Phillip Istomin Voyage Utah Interview

Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Istomin.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been a creative person. Music was my first love and form of expression. I took some photography classes in college but decided to pursue photography full time after getting laid off from my job at an advertising agency after the financial housing crisis in 2010. I think I’ve always had a unique way of expressing myself and my ideas, but it’s taken me all of this time to really perfect what I do, and I’m certainly far from feeling like a master of my craft. My attitude is live and learn. You never stop improving.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has certainly not been a smooth road, but I think that’s most people’s experience getting anywhere in life. You only have control over your own part of it. I think the recipe to success is made up of many factors. It’s a serious challenge trying to make a living as an artist. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and make a good living doing what I do, but that’s a tall order when you don’t cater to what’s popular or trendy. You only hope to stay true to yourself and attract a certain type of audience who appreciates authenticity, quality, and a desire to create something truly special and unique. I’ve had plenty of moments of doubt and thoughts of getting a “real job.” My parents have been an amazing support system, they’ve really helped me get through the tough times. I consider myself extremely fortunate. The feedback I’ve heard from people throughout my career has been something that’s gotten me through those tough times. Anytime I hear that something I’ve created has really resonated with someone, whenever someone picks up on exactly the feeling, a story, or an emotion I’ve put in one of my photographs… well, that makes it all worthwhile.

Read On…

Yellowstone

I can't believe it took me 25 years to get to Yellowstone, but it finally happened just a couple of months ago. Wow, what a magical place. I was blown away by the diversity and beauty of the landscape. Some of the areas, especially the geysers, were truly otherworldly. I tried to take atypical photos while there, not wanting to replicate the obvious images that you could easily find via a Google search. I focused on color and texture. I think the most important thing you can do as a photographer is to show you how YOU see the world from your own unique perspective. 

WHY I DO THIS.

I've always been a creative person. It all started with music for me, that was my first love. Then I discovered and fell in love with design around the time I was attending college. Photography was part of the mix, but I didn't really devote all of my energy to it until after I was laid off from my job as a graphic designer at an advertising agency. Lots of people lost their jobs in 2010 when the economy tanked. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to really focus on photography and see if I can turn it into a living, a career. The first couple of years were devoted to just getting my feet wet and trying to learn what it takes to create a descent image that actually says something. I quickly realized that I wanted to stand out from other Utah photographers, especially in this day and age when so many people are trying to get into the business. To me, the way to do it is to create interesting visuals that tell a story. I wanted to make sure that I didn't go for the very first idea that popped into my head. I alway ask myself: "Has this been done? Is this cliché? Is this just a pretty picture?" It had to be more than that, it had to be different. Off course everything has been done, but could I put my own spin on it? Absolutely. So I worked hard on creating stories, coming up with concepts, location, interesting wardrobe, hair, makeup, etc. There are so many elements that go into making an impactful image, and you can really create multiple levels of viewership and different dimensions by combining those into one picture. I always ask myself: "Who is this character? What are they doing in this picture?" I want the viewer to feel like something has just happened or something is about to happen when they look at my work. I want to build a sense of anticipation and anxiety. I'm much more interested in raising questions than giving you the answers. After all, isn't that what art is all about?

- Phillip Istomin


MANICPROJECT iPhone6 Wallpaper

I thought it would be fun to create some iPhone wallpaper using MANICPROJECT imagery.
Feel free to download it and share it with your friends. Cheers!