Frame & Sequence Podcast (Todd Ritondaro)

Hello and welcome to Frame and Sequence episode 24 with Jamie Beck!  

Last October I had the opportunity to spend a glorious fall day in Provence with Jamie and she was kind enough to share with me a glimpse of the romantic life she has created there.

I’ve admired Jamie’s photography for a very long time and have always been inspired by her creativity and approach to life. Not to mention her prolific output of work.

After a beautiful lunch outside at Bastide de Marie, with her husband Kevin and daughter Eloise, she invited me back to her studio where we opened some champagne and talked all things photography.

In this episode we talk about her early start in photography, her early days in NYC as a fashion photographer and running her own photo studio, her move to Provence, her approach to her personal work and creative life, life in Provence, and much, much more.

This conversation really inspired me to dig deeper into my own work and I hope you enjoy!!

And for some additional questions with Jamie, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack newsletter. 

A bit about Jamie:

Jamie Beck took her first photograph at the age of thirteen and soon after began earning her living as a professional photographer.

By twenty-eight, she opened her own commercial photographic studio in lower Manhattan. Jamie has shot campaigns and editorials for some of the world’s most famous brands, including Chanel, Donna Karan, Nike, Oscar de la Renta, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft. Her work has appeared under the mastheads of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, on Netflix, and in digital ad displays for Disney. She has been commissioned by luxury brands such as Chopard, Cartier, and Volvo and has twice been named by Adweek magazine as one of the industry’s top 100 creatives, with numerous features written about her body of work in Communication Arts, WWD, and Time.

With her camera never leaving her side, Jamie has spent almost twenty-five years traveling the world, one photographic frame at a time. In 2016, she took what was to be a one-year sabbatical to create a personal body of work in the South of France, which changed the entire course of her life, one that blossomed into a career as an art photographer and delivered her a French-born baby girl named Eloise. Jamie lives in Provence with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Instagram @JamieBeck.co and her prints and other works can be found here jamiebeck.co

And her upcoming book An American in Provence: Art, Life, and Photography is available for pre-order.

Oddur Thorisson is a Torino based photographer, writer, art director, gourmet, and a lover of champagne, dogs, and especially his wife Mimi.

I've admired Oddur's work for a long time and had the pleasure of sitting down with him over lunch and champagne in Torino last January. We talked about all things photography and how he approaches his work.  We talk about how he collaborates with his wife Mimi on her cookbooks and blog.  How he approaches teaching photography.  He also shares some thoughts on leading an aesthetic life, writing, some Champagne recommendations, and of course his love of wine, food, and much, much more.  

This episode is best served with a glass of a champagne or your favorite cocktail.  Enjoy!

Find Oddur on Instagram @oddthor

And for workshops and Oddur’s occasional posts on his wife Mimi’s blog

Mimithorisson.com

And the post mentioned in the episode

The Marlboro Man campaign, conceived by Leo Burnett and photographed by Norm Clasen, is arguably the most iconic ad campaign every photographed. 

Norm's stunning iconic photography was some of my first impressions of the American West when I was young, as it was seen in just about every magazine published in the 1980’s and billboards across the US.

His incredible sense of story, combined with his acute eye for finding great light even in the harshest of conditions, is truly inspiring.

Norm was kind enough to sit down with me to share his stories and techniques.  I hope you enjoy this episode!

Norm Clasen (b.1939) was born and raised in Southern California. An avid outdoorsman from an early age, Clasen's passion for photography grew from his love of the natural world. After attending the University of Colorado, Norm moved to Aspen in 1962, where he founded and ran an independent advertising agency. 

In 1978, a series of coincidences led to Clasen being invited to shoot for Marlboro.  The campaign was a natural fit, drawing on his intrinsic understanding of horses and the cowboy way of life. Clasen would go on to spend the next thirteen years of his life as a principal photographer for the campaign. 

Clasen’s authentic point of view helped guide the campaign to its zenith, with his work appearing in newspapers, magazines, and billboards across the world; helping shape a visual lexicon integral to the iconography of the American West.

Norm Clasen lives and works in Carbondale, Colorado.

Find Norm's work at his website:  https://normclasen.com/

And his Instagram @normclasenarchive

Find me on Instagram @toddritondaro

Join the Frame and Sequence Substack newsletter for more podcasts and semi regular newsletter exploring photography, cinema, art, and travel. 

Originally from London, Tom Richards is the Assistant Director of The Florence Academy of Fine Art and Principle Advanced Painting Instructor.

In recent years Tom has exhibited his work in London and undertaken numerous commissions in Europe and beyond.  

This episode was recorded exactly a year ago in January of 2020 when I had the pleasure of visiting with Tom in his painting studio in Florence Italy. 

In this episode we talk about what drew him to painting and fine art.  We talk about The Florence Academy’s approach to teaching drawing and painting, the importance of keeping a sketchbook, and the painters that inspire him.  We also talk about the parallels of painting and photography and how to hone one’s approach to seeing and much more.

I’ve admired Tom’s work for a long time and his paintings truly are masterful and must really be seen in person to be fully appreciated.  It was a real treat to spend some time with him in Florence surrounded by his beautiful paintings and I hope you enjoy this episode!

Find Tom on Instagram @tominflorence

and 

The Florence Academy of Fine Art

@florenceacademyofart

Renato D’Agostin is a photographer based on the the outskirts of Venice, Italy.

I have admired Renato’s work for a very long time and I had the pleasure of meeting up with him last January at his beautiful warehouse studio and darkroom.   

The first time I saw Renato’s work, it completely changed my perception and expectations of what photography could be and could do. 

Dislocating subjects from their realities, he depicts his perception of the space around him, the relationship between the architecture and people, opening a new portal in the spectator’s imagination.

His works have been exhibited in several exhibitions in Europe, the United States and Asia and published in numerous books.

Renato shoots mainly black and white film and we talk about his photography and his approach to his work and the importance of the darkroom as an extension of his process.  

We talk about his time living in New York City and assisting photographer Ralph Gibson and what drew him back to Venice.  We also discuss his approach to exhibiting his work and why he loves making books.  And we delve into how he thinks about projects and much, much more.  

Renato is one of the most inspiring artists I have ever met and he shares so many gems in this episode.  I hope you enjoy!

Find Renato on his Instagram @renatodagostin

and his website

https://www.renatodagostin.com

Robert LeBlanc is a New Orleans based hotelier, restaurateur, and storyteller.

 

I’ve always been fascinated with storytelling through food and hospitality experiences and Robert is one of the people who does it best.  His restaurants in New Orleans are some of my favorite culinary experiences in the world.  And his newly opened hotel, The Chloe, a renovated mansion on St. Charles Ave.in New Orleans, is truly a one of a kind place.  

 

In this episode we talk about the important influences his family had on him growing up.   His early entrepreneurial adventures in the music industry and how music influences him creatively.  We talk about how and why he decided to make the leap to opening restaurants and eventually a hotel.  And how he approaches spaces and projects creatively, the importance of a good play list, and much, much, more.

 

It was a real treat to spend some time talking with Robert on a rainy afternoon in New Orleans and I hope you enjoy this episode!

 

Find Robert on Instagram @robertleblanc

and

The Chloe Nola - @thechloenola

Sylvain - @sylvainneworleans

Cavan - @cavannola

Barrel Proof - @barrelproofnola

 

Frame & Sequence Ep. 25 - Dewey Nicks 

Dewey Nicks is one of the great fashion photographers from the glory days of legacy publishing and the height of the super model age.  He has photographed some of the biggest names in fashion and in Hollywood.  He is also an accomplished commercial and film director.

In this episode we talk about his education and early influences in photography.  His career in fashion and editorial photography.  And he shares some great stories about working with some of the top models in the 1990’s as well as some of the incredible art directors and stylists. We also talk a bit about his personal style and aesthetics and much more.  Enjoy!

Find Dewey on Instagram @deweynicks

And his book, Polaroids of Women on Amazon

Dewey Nicks was born in St. Louis, the gateway to the West, as the son of an advertising man. During family vacations to Hollywood as a child, he became intoxicated with its glamour and eccentricity. His love of fine arts finally drew him to California to study photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Since 1986, he has been working as a professional fashion and commercial photographer. His talent, combined with a deep well of enthusiasm, has landed his work in magazines such as Vogue, W, and GQ among many others. He has also created classic advertising images for clients including Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, and Polo.

In 1995, Nicks added Commercial Direction to his resume. An Ameritrade spot in 1999 garnered him the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival Award for “The World’s Funniest Commercial.” That same year he became a Director’s Guild nominee for outstanding directorial achievement in television commercials.

His reputation as a top fashion photographer and skilled commercial director have made him uniquely qualified to shoot both print and television spots for clients such as Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, Quiksilver, and Unionbay.

In 2000 Greybull Press published Kustom, Nicks’ first book of photographs inspired by the very ideals and unique expression that originally attracted him to California.

Constantly looking to broaden his horizons, Nicks moved into filmmaking. His documentary short Hell House premiered at Slamdance and had its New York debut at the Museum of Modern Art. In 2002 he directed his first feature film, Slackers starring Jason Schwartzman, James King, Devon Sawa, and Laura Prepon.

Versatile and talented, Dewey Nicks will be shaping popular culture for years to come. Grounded by his mid-western roots, Nicks’ body of work combines an authentic visual sense with a great knowledge of the arts to convey his pragmatic understanding of the zeitgeist of contemporary America.

 

Find me on Instagram @toddritondaro

Join the Frame and Sequence Substack newsletter for more podcasts and semi regular newsletter exploring photography, cinema, art, and travel.  

Alex Hillkurtz is a Paris based storyboard artist, watercolorist, and director. In this episode we chat about how he got his start in Hollywood, storyboarding for such directors as Angelina Jolie, Cameron Crowe, Nacey Meyers, Ben Affleck, and many more.  We also chat about his experience living in Paris as an artist. How he approaches storyboarding, as well as his watercolor paintings and moving into the fine art world.  He also shares some gems about keeping a sketchbook and drawing while traveling.  Find Alex on Instagram @hillkurtz

 

Originally from Georgia, Katie is a New York City based artist where she lives and works.  She created Paper Fashion in 2009 as an outlet to share her artwork with the world.

Katie works on personal commissions and often collaborates with commercial clients, many in the fashion and beauty space. 

In this episode she shares some great insights and advice on work habits, how she developed her style,  navigating social media and client work, and much, much more.

Katie also recently released her own brand of art supplies which can be found here:

www.paperfashionstore.com

Follow her on lnstagram @paperfashion

and at her website www.paperkatie.com

  

David Zheng is a New York City based photographer. After eight years working in finance, he decided to leave his career to pursue a career in photography.  

Shooting mostly black and white film, and being largely self taught, he sought further education at the International Center of Photography and studied under a Darkroom Master Printer.

In 2018, he traveled to Guangzhou, China to photograph his first series, which he then self published as his first book, titled Reveries.

David shares some great insights into his process and thinking in this episode and I hope you enjoy!

Find David on Instagram @iamdavidz

And on his website: http://davidzhengstudio.com

His book “Reveries” can be found here: http://davidzhengstudio.com/store/reveries

James Michalopoulos is a painter and sculptor, probably best known for his singular style, painting portraits of New Orleans shotgun houses and Creole cottages.  James captures the spirit and essence of his subject in layer upon layer of thick impasto paint, brimming with color and energy.

Today he divides his time between New Orleans and Burgundy.

During a trip to France in 1990, he fell in love with Provence and the Burgundy region and bought a home near Cluny.  The French countryside–with its Roman era stone buildings and verdant fields–has become a large focus of his work, grappling with notions of elemental biological life and the evidence of cohabitation with nature.

His artwork continues to be shown extensively in the U.S. and abroad, in museums, galleries, and private collections.

And if you visit New Orleans, definitely pop by his gallery in the French Quarter, as his large scale works need to be experienced in person.

In this episode, James shares a lot of his thought process and approach to art. We talk about some technique, finding one's style, and probably most importantly, finding your truth through your work.  I got a lot out of this conversation and I hope you do as well.

His website

https://www.michalopoulos.com

and his Instagram page

@jamesmichalopoulos

Stephanie Draime and Eduardo Cerruti are a New York City based photography team, as well as life partners. 

Coming from greatly distinct backgrounds, Eduardo is originally from Florence, Italy and Stephanie is a Mexican American who grew up in Hawaii, the two met in Florence in 2010. 

They moved to New York City in 2014 and began to pursue photography together.  The two photographers quickly noticed how perfectly they synced as a team and have been fully dedicated to their work since, traveling the world shooting for such clients as Cereal Magazine, Mr. Porter,  Condè Nast Traveler,  Suitcase Magazine and many, many more.

Find them on Instagram 

@stephdraime

@edocerruti

and their website:

http://www.cerrutidraime.com

 

Nathan Fowkes is a veteran entertainment industry concept artist with credits on 12 animated feature films including DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt, Spirit, several projects within the Shrek Universe, How to Train Your Dragon, and many others.

Additionally, Nathan has been sought after as a consultant for game studios to enhance the quality of their theatrical presentation. He has worked with numerous clients including Blizzard Entertainment, King, Disney Interactive, Riot Games, Ubisoft, Rovio and Supercell. 

Nathan is also well known as a teacher of color, light and design; he is a regular guest lecturer at Art Center College of Design and has taught at The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and the Laguna College of Art and Design. He's the author of the bestselling book How to Draw Portraits in Charcoal and How to Paint Landscapes in Watercolor and Gouache. Nathan teaches online at Schoolism.com when his film production schedule allows.   

Schoolism.com is offering you loyal listeners of the podcast a discount, with the promo code RITONDARO. Get $5.00 off (15% discount) for the first 6 months. (This is not a sponsored podcast and I have no affiliation with them, I just love what they do!).

Follow Nathan on his Instagram: @nathanfowkesart

And on his website: https://www.nathanfowkes.com

And his courses on Schoolism.com

His books on Amazon

Yolanda Edwards is the editor in chief of Yolo Journal, her gorgeous new travel magazine which I highly recommend you get your hands on.  She is also the creative director of WM Brown Magazine, and she’s the former creative director of Conde Naste Traveler.

In this episode, she shares her experience in legacy publishing and what makes Yolo Journal a different kind of travel magazine.   She shares her thoughts on what makes a good travel story and what make compelling travel photography, and much, much, more. Enjoy!

Find Yolanda on Instagram:  @yolandaedwards

And Yolo Journal: @yolo.journal

And to subscribe to Yolo Journal Magazine

https://www.yolojournal.com/

Matt Hranek is a man of many talents and many interests.  He is a photographer, director, and as he says, an accidental author and accidental TV host.  And now he is also the Editor in Chief of his own magazine, WM Brown. which just released their third issue for fall. 

He’s also the author of the book, A Man and His Watch, and he’s the former style editor of Conde Naste Traveler among many other things.

But at the core of it all, he is a storyteller, and quite a great one at that.  Matt’s energy and passion for the things he loves is contagious and I was really excited to sit down with him to and ask him about his  photography, how he approaches storytelling, what excites him personally, and some of his upcoming projects, and of course Italy and his love of negronis.  It was a real thrill to talk to Matt and I hope you enjoy!  

Find Matt on Instagram @wmbrownproject

And WM Brown Magazine

Sean Conaty is an Emmy award winning cinematographer based in Los Angeles.

He has lensed a wide variety of work, everything from music videos and commercials to narrative feature films. His work has played at Sundance, Cannes, and Berlin.  

In addition to his cinematography, he is also an accomplished photographer, exploring deeply personal themes in his work.

In this episode we dive into Sean’s background in philosophy and how it has influenced him as a filmmaker.  How he approaches a project and some very creative ways of thinking.  We also chat about his personal photography and how he brings that into his professional projects.  We also get into some of the films and filmmakers that have influenced him as well as some of his personal interests outside of film and photography that keep him inspired and the creativity flowing.  

I’ve admired Sean’s work for a long time and this chat was a real treat for me.  He shares a lot of inspiring gems in this one and I hope you enjoy!

Find Sean on Instagram @seanpconaty

and on his website: https://sean.conaty.net

Robert Spangle is a Los Angeles based photographer, but can be found traveling for 30 weeks out of the year photographing for the likes of GQ, Vogue, The Rake, and many others, as well as pursuing personal projects around the world.  

In this episode we talk about his experience in the Marines with two deployments to Afghanistan, becoming an apprentice on Saville Row, and how he ultimately came to photography.

We also delve into why he shoots with the Leica MD system, what influences his style and personal aesthetics, and his ongoing projects exploring hyper-masculine roles such as matadors, fighters, and racers in the search for truth and spirituality.

There is so much good stuff in this episode and I hope you enjoy!

Find Robert on Instagram @thousandyardstyle

and on his website

http://www.thousandyardstyle.com

Joshua Zucker-Pluda is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles and New York City. His work has been shown in the New York, Telluride, Venice, and Toronto International Film festivals and has been included in the esteemed Criterion Collection. 

Most recently, he worked as second unit cinematographer for Alex Garland on his upcoming TV series DEVS for FX Network alongside Rob Hardy BSC, and Andrew Whitehurst. As a filmmaker, he has collaborated with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Sky Ferreira, Savages, Zola Jesus, Doug Aitken, and Jim Jarmusch. 

After graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2001 with a degree in film production, Joshua spent the next several years ignoring common sense touring in punk rock bands. He then returned to film as a cinematographer working on commercials, music videos, narrative projects and documentaries.

Joshua currently holds a MFA in Cinematography from the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles and is a Director of Photography in the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600.

In this episode we chat about his formative high school years, his background in music and playing in a punk band.  His aesthetics as a cinematographer, his personal photography practice, our experiences in film school, our mutual love of some of the same films and directors, and much, much, more…Enjoy!

Find Joshua on Instagram @hamletpowpowpow

and on his website:

https://joshuazuckerpluda.com

Alex Beard is a painter, author, filmmaker, and conservationist.  

He is probably best known for his elaborate wildlife compositions created in his signature style of gestural painting, which he has coined “Abstract Naturalism.”

Alex has spent much of his life traveling to some of the world’s most remote wildlife outposts, observing and painting, continually honing his style while exploring themes of the cultural and environmental interconnectivity of all things.

He is also a passionate conservationist and philanthropist.  In 2012 Alex established The Watering Hole Foundation – a public charity engaged in saving endangered wildlife and preserving their environments.  

In this episode we talk about his early start as an artist, what it means to be an engaged artist in the world today, his artist practice, the correlation between his art and conservation, his children's book series, Tales From the Wateringhole, and he shares a few great stories from when he was a boy visiting his uncle Peter in Kenya.

Find Alex at 

https://www.alexbeardstudio.com

and

@alexbeardstudio

 

Jonathan Daniel Pryce, also known as Garcon Jon, is an international award winning photographer.

Born in Scotland, but based in London, he is probably best known for his unique fashion street style photography, shooting for such clients as Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Mr Porter, and many others.  

In this episode we chat about his start in photography, his early blogging days and how he got into street style photography. We also chat about his approach to his work to keep it fresh and unique, as well as our mutual love of Florence and all things Italian style and much more.

Find Jonathan on Instagram @garconjon

and his website

https://garconjon.com/

Matthias Königswieser is a cinematographer and photographer, originally from Vienna, but currently based in Los Angeles.  He has lensed music videos, commercials, and is probably best known for his feature film work, most recently Disney’s Christopher Robin.

He has also exhibited his photography in numerous exhibitions around the world, in Paris, Vienna, and Los Angeles.  

In this chat we talk about how growing up in Austria influenced his aesthetics, his approach to his personal photography, how he thinks when approaching bigger films, his love of documentary filmmaking, his take on film and digital, and much much more.    

Find Matthias on Instagram @koenigswieser

And on his website:  https://www.mkoenigswieser.com

And some other podcasts and articles where Matthias goes more into specifics about his background and specific projects.

The Kodakery #102

The Wandering DP Podcast #51

Christopher Robin: Making Magic with Mixed Formats

Rising Stars of Cinematography 2018

Toyota Supra “Pinball” 2019 Super Bowl

Walmart “Receipt” 2017 Oscars Campaign

Karl Gnass is a master draftsman with an expert understanding of the dynamics of human form. His grasp of movement, anatomy, and energy has made him an in demand advisor to an animation industry eager to infuse more authenticity into its character and creature designs.

He most recently consulted for Disney’s Moana, and has a standing weekly figure drawing class at Disney Feature Animation, as well as having taught at other studios such as Dreamworks and Sony Image Works.

Karl has lectured and exhibited his work internationally in Florence, Dublin, Copenhagen, and Los Angeles.

Find Karl on Instagram  @karlgnass

And on his websites:   http://www.karlgnass.com   http://spirit-of-the-pose.com   And Karl Gnass Studio Youtube   And his classes at the Animation Guild in Burbank, CA

John Cullen is a Canadian photographer currently based in Los Angeles.   With a strong emphasis on storytelling, his editorial assignments have taken him all over the globe covering a wide range of travel, food, and people.     He is also a documentary and commercial director and moving into the TV landscape, with a few documentary style series in development..   In this episode we chat about his start in photography and the magic of that first roll of film. He discusses how he got into the editorial world and then transitioned into directing docs and commercials. And he shares a few really great travel stories along the way, and much, much more.   @johncullen   and his website   http://www.johncullenphotographer.com

Paris Chong is the Gallery Manager and Curator at Leica Gallery Los Angeles. 

Paris has over seventeen years of experience in curating, managing, and promoting fine art galleries and artists of every genre.

She represented Leica Gallery Los Angeles at Art Basel Miami and Photo Paris, and the upcoming Palm Springs Photo festival. 

Paris coordinates and curates all events and art shows at the flagship Leica Gallery in West Hollywood.  She has curated exhibitions for artists such as:  Lenny Kravitz, Ralph Gibson, Neal Preston, Eli Reed and many others.

Paris also curates exhibitions for the historic American Society of Cinematographers Clubhouse (ASC) in Hollywood featuring still photographs by the world’s top Directors of Photography.

Find Paris on Instagram  

@paris.chong

Leica Gallery Los Angeles

David Coggins is a NYC based writer, probably best known for his NY Times Best seller, Men and Style and his second book, Men and Manners. David has written about tailoring, travel, fly fishing, design and drinking for numerous publications, including Esquire, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Conde Naste Traveler, The Robb Report and many many others.

In this episode we chat about his background in art.  His early days writing about art.  How he moved into   writing about travel, menswear, and fishing, among other things.  And he shares some great writing advice, travel tips, and other great gems!

Find David on Instagram @davidrcoggins

and 

Men and Manners on Amazon

 

 

Will Weston is an Associate Professor at Art Center College of Design where he teaches in the Entertainment Arts and Entertainment Design Departments.

He has an MFA in fine art and worked as an advertising illustrator before moving into animation. He’s worked in animation for Disney, Nickelodeon and Sony. He’s also taught at Dreamwork’s TV and Feature Animation and lectured in their lunchtime lecture program.

Will has a incredibly unique way of breaking down the complexity of drawing and his Instagram feed is a gold mine of information. He can be found @willwestonstudio  

In this episode he shares some great insights, advice, and a few assignments that he gives his Art Center students that are relevant for anyone in the visual arts. 

Find Will on Instagram @willwestonstudio