Wes Davis, co-founder of Beatnik Studios art gallery, says artists are among his favorite photographic subjects.
“Artists are great because if you want to do something weird or get experimental with a photograph, they are all for it,” Davis says. “Each time we would set up a shoot, or we would do something in the studio, I would try to do something new and be inspired by the artists. It opened a lot of doors for me and a lot of ideas. It helped my photography grow and get much more diverse in the way that I shot or approached stuff.”
Davis has photographed everything from competitive youth soccer to commercial assignments, but when he works with a new artist, he says throws out traditional rules of photography to allow art to imitate art.
“When I’m photographing artists, I’m not interested in any of those rules. I’m just trying to create a piece of art. And with artists, it’s nice because they understand and appreciate that,” Davis says. “So when they see you, when they are involved in your process, it’s exciting for them because they recognize that you’re creating something that’s unique to you as a photographer, instead of just trying to get a classic portrait.”
