Photographer
We spoke with photographer Pia Riverola about her tenuous relationship with her iPhone, her favorite newsletter, a tradition of making phone calls with no purpose from her childhood in Barcelona, and more.
Read MoreIn this conversation, artist and designer Ana Kraš shares thoughts on her childhood in Belgrade marked by war, her luxuriously simple approach to beauty and fashion, and how she, as a self-professed “homebody,” creates an inspiring space in which to spend her days.
Read MoreKatie Merchant’s creative eye is applied to the photography she shares on her prolific Instagram account, @thankyou_ok, but also to her work as a creative director and stylist for brands such as Glossier, Babaà and Marimekko that share her penchant for nostalgia filtered through a lens of romance that recalls the films of Jacques Demy or Éric Rohmer. Here, we speak to Katie about capturing moments of serendipitous beauty on an iPhone, the opposite of buyer’s remorse (regret for a purchase unmade), and women she’s inspired by, from Miss Piggy to Martha Stewart.
Read MoreSara is a social media manager and photographer and the creator of People Who Do, a website showcasing people who go after what they want. She lives in Chelsea.
Read MoreSuzanne Middlemass is a London-based fashion and streetstyle photographer. Her work has appeared in publications like Vogue Magazine, GQ, Elle and Cosmopolitan and in her book, "It's All About Shoes."
Read MoreRachel Cabitt is an NYC based photographer and web designer collaborating with other young, like-minded artists. She is a 2016 graduate of the Photography & Imaging Department at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently Digital Director of POND magazine as well as a web developer for Opening Ceremony.
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Kendall is a freelance photographer and location scout based out of Brooklyn. She is a contributor to the New York Times and has had her work exhibited in Berlin, Chicago, New York, and most recently at SFMOMA’s Artist Gallery in San Francisco.
Read MoreEmily has many jobs, but mostly she is a stylist/model/photographers (sometimes all three at the same time). After growing up on Long Island, she moved to New York to study at FIT and has lived in Brooklyn ever since.
Read MoreAngela Kohler is an advertising photographer and commercial director in Los Angeles, where she is one half of Angela & Ithyle, the studio she runs with her husband. She gave birth to her baby boy three days before the publication of this feature.
Read MoreMeet NYC passerby, Beth Garrabrant, photographer and photo director at Nylon Magazine after working at Travel + Leisure Magazine where she discovered her talents.
Read MoreNatalia Mantini, is a self taught photographer based in New York City. Often turning her focus onto women, her work materializes as a great praise to the female form and its emotional complexities. When not photographing, she enjoys reading about astrology, watching true crime, and making candles. Her work has been featured in various publications including VICE, Bullett, S Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Billboard. Natalia is from Redondo Beach, CA and she moved to NYC 2 years ago.
Read MoreA Los Angeles based editorial and commercial photographer specializing in lifestyle, travel and interiors. Her ongoing passion for aesthetics and storytelling, combined with years of studying portraiture and landscapes, have helped Jessie create her distinct style.
Read MoreJenna is a photographer and designer based in New York City. She co-founded the lifestyle website Local Creative with friend Nicole Steriovski.
Read MoreBorn in Tehran, raised in So-Cal, Sunny went to UCSC to study Politics & Sociology. After college, she worked in LA for 3 years in various fields. Unfulfilled with the post-college 9 to 5 life, Sunny uprooted and moved to NYC to pursue her passion in photography and attend ICP. Today, she is an acclaimed photographer with a wide variety of clients like Barneys, Oyster, Nylon, & Levi's. Right now she is very stoked to be working on a long term book project with Brooks Headley of Superiority Burger.
Read More“Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico but raised in Rochester, New York, Ysa moved to NYC in 2008 while she was an Advertising Photography student at RIT to intern at Nylon Magazine. After graduating, in 2010-2011 she worked as a photography assistant at GQ Magazine under Photo Director Dora Somosi, supporting the photography department. Off the clock, she’d photograph musicians, rappers, DJs and nightlife which led to shooting assignments for magazines such as Spin, Vibe, XXL, New York Mag & Bloomberg Businessweek. She currently lives in Miami Beach both photographing and training in martial arts full-time.”
on her morning routine
I wake up everyday around 6.45am. I like to accomplish a lot of things in the day and when you’re in a place where the weather is inviting like Miami, you just want to be up. I usually start the day looking at my phone, doing my emails or I’ll just go straight to the beach and meditate.
on her start in photography
I took a basic 10th grade photography class and I shot a black & white photo of a gloomy set of railroad tracks and my teacher acknowledged it was good. That was it until college. These two students at RIT were in need of a model and reached out to me on Myspace (so dated). At the time, I was undecided at University at Buffalo, but seeing their space, the facilities and equipment, I was convinced I could probably do that. From there I transferred to The Rochester Institute of Technology for Advertising Photography.
I always had a good eye and have been using photoshop since I was like 12, my mom was a graphic designer, but when I started at RIT I took really shit pictures. I mean, you’re experimenting and you have no clue how things work, what lenses to use, what you’re trying to say through your work - it’s a process. It took me almost as long as I’ve been doing this professionally, to now completely be confident in the way I shoot. I never second guess what I’m framing, and when to press the button.
I work candidly based off the energy between me and what’s going on, I use natural light and I don’t interfere. Occasionally for portraits I’ll direct a moment, but more or less I just want to document what’s going on. My process is more simple than people think, I shoot film and I use an 8 year old DSLR. It’s not what you use, it's how you use it. It’s also about being able to tell a story through the images despite the subject matter.
I just use a 5D Mark II which came out years ago, when I was in photo school. Everyone was in awe it could record video. Big 2008 moment. I’m not sure why I chose Canon instead of Nikon, but it’s probably because my first camera was a basic Canon Rebel to survive my first year of photo school. I don’t keep up with what’s coming out next, digital cameras used to come out like twice a year, now it’s every few months a consumer friendly DSLR comes out, so I just use what I got and edit how I do. My work looks different from other people’s for a reason.
Right now I’m shooting for Budokon University, a mixed martial arts school based in Miami Beach, Florida. I enter dojo spaces with people that have been doing these art forms a majority of their lives so you need to you walk into their space with respect. I can’t be intrusive and disturb the students or instruction, so I’ll just sit in a spot, observe, move when I have to, mostly everyone says they never notice me there and trust me, I grab a lot of content. I just work fast.
““When I began the point & shoot phase in college, I bought this shit 35mm Ricoh off eBay and wasn’t really impressed with the photos, but thought that was that. Then 2011, I met a photographer in London, Tom Oxley, and he had this Contax T2 sitting on his desk. He let me shoot a few rolls during my stay, and when I returned to the states I fell in love with how crisp the images were. Contax got that Zeiss glass.””
Ysa's favorite beauty products
on her beauty routine
Ever since Budokon, my regimen has gravitated towards being more authentic. I’m extremely active there’s no need for makeup, plus it’s Miami, it’s going to sweat off anyway. I always tone and moisturize, but I keep a natural thing going - I ride my bike outside, tan, go into the sea for salt water (which cures everything), I workout. I steam & sauna for my muscles. I just take care of myself - being healthy is how I view beauty. For products, I would recommend: Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Daily Hydrator, Botanics Faical Oil, and Nivea Lip Butter.
on how she handles her hair
Ironically now that I’ve finally grown out my hair, I’m in humidity Miami, and the combination of my Puerto Rican roots, active lifestyle, presents a lot to deal with. My routine is kind of a process - when I shower I can’t let it air dry otherwise it instantly frazzles and bigs up, I I have to instantly comb it through, put coconut oil, braid it, let it dry, then unravel it few hours later. Blow drying it here, also impossible. Shoving hot air in my face here is punishment on punishment. I actually need like 8 days for my hair to naturally retain full moisture but it’s impossible to avoid washing it when I attend jiu jitsu 4 times a week and get my hair in a daily sweaty tangle. We’re always identifying who’s hair is on the mat.
““I love to thrift, I’m a nostalgic kind of person. I like old things and I have relationships with brands that fortunately send me clothes anyway. Being a gypsy, it’s easy to acquire clothing when you’re traveling so I have to be very conscious. Been going to the same places in Bushwick since I lived there 2008, all the Mexican/Spanish thrift stores always win. We know what’s up. In LA I found that the thrifting is completely different but the places to go are The Goodwills. Hollywood one is dope, also the one on Beverly, and rare one is Downtown, not many people go there and it’s super organized. As I get older though, my style becomes more simple. It’s funny to think as a photo assistant at GQ I would wear skirts and heels, I would even keratin my hair to make it full time straight, but when I started freelancing, that urge to present myself formally disappeared, as I’m behind the camera. Now in Miami, I have a very athletic lifestyle — always been a tomboy, so right now it’s minimal clothing daily: shorts, sports bras, bathing suits and jiu jitsu rash guards, for real.””
In NYC, Ippudo in East Village, 65 4th Ave, the best ramen ever, there’s just no question. Also do not leave without eating the pork buns and if shishito peppers.
Commodore in Williamsburg, it’s the place you’ll start running into people the longer you live there, because it’s somewhere easy to chill (when it’s not insane) and yeah obviously the best fried chicken hands down. Bonus are the biscuits that come with lavenderrrrrrr honey.
After Commodore, you get two in one - head next door to Momofuku Milk Bar and get a CEREAL MILKSHAKE. If you like downing the end of the cereal bowl and know that specific taste I’m referring to… RUN there. And ask for extra cereal topping. Bonus you can buy the mixture and take it with you my international people.
In LA, the one stop place is SWINGERS. I’m all for reasonably priced organic delicious food where I can get a stack of pancakes ahi tuna sandwich, or a steak ANYTIME 7am-2am.
LA is all about acai bowls, my bank account was dying the few months I was there just from those. The best > Liquid Juice Bar, get ‘The Chronic’ trust me.
The Fifth Element by Luc Besson
Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino
Natural Born Killers by Oliver Stone
Risky Business by Paul Brickman
Outfit, Vintage ; Jacket, BornxRaised
Originally from Portland, Oregon, BriAnne has lived in Prague, Ukraine & Shanghai for the past few years. She moved to NYC last year with her husband, and is currently working as a fashion photographer. She is also the creator of Girls and Their Cats.
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