Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Borrazzo.
Katie , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I couldn’t say when exactly I first picked up a camera, but I remember during junior or senior year of high school, I started taking photos on my iPod touch, and made an Instagram. From there, Instagram provided a platform on which to view amazing work, and pushed me to consider what I could contribute in turn. For a few years, I just took photos that I thought was pretty, which often included flowers or photogenic classmates and friends. While I still was not considering photography seriously, the chance to take a two-month photography course at New York Film Academy during a pre-college gap year presented itself, and was definitely helpful in learning the technical basics, as well as helping me to discover the elements of photography to which I was most strongly drawn.
Once in college, I started focusing on lifestyle/portraiture – an early step in my journey to fashion photography, and was reaching out to people via social media. Then, about a year and a half ago, I started working with models at Maggie Inc. in Boston, which provided some insight into working with agencies and submitting photo editorials to be published. I did my first shoot with a stylist while in Boston, and discovered how much I liked working collaboratively with a creative team to develop a concept, and seeing the shoot through to the published creation. Due in part to the shoots I had done in Boston, I decided to spend this past summer in NYC, splitting my time between interning and developing a portfolio of my own editorial shoots – Schön Magazine and Darling Magazine are probably the ones of which I’m proudest to date! This summer, I’ll be heading to NYC again, but will always be grateful to those I have met and worked with in Boston!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For me, it has definitely been a learning process – filled with trial and error – to get to my current stage and style, and when I look at my current work, I know that there is so much more I hope to explore! I’ve gone through periods of being completely uninspired or feeling like my work was not good enough; however, I think that what always ultimately pushes me forward is seeing all of the fantastic work that other photographers have made, thinking about how to engage with previous ideas and the dream of creating something original eventually!
During college, I took a couple of photography courses, which have definitely been informative and pushed me to consider the line between fashion photography and fine art photography, often blurring the line between genres. Likewise, this has caused me to think deeply about the connotations which fashion holds in the public eye, and how this may be represented photographically. I am still coming up with new ways to represent this concept, but right now, I know that strong posing – featuring dynamic shapes and organic movement – are both of interest to me, along with candid offbeat motion and the interesting shadows which natural light can create. On the flip side, academic critiques and other forms of constructive criticism have not always been conducive to the creative process. While there have been some key takeaways and it is interesting to have an external push, for me, this can sometimes disrupt the path and ideas that I find internally motivating or introduce pressures to meet deadlines before ideas are fully developed. Nevertheless, I have definitely appreciated the opportunity to look at respected and established photographers’ works and to read and learn about their processes. Overall, I would say not to be too quick to dismiss others’ opinions and feedback, but also know that ultimately, following your own vision is best.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources that help you do your best in life (at work or otherwise)?
Hmm, while I’m not much for blogs, I would say that my biggest source of creative guidance is looking at the work of photographers whose styles I greatly admire. I love models.com as a database – it’s such an amazing resource to see all of the editorials, campaigns, shows, and more than creative professionals in the field have been working on and have published!
I’m also an avid to-do list maker, as checking off each item along the way really helps with my productivity. Making goals each day helps me to organize my time and think long-term – an important consideration and motivating factor when working toward a creative ambition!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katieborrazzo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/katieborrazzo
Image Credit:
Alana Steinberg, Skylar Watkins
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