work hand in hand with my photography to create more whimsical environments around my subject.
2.How were you inspired to pursue this kind of career?
I got into photography a few years ago to save some money on my daughter's senior photos. Being a designer, I felt like I could figure out the editing pretty easily. So about a month before we were going to these senior photos, I started youtubing everything I could about photography. How to work a camera, how to shoot, how to skin retouch, etc. I immersed myself in learning so that my daughter could be proud of her photos. When the weekend came that we were shooting, I rented a camera and lens and we went to town. I don't know that I hit the bar that I wanted to hit, but it started my photography hobby in motion. I started getting offers to do more senior photos and was able to buy a camera setup. Then it was all about poking around on instagram and youtube and learning all I could.
3.Can you tell us what style of art you do and how you developed your own style?
Developing your own style is a process. It doesn't come easy in my opinion, but nothing worthwhile comes super easy. First, you have to do some self-reflection and figure out what aesthetic you like. This can come a number of ways. Which artists do you look up to? What images do you fall in love with when you look at them? What tones/color schemes bring about a feeling in you? What do you like to shoot/edit/paint? There's a ton of questions that can get you looking within and figuring out what lights that inner fire. From there, it's figuring out how to do that with the tools you have. I tried many ideas throughout the process. I went with a super saturated blue, and definitely over-edited motif for a while. I went through a lens flare phase. I've tried a number of paths to get to where I'm at now. And even a year or two from now, I'm sure my style will be tweaked a bit from where it is now. So it's a constantly evolving process, but that's a beautiful thing. My advice for others who are looking for their own style is not to copy. It's ok to look up to an artist and figure out how they do things, but don't copy them. Be yourself. Don't paint yourself into a box of rules that someone else follows or that others say you should. Sometimes we can put there boundaries around us that squashes the creative process. And that will offer no benefit at all to setting yourself free to create and find that style that makes your work unique.
4.Can you name an artist/s that you look up to? How have they influenced you?
Growing up, I was blessed with a very loving family. My grandparents would take us over to Maui most years for our Christmas vacation. I fell in love with marine life and the artists who would paint this above and below style world. Guys like Wyland, Robert Lynn Nelson, Christian Reese Lassen and David Miller. They painted these beautiful scenes where part of the painting would be below the water filled with marine life and part would show above water in such a gorgeous way that made you want to be in the middle of it all. I would go back home and paint these hack job paintings of whales and fish. This love for sea life definitely was/is a real passion of mine. As I grew up another big influence of mine was the amazing Dr Seuss. His whimsy and creativity is matched only by one other artist in my option ( we'll get to that in a few minutes ). So these artists set the groundwork deep down in me on where my art is heading.
The first artist to really influence my photography work was Danny Batista ( @dannybatista ). I started seeing his pics pop up on my instagram feed the more I followed photography accounts. He's an amazing shooter/editor. Not long after following him, I was watching one of his lives and he mentioned that he did one-on-ones. So I went for it... I messaged him to inquire more. This was a huge turning point in my photography career. I took a chance on investing in me and met Danny down in Orlando to spend the day shooting and editing with him. Not to copy his look, but to see how this artist that I looked up to did things to achieve his own style so I could better navigate a process for myself to find my own style.
Since then, I've looked up to photographers such as Alex ( @liquidverve ), Abel ( @abelinsane ) and Danny. The artist I most look up to though in a creative sense, and the one I mentioned in the same breath as Dr. Seuss, is Greg Simkins ( @craola ). This is where I want my art to go. He's a super talented painter who creates these amazing, whimsical worlds filled with creatures. He's set a new bar for my photography/compositing/digital painting.
5.What is your typical daily routine like?
I don't think I have a typical daily routine that's consistent. In this COVID world right now, I work from home for my design job. On a typical weekday I wake up, usually get a cup of cocoa, and hop on a morning meeting with our sales and marketing team everyday Monday through Friday. After that meeting I spend most of the day working and then will hit the gym, run errands, do house/yard work, etc. I've been blessed enough to have my 3 daughters living with me over quarantine so their company around my house is a bright spot for me. On the weekends I work my 2nd job (serving job) and then usually plan shoots on those evenings or hang with my kids.
Outside of those routines, I'm huge about helping to grow the creative community up here in Minneapolis so I'm always thinking about things to do to get others involved up here. So the shoots I plan usually become mini-meetups. Or we do some editing video calls at night sometimes. Things like this, and the friendships I've made through this, have been a huge positive in my life.
6.How do you go about creating a piece? Can you share with us your creative process?
My creative process is sometimes a little different per piece, but the first part is coming up with a concept/story. I'm not huge on trends per say. We all create from inso we've seen around us to some extent, but I really like the idea of writing my own visual stories. Something that hasn't been told in that way before. Something that the viewer can relate to or feel. So I really try to stick to a unique story about the character in the image.
Once I get an idea or vision, I start chatting with the model on how we can pull that off. I try to shoot as many pieces as I physically can for the edit. I don't like using the internet for pieces if I can avoid that (which is one reason I've been focused on learning more about digital painting). I'd rather each piece be unique and original to my story, which can present it's own set of challenges itself depending on what needs to be added.
When the model and I agree on how we want to display the story, I get to work on any props or locations we need. Sometimes we wing this part, but other times it takes quite a bit of preparation. The more I can be prepared going into a shoot and subsequently the edit, the better the result turns out to be in my opinion. For the edit, I try to give myself some creative leeway to change some things in the process. My edits are usually a product of the world I vision around the model and sometimes this changes as the edit progresses. It's definitely not anywhere close to rocket science, but I really try and free myself up from any rules or boundaries and just kind of let my mind go and be open to creating.
Growing up, I was blessed with a very loving family. My grandparents would take us over to Maui most years for our Christmas vacation. I fell in love with marine life and the artists who would paint this above and below style world. Guys like Wyland, Robert Lynn Nelson, Christian Reese Lassen and David Miller. They painted these beautiful scenes where part of the painting would be below the water filled with marine life and part would show above water in such a gorgeous way that made you want to be in the middle of it all. I would go back home and paint these hack job paintings of whales and fish. This love for sea life definitely was/is a real passion of mine. As I grew up another big influence of mine was the amazing Dr Seuss. His whimsy and creativity is matched only by one other artist in my option ( we'll get to that in a few minutes ). So these artists set the groundwork deep down in me on where my art is heading.
The first artist to really influence my photography work was Danny Batista ( @dannybatista ). I started seeing his pics pop up on my instagram feed the more I followed photography accounts. He's an amazing shooter/editor. Not long after following him, I was watching one of his lives and he mentioned that he did one-on-ones. So I went for it... I messaged him to inquire more. This was a huge turning point in my photography career. I took a chance on investing in me and met Danny down in Orlando to spend the day shooting and editing with him. Not to copy his look, but to see how this artist that I looked up to did things to achieve his own style so I could better navigate a process for myself to find my own style.
Since then, I've looked up to photographers such as Alex ( @liquidverve ), Abel ( @abelinsane ) and Danny. The artist I most look up to though in a creative sense, and the one I mentioned in the same breath as Dr. Seuss, is Greg Simkins ( @craola ). This is where I want my art to go. He's a super talented painter who creates these amazing, whimsical worlds filled with creatures. He's set a new bar for my photography/compositing/digital painting.
5.What is your typical daily routine like?
I don't think I have a typical daily routine that's consistent. In this COVID world right now, I work from home for my design job. On a typical weekday I wake up, usually get a cup of cocoa, and hop on a morning meeting with our sales and marketing team everyday Monday through Friday. After that meeting I spend most of the day working and then will hit the gym, run errands, do house/yard work, etc. I've been blessed enough to have my 3 daughters living with me over quarantine so their company around my house is a bright spot for me. On the weekends I work my 2nd job (serving job) and then usually plan shoots on those evenings or hang with my kids.
Outside of those routines, I'm huge about helping to grow the creative community up here in Minneapolis so I'm always thinking about things to do to get others involved up here. So the shoots I plan usually become mini-meetups. Or we do some editing video calls at night sometimes. Things like this, and the friendships I've made through this, have been a huge positive in my life.
6.How do you go about creating a piece? Can you share with us your creative process?
My creative process is sometimes a little different per piece, but the first part is coming up with a concept/story. I'm not huge on trends per say. We all create from inso we've seen around us to some extent, but I really like the idea of writing my own visual stories. Something that hasn't been told in that way before. Something that the viewer can relate to or feel. So I really try to stick to a unique story about the character in the image.
Once I get an idea or vision, I start chatting with the model on how we can pull that off. I try to shoot as many pieces as I physically can for the edit. I don't like using the internet for pieces if I can avoid that (which is one reason I've been focused on learning more about digital painting). I'd rather each piece be unique and original to my story, which can present it's own set of challenges itself depending on what needs to be added.
When the model and I agree on how we want to display the story, I get to work on any props or locations we need. Sometimes we wing this part, but other times it takes quite a bit of preparation. The more I can be prepared going into a shoot and subsequently the edit, the better the result turns out to be in my opinion. For the edit, I try to give myself some creative leeway to change some things in the process. My edits are usually a product of the world I vision around the model and sometimes this changes as the edit progresses. It's definitely not anywhere close to rocket science, but I really try and free myself up from any rules or boundaries and just kind of let my mind go and be open to creating.
7.Do you get creative blocks from time to time? How do you overcome it? What advice can you share to overcome it?
I get creative blocks quite a bit. Usually after each edit, I take some time off (anywhere from a few days to a week) before I start a new edit. Kind of get those creative juices flowing again and mentally reflect on/enjoy the process of the edit before. Even then, sometimes it's hard to get going again. To get past these creative blocks I look at the work of artists I enjoy, or chat with some members of the creative community that challenge me to move forward towards the next concept. Another key ingredient is mindfully giving myself some grace to not shame myself for being in that spot. Beating yourself up never progresses the creative process in a positive way, so I really focus on being kind to myself through the block.
8.What are the things you do to get inspired? What are your typical movies,
I get creative blocks quite a bit. Usually after each edit, I take some time off (anywhere from a few days to a week) before I start a new edit. Kind of get those creative juices flowing again and mentally reflect on/enjoy the process of the edit before. Even then, sometimes it's hard to get going again. To get past these creative blocks I look at the work of artists I enjoy, or chat with some members of the creative community that challenge me to move forward towards the next concept. Another key ingredient is mindfully giving myself some grace to not shame myself for being in that spot. Beating yourself up never progresses the creative process in a positive way, so I really focus on being kind to myself through the block.
8.What are the things you do to get inspired? What are your typical movies,
music, activities, etc. ?
In my opinion, inspiration is everywhere. It could be right outside your front door, or a billboard you see while driving around your town, or a scene from a movie your watching. I don't have one source of inspiration really. A lot of times, it comes from walking around. Noticing the beauty in the environment around me. What makes it feel the way it feels. Sometimes I can get an idea by talking to the model, coming up with a broad concept, and then closing my eyes and thinking about the world I want to create around that subject. Kind of a mental brainstorm sesh if you will. There's a lot of beauty that we overlook with our hustle and bustle of our daily lives. And sometimes it's about forcing ourselves to slow down and really be present in the moment.
9.Which of your works is your favorite? Can you describe it to us and why it is special?
I have a couple of favorites for different reasons. The first Belle set I did with Tatumn is still one of my favorite sets I've been apart of. It was kind of the shoot that landed me in the realm of some very talented editors and composite artists and also was the set that really put my style into motion. Tatumn and I put a lot of effort into that set and I really wanted to do the character of Belle justice with it. Just concepting that set out was a rad process. Taking on the preparation of really looking for a location that worked for a castle look along with the props and vision for that set helped to make it that more amazing. The day of the shoot was far from perfect from the vision I had in my head, but it showed me that it didn't have to be perfect for the vision to work. The final result of that shoot turned out better than I ever could've imagined.
The second shoot that's a favorite of mine is the shoot I did with Keagan with the Angler fish surrounding her as waves crash around. This was one of the first photo's that I did a lot of digital painting with and as frustrating as it was at times, when it came together, it was that much more rewarding. I took a lot of time on that edit to get the water and lighting perfect to really make those details stand out. I always tell myself that I don't want my edits to be limited by the knowledge I have. If there's ever something I want to do and don't know how to do it, I work hard at finding out how to do it. And that definitely was put into play on this edit.
In my opinion, inspiration is everywhere. It could be right outside your front door, or a billboard you see while driving around your town, or a scene from a movie your watching. I don't have one source of inspiration really. A lot of times, it comes from walking around. Noticing the beauty in the environment around me. What makes it feel the way it feels. Sometimes I can get an idea by talking to the model, coming up with a broad concept, and then closing my eyes and thinking about the world I want to create around that subject. Kind of a mental brainstorm sesh if you will. There's a lot of beauty that we overlook with our hustle and bustle of our daily lives. And sometimes it's about forcing ourselves to slow down and really be present in the moment.
9.Which of your works is your favorite? Can you describe it to us and why it is special?
I have a couple of favorites for different reasons. The first Belle set I did with Tatumn is still one of my favorite sets I've been apart of. It was kind of the shoot that landed me in the realm of some very talented editors and composite artists and also was the set that really put my style into motion. Tatumn and I put a lot of effort into that set and I really wanted to do the character of Belle justice with it. Just concepting that set out was a rad process. Taking on the preparation of really looking for a location that worked for a castle look along with the props and vision for that set helped to make it that more amazing. The day of the shoot was far from perfect from the vision I had in my head, but it showed me that it didn't have to be perfect for the vision to work. The final result of that shoot turned out better than I ever could've imagined.
The second shoot that's a favorite of mine is the shoot I did with Keagan with the Angler fish surrounding her as waves crash around. This was one of the first photo's that I did a lot of digital painting with and as frustrating as it was at times, when it came together, it was that much more rewarding. I took a lot of time on that edit to get the water and lighting perfect to really make those details stand out. I always tell myself that I don't want my edits to be limited by the knowledge I have. If there's ever something I want to do and don't know how to do it, I work hard at finding out how to do it. And that definitely was put into play on this edit.
10.What is your future goals/plans?
I would love to be able to do the creative photography thing full-time. To me, traveling around and creating beautiful works of art would be my dream. It goes back to those Christmas breaks as a kid where we'd go into Lahaina, walk into the Wyland gallery and see all his paintings lined on the walls of the gallery. His sculptures would be placed around the room of the gallery, some turned into gorgeous coffee tables. I'd love to have my work in galleries around the globe and be able to create pieces that people are proud to hang in their homes. Maybe one day settling down in a spot by the ocean and spend my days creating and running my own gallery.
11.Do you have any favourite mantra that gives you any type of motivation or can give others inspiration?
This isn't so much an earth-shattering quote or mantra, but give yourself some grace. You're going to fall. That's ok. You're going to screw up. Everyone does. It's part of life. Don't judge yourself too harshly. No one is perfect, but the one's who do extraordinary things are the one's that work hard for it. The one's that listen and make theirselves open to be used in extraordinary ways. The one's that work hard on themselves to grow and be that better version of themselves today than they were yesterday.
Never let where you are right now dictate where you want to go. For instance, in my photography work, I never let the knowledge I have right now limit me on a shot and edit. If I don't know how to do something, I'm bound and determined to find out. I don't just quit and take it out of my work because I don't know how to do it. There's always a way, and sometimes it just takes that much more work to get there.
And a huge side note, while we're all doing this journey of life, please be kind to others. We all have a story. We all have a reason we are who we are. Sometimes what a person needs is for someone else just to meet them right where they are and let them know that it's ok. That's not really an answer about photography and art. It's just about being a decent human being and making a small difference in this world (maybe a big difference in the life of someone else) by showing compassion to others. Something this world needs right now and everyday moving forward.
12.Where can people find your art or purchase any of your work if available? (social media links and store links)
You guys can find my work on my instagram page ( @thedaniellittle ) or
I would love to be able to do the creative photography thing full-time. To me, traveling around and creating beautiful works of art would be my dream. It goes back to those Christmas breaks as a kid where we'd go into Lahaina, walk into the Wyland gallery and see all his paintings lined on the walls of the gallery. His sculptures would be placed around the room of the gallery, some turned into gorgeous coffee tables. I'd love to have my work in galleries around the globe and be able to create pieces that people are proud to hang in their homes. Maybe one day settling down in a spot by the ocean and spend my days creating and running my own gallery.
11.Do you have any favourite mantra that gives you any type of motivation or can give others inspiration?
This isn't so much an earth-shattering quote or mantra, but give yourself some grace. You're going to fall. That's ok. You're going to screw up. Everyone does. It's part of life. Don't judge yourself too harshly. No one is perfect, but the one's who do extraordinary things are the one's that work hard for it. The one's that listen and make theirselves open to be used in extraordinary ways. The one's that work hard on themselves to grow and be that better version of themselves today than they were yesterday.
Never let where you are right now dictate where you want to go. For instance, in my photography work, I never let the knowledge I have right now limit me on a shot and edit. If I don't know how to do something, I'm bound and determined to find out. I don't just quit and take it out of my work because I don't know how to do it. There's always a way, and sometimes it just takes that much more work to get there.
And a huge side note, while we're all doing this journey of life, please be kind to others. We all have a story. We all have a reason we are who we are. Sometimes what a person needs is for someone else just to meet them right where they are and let them know that it's ok. That's not really an answer about photography and art. It's just about being a decent human being and making a small difference in this world (maybe a big difference in the life of someone else) by showing compassion to others. Something this world needs right now and everyday moving forward.
12.Where can people find your art or purchase any of your work if available? (social media links and store links)
You guys can find my work on my instagram page ( @thedaniellittle ) or
my website www.martianzonephoto.com (Weird name I know, but it has a lot of meaning behind it). I am setting up my store to sell super limited edition prints of my work (probably only 1 or 2 prints per pic I sell). I haven't completed the store yet, but hoping to get that settled soon. Just a quick note... thank you all for your support and encouragement along the way. It really does mean the world to me.
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