Photographer Interview:
Liam Woods
BIO
Liam Woods is a non binary analogue photographer based between North Carolina and California. Their work is characterized by their whimsical storytelling embraced by the arms of vulnerability and inclusivity. Their perspective on staying true to the essence of their subjects set a warm and inviting tone for their work.
With their main focuses on the queer community and people of color, Liam utilizes their vision to highlight and uplift these communities. As well as their bold styles. In their four year experience, Liam has worked with brands and labels such as Apple, Adidas, Warby Parker, Dreamville Records, Polaroid Originals and Getty Images. They have also been featured in publications with Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, Cosmopolitan and Playgirl Magazine to name a few.
Tell us a little about yourself? Where you’re from, where you’re based now?
I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. I currently live there now, but I have traveled and lived in other places as well in Virginia and Hawaii.
Tell us a little about yourself beyond the what/where and bio info?
I’m a huge anime and Marvel dork. From childhood to now as an adult, I’ve been committed to cosplay and enjoyed a lot of comic conventions. I used to do things like participate in LARPing and compete in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters competitions. All through college, I traveled to various conventions like NekoCon in Virginia and Katsucon in Maryland all the way down to ACE Comic Con in Seattle and Chicago. My favorite shows growing up were classics like Sailor Moon, YuYu Hakusho, Ronin Warriors and Gundam Wing. Now I’m binging Assassination Classroom, Devil is a Part Timer and Deadman Wonderland. I have two walls dedicated to Manga I’ve been collecting since the early age of six. I’ll be a fan until my dying day and will probably want some of my collectibles buried with me! Haha!
How long have you been shooting for?
I have been shooting since September 2016, so roughly 4.5 years now.
How has your photography evolved over the years?
My intention with representation has stayed the same, but my skill set overtime has definitely evolved. Whenever I learn something new, I just have to fully, physically immerse myself in it. The way I use color has definitely evolved the longer I practiced using LightRoom.
Did you buy your first camera or was it a gift? Who gifted, if so?
My first camera was passed down to me by my father. It was a Fujica film camera that he used to shoot on when he was in his 20’s. He was clearing some things from his attic and gave it to me because I was curious. I took it to my local film shop (Biggs Camera) to see if it still worked and luckily it did! From then on I began to experiment with it and fell in love immediately. Photographing my friends and just going from there.
Any specific moment stand out where you knew you wanted to pursue photography?
I knew I wanted to pursue photography when I realized how certain people wanted to pursue working with me. Back in 2017, Girlgaze put me on the map for so many opportunities and connections. We talked back and forth on social media and various emails. At the time, they connected me with an art show in LA that in turn introduced me to Ava Phillippe and her mother Reese Witherspoon. Ava throughout the years has been a really amazing, supportive client of mine and it still blows my mind that I can go on Reese Witherspoon’s instagram page and just see my photography there that I took of their daughter.
The same year I also did my first ever campaign shoot through Girlgaze and it was with Warby Parker. From there, a lot of incredible people and companies discovered me through the Girlgaze platform. I worked with Ava because of Girlgaze, did a fashion shoot with Jessica Pare from AMC’s Mad Men that found me through Girlgaze, I was published in Vogue Paris, Playgirl Magazine and Cosmopolitan because of Girlgaze. I’m really thankful for the amount of trust these people have in me and faith in my work. No one can just waltz in a celebrity’s home and have full creative freedom to just do whatever they feel like that day. It feels like I’m just going to my friend’s house and we’re playing dress up. Eating snacks and laughing in between. It’s truly surreal. I look back at these moments and I’m like, “Wow, you really did it, Liam. You’re doing it. This is your time.” And that’s when I knew.
It truly means a lot with my background as a Black Queer person who suffers deeply every day with Borderline Personality Disorder. We’re never afforded these kind of luxuries. So I’m hoping for the fellow artists who read this, if you relate to the struggles of mental illness, Blackness, and/or Queerness, this inspires you to not give up on your art. Because we need y’all out here.
Does your environment influence you as a creative?
My environment definitely influences me as a creative. When I travel for work, I always love the diversity of the west coast. I have thrived creating in places like Los Angeles, Portland and Hawaii. I love warm, lush environments, places surrounded by bodies of water, towns with bright colors, unique architecture and rich textures. These are the things that make me feel safe and happy and when I’m in that environment I feel like I flourish. The culture and openness of the people out west as well is something that always inspires me throughout my work.
“I wanted to change the narrative utilizing my art to create that safe space for myself and others. Art can be healing and life changing when you move with intention.”
A lot of your photography seems vulnerable - tender moments with your subject. Are these shoots improvised or planned out?
It’s a mix of improvised and planned out depending who I’m photographing. Some subjects need specific details in advance in order to make themselves feel more comfortable, others can just go with the flow. I’m a pretty flexible person as a creative and will often follow the lead of my subject and what they’re comfortable with. Safety, security and comfortability are my top priorities before even picking up my camera. When you move with intention and honor your subject, they will easily relax with you and the creative process becomes a collaborative flow that brings out the best in both of you. When you honor and respect one another, that vulnerability manifests itself naturally.
There’s a lot of strong color contrast in your photos, with bold background colors opposing the subjects - do you look for this or notice it yourself or does it just happen that way?
It just kind of happens that way. I’m naturally attracted to vibrant, warm colors or lighter pastels. I love the joyfulness it exudes around the subject and how welcoming it feels. Things that are bright and colorful are always my happy place.
Is there a story being told behind your photographs?
Storytelling definitely plays a major part within my photographs. The inspiration comes from a mix of cinematography from my favorite movies and tv shows, personal experiences from my subjects along with my own, and an eye for what I hope for this world. I like to blend dreamscapes with reality when it comes to my work.
What message do you want to share with the world using your art?
When people see my photographs, I want them to see themselves. I want them to see and feel the love and acceptance they deserve. I want them to know that there are people out there who see them for all of their beauty and worth. That they don’t have to conform to be valued. That you can stay planted like a tree in all of your greatness that you have to give to yourself and the world. I want them to blossom and shine with their will to keep on living. Their stories deserve to be told. To be listened to and respected. I want people to feel warmth, safety and reassured that their existence deserves to be here.
How has your personal journey in life reflected in your photography?
I believe my photography is a reflection of what I want to speak more into my life. I want deeper, meaningful connections, a safe space for vulnerability, laughter, trust, self love. These were things I lacked growing up dealing with depression and abuse. So I wanted to change the narrative utilizing my art to create that safe space for myself and others. Art can be healing and life changing when you move with intention. And I’m thankful for where I am now and the people in my life because of it.
What are some changes you would like to see in the creativity industries?
To be honest, I could write a Harry-Potter-Length novel of all the things that need immediate change within the creative industry. But two things I’m consistently pushing for are further inclusivity and diversity as hired creatives in this industry and closing the pay gap between white creatives versus marginalized creatives. Last year we finally got a few baby steps in for change, but we still have hundreds of miles left down the road to be where we need to be.
What's one thing that you want to do with photography that you haven't done yet?
I would love to do a Vogue cover or a shoot for a major fashion brand like Gucci, Valentino, Rodarte etc that featured an array of diverse Black Queer/Trans creatives and just have a huge platform to celebrate our joy instead of highlighting our suffering in the media. I want to see more Black joy. Specifically more Black Queer joy. I want our history to be recognized and our existence to be uplifted. And I love fashion for as long as I can remember and have always wanted to do something for those brands.
What is the most rewarding factor about photography?
The most rewarding factor about photography is the life experiences that come from it and the people I meet. Being in this specific field, it is never boring. Whether big or small, there is always an adventure. The diversity of people I have met and befriended during this time, I don’t think I would ever meet such wonderful individuals if I did something else. Photography gave me purpose during a time where I felt very hopeless and confused on what I wanted to do with my life. It gave me friendships across the world, opportunities that I didn’t know were possible and so many other incredible things. Though there were times things could get rough, overall these life experiences gave me the success I have today and continue to build upon.
You are all about analogue photography, what has been your favorite shoot done on film?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite shoot. I have so many! But currently one of my favorites is working on set with Ariela Barer and Allegra Acosta from Marvel’s Runaways. Like I said before, I’ve been a big fan of Marvel for a very long time now and it’s always been a dream of mine to photograph the actors who play some of my most treasured heroes. That dream became a reality last summer when I connected with the two actors over social media. When it started, I somehow overlooked that they both follow me on social media and Ariela had liked one of my posts at the time and I thought, “Is this real? Is this who I actually think it is?” And it was! From there, I was bold and just slid in the DMs wondering if they’d let me photograph them while I was in Los Angeles for a few projects and they said yes! During that time, they also connected me with Allegra and it was just one of the greatest experiences where I’ll always be grateful. My dreams as a photographer and Marvel fan really came true that week. And I’ll never forget it.
On Set…
What camera would you want to be your last?
I’m actually not sure what camera I would like to be my last. I typically fluctuate between Canon and Nikon film cameras and don’t really have that much of a preference. I enjoy them both for different reasons.
Candid or posed? Flash or no flash? Why?
I like a mix of candid and posed to have some variety throughout the shoot. I typically don’t shoot with flash because majority of my work is outdoors in natural light or using continuous studio light.
During the selection process what makes the final cut? What details do you usually look for in the images..
I’m really anal about quality lighting and composition. Those are the two things I look for immediately. I want to keep variety when it comes to my angles and have a range of closeup portraits, detailed candids and wide angles showing the full length of the subject and environment encompassing them.
Any upcoming projects we can expect from you?
Unfortunately, I can’t disclose anything yet. I can only tell you to be on the lookout through my social media (@_portraitmami);)
Is there any particular element of shooting you would like to tackle or explore that you haven’t?
I would love to work on more music videos. The first music video I ever worked on was for Dreamville Records alongside Ari Lennox. Since music has always played a big part of my life, I’d love to utilize my photography to be more involved in the music scene.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I want everyone to feel seen and appreciated within my work. Inclusivity and uplifting/celebrating marginalized communities means a lot to me with the art that I create. I want people to feel like they are represented properly when they see my images and not outdated stereotypes.
Interview by 35s & 45s
04.30.21