Photographer Interview:
Jessica Foley
BIO
Jessica Foley is a Thai-American photographer from Los Angeles, currently based in Brooklyn. A traveler at heart, her worldly wanderings are captured in images marked by a sense of palpable intimacy. Her distinctive eye has given her work with top clients such as AirBnB, New Balance, and Nike.
As the Regional Director for American Photographic Artists: New York, she’s spearheaded the “Her Perspective” program, an initiative that spotlights women in the photography industry. Most recently, her work was part of the Women in Photography exhibit in New York City’s Hasselblad Studio and currently on display at the Celebrating the Wins exhibit at the Seaport in New York City.
Where are you from? Where do you currently reside?
I’m from Los Angeles, California and I currently reside in Brooklyn, New York.
What brings you to NYC?
I’ve always wanted to live in New York. I would visit often when I was in high school and college for work and because I have family in Boston. I loved the pace of the city and never felt like I was walking too fast here. So once I graduated college, quit my full-time job, and broke up with my boyfriend at the time, I was like, "Fuck it. I have no ties, it's now or never." So I came here to pursue photography and try something new. I was lucky to find a huge supportive photo community, which was not something I really had in LA at the time.
Tell us a weird fact about yourself?
I don't know if this is weird, but most people are surprised to know that I'm a black belt in karate. I got my black belt when I was 15.
How long have you been shooting for?
I’ve been shooting since I was a kid. My dad is, or was, an engineer. So he would always have these gadgets and electronics. He actually was the one who gave me most of my first cameras. In fifth grade, I remember I even ran for school historian. Or was it sixth grade? I don't remember. Fifth or sixth grade, I went to a K-8 so it was all the same. Anyway I lost, but my dad recently found the posters that were written in Comic Sans and word art. That’s probably partially why I lost.
Does photography run in your family?
Sort of but not really. My grandpa used to model when he was younger and because of that he got into photography, but I never met him unfortunately. My dad would use video cameras for work. He used to film stuff like houses for realtors or airplanes being built for manufacturers on an old VHS camera that he actually gave me. So he handed some of his cameras down to me, but they were used for something totally different.
How has your photography evolved over the years?
It’s evolved a lot. I used to just take photos of my friends and family, but as I started taking it more seriously, the first thing that really stuck was my love for documenting my travels. I dove into a little of everything, some of my old photos are pretty bad, but it’s all part of the process and I think now it's this sort of docu-style portraiture.
Can you name a specific roll you got developed that solidified you wanting to pursue photography?
Definitely. It was from a trip to Thailand in 2009. It was my first time going as an adult and I was there for a month. I went with my mom and brought one of my good friends, Alex. She was actually one of my first inspirations to pick up a film camera. I was using a Canon AE1 only, so we were developing our film at these random one hour photo spots throughout Bangkok. I had a couple blank rolls, which was probably my first real film heartbreak, but one of the photos that really stood out to me was when we were walking around the Red Light District. We walked into this bar and in the middle, there were two kids Muay Thai boxing and around the ring I saw adults flashing money because they were betting on the kids. I took a few photos and left before they could say anything. The situation was messed up but those photos were impactful because it was one of my first unforgettable memories documenting something like that. The rolls from that trip made me feel like I could actually pursue photography seriously and that's when everything changed. I went to college to appease my parents, but really I just wanted to take photos and I always was.
You have a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management. When did you decide to make the transition to photography?
I couldn't afford to go to art school so I got my degree in Marketing Management from Cal Poly Pomona. I don't regret going to school for marketing either. I actually think it was really useful and applicable to what I do now but the actual degree was really just for my parents.
After I graduated, I was working as a marketing assistant in the payments industry, which was not fun. I was using that to basically pay for my photography. I was getting little photo jobs and involved in group shows but never fully committed until I eventually quit and moved across the country.
“I love to capture those moments that make you feel lucky to be at that place at that time.”
Does your environment influence you as a creative?
One hundred percent. Every day in New York is a movie. I live in Bed Stuy so I could just walk around my block and get inspired. You always have to have a camera on you in this city. The people are beautiful. The light, the city, the seasons, everything about New York is beautiful. When I travel, I'm usually walking around as well, soaking it in, taking notes, getting inspired. So yeah, the environment definitely has a big influence on me and my creativity.
A lot of your photography revolves around traveling - can you walk us through how you go about picking these destinations?
Sometimes I go through deep dives researching places and keeping lists. And if I find enough interesting places in one country or area, that's usually where I end up next. I'm usually drawn to colorful places with cool architecture, culture, and good food.
What's your favorite hot sauce?
My favorite hot sauce is my hot sauce. I’ve been making my own salsa as well. I'm actually thinking about maybe starting to sell it at some point.
Do you give it away to friends and family right now?
I haven’t seen my family lately since they're mostly on the west coast, but definitely my friends. I love to cook so I grill a lot or I'll host little dinners. I always have my salsas out because I just want people to try them and get honest opinions about it. My friends are my guinea pigs and luckily they love it.
Are you a self taught photographer? Any advice you would give to beginners?
I'm mostly self-taught. I've taken a couple of adult classes in high school, and one on developing black and white film in college, but other than that, everything else is self-taught. Shoutout to YouTube University.
Advice to beginners.. Shoot, grow, and build a team with your friends. It’s so much harder by ourselves, especially as freelancers. Teach yourself new skills and experiment. Assist someone you look up to. Work on projects that are meaningful to you, clients love personal work. And keep practicing.
Your photography is very cinematic, is this purposeful and/or have you ever worked with film at all?
That means a lot. I love when my photos are perceived as cinematic and subconsciously, I might want it to look like a movie still because, I mean, life is a movie sometimes. I'm also very inspired by film and shows. When I'm on a certain director or cinematographer binge, you'll probably see it in my photos.
And, yes, I would love to get into film. I'm actually currently trying really hard to find my way in to be a unit still photographer. It’s just such a tough industry to tap into unless you just know someone or know a director or something because a lot of networks are unionized. In the meantime if anyone is directing films or music videos, I usually tell them, "I'll shoot your BTS. Just let me on set." So I have done that for some of my friends, but I want to do it more.
Name some of your favorite movies or directors.
Almodóvar, Wim Wenders, Wong Kar-wai of course. Christopher Doyle is his main cinematographer, he’s incredible as well. Their sets and use of color are so good.
It’s hard to choose a favorite anything but lately I’ve been watching a lot of anime, like Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, and always down for anything by Miyazaki or Satoshi Kon.
There was one photo of a bunch of kids in the ocean, or maybe it was a lake? It looks like it's straight out of a film, can you tell us about this?
I was in Seattle, it was actually during the time those big fires were happening and they were telling people not to go outside. And you could see how hazy the sky in the background is - it’s because of the fire. So a big group of guys were in the ocean playing around. It was kind of apocalyptic but they were just being bros and my friend Ian was flexing so they mimicked him and that was the photo.
What is the work do you do with APA?
APA is a nonprofit photography association that advocates and fights for photographers rights. I work for them part-time and it's a remote job, even pre-pandemic, so it fits really well with my photography life and I've been able to do both. I'm more involved in putting together events for the photo community, so lately it's a lot of webinars, but normally in-person networking events, portfolio reviews and stuff.
Anything you’d like to do with photography that you haven’t?
Definitely. The unit still stuff is my next goal. I want to create a book and have a solo gallery at some point. I'd love to shoot a magazine cover. I would love to work with Nat Geo or Magnum, I've always wanted to since I was a kid. And eventually I want to get into motion of some sort. Whether it's directing or becoming a DP, something involved with actually making a movie would be cool.
On Set…
What camera would you want to be your last?
That is such a hard question. I'm such a nerd, I have too many cameras.. I would say my Mamiya RZ67 ProII but it’s bulky so not really travel-friendly. And I usually have my Nikon FA on me because it's smaller, more frames and easier to carry.
Do you prefer digital or analog? Why?
Analog. There's just a different rawness and authenticity to it. There's also a level of appreciation and respect, I think, when something's shot well on film because you know there are limitations.
Candid or posed? Why?
Candid. Again, more authentic. Authenticity is so important to me and I always try to get the moments between the moments. I like to find people when they're in their natural element.
Flash or no flash? Why?
No flash. Flash is cool for specific things but I typically prefer natural lighting.
What vibe or mood do you like to curate on set? How do you go about doing that?
I put on music and try to make everyone comfortable. Ideally the team is chill and hopefully they think I’m funny. I like to build rapport with the talent and client because I think we can create more collaboratively that way.
But when I'm shooting BTS, I'm a wallflower. I'm just in the corner or peeking over a wall like a weirdo and you probably won’t hear from me, which I like, because, again, I like to capture those moments between moments where people are doing whatever they're doing.
When it comes to photography, what moves you to shoot?
When something feels timeless, that's automatic. I’m also equally attracted to moments that feel timestamped. I just imagine in 10 years we’re going to look back and think, "Wow, this was what New York was in 2021." And that applies to anywhere of course - this is what this place feels like at this time, how these people dress, interact, what the buildings look like, how technology and society evolved, all of that. I’m also moved by amazing light and colors. If I see some crazy rays shining between buildings, or if someone looks like a movie character, I'm legit running to it. I love to capture those moments that make you feel lucky to be at that place at that time.
Is there any particular element of shooting you’d like to tackle or explore?
I would like to shoot more in studio, which is something I don't do as much of because I'm so comfortable on location. So that's my next thing I'm going to explore. I've always just thought in studio was so boring so I've always avoided it. White background and whatever, it's just how much can you get out of it? But I do get really inspired when I see super creative artists shooting in a studio. So I think finding my own voice in studio and exploring what that could look like.
Any upcoming projects that you're working on?
Yes, I actually just finished a personal project called Filling the Void. And I'm now working on another personal project, which explores identity in individuals who identify as biracial or multiracial. I’m trying to do more projects that I relate to. So that's hopefully coming somewhat soon, as soon as I finalize some details.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I just want people to feel something I guess. And hopefully they’ll see the beauty that I saw in that moment that maybe they wouldn't have paid attention to otherwise. Photography forces people to pay attention and notice the details. I think that's cool.
Interview by 35s & 45s
06.23.21