Evolution Revolution: Behind The Lens: Tom Fowler

I live to surround myself with creative people. They serve as the ultimate inspiration to me as I have grown so very tired of the generic world I have recently found myself in. I was happy to connect recently with a local photographer, Tom Fowler. Don't let his vast body of wedding work fool you, behind that lens is a bounty of creativity waiting to be expressed in all areas of this visual medium. I have the impression Tom's artistic photographic journey has just begun.

The Photographer

Tom's influences are #1 is most definitely Rodney Smith #2 Frank Ockenfels #3 Art Strieber. He told me, "As far as just plain old fashion inspiration goes mostly paintings, art, music, movies. Anything that I feel that someone has taken an enormous amount of time conceiving whatever point they want to make and have done it successfully."

You may be wondering how Tom got into this business, we discussed it recently and he expressed, "My family took a trip to NY in the summer of 04 I believe and my brother took pictures of time square and all the typical stuff. When I saw his pictures I had no idea that could be done with a camera. Fast forward a few years and I took a black and white class at Cuesta College and I actually hated it ironically enough. 6 months after that I took my camera to Santa Cruz to visit a buddy of mine and I took pictures all day. This was actual film so I chose my pictures carefully and I would say from then on I was hooked. I started shooting bands, people, and eventually fell into weddings. I am at the point now where if I don't take a picture of something every day I get antsy or depressed etc. It is sort of an addiction you could say.I eventually moved to LA and worked under a very big wedding company and I learned a ton I worked along side him for two years. My boss worked under Annie Liebovitz and from there my skill advanced very quickly he taught me so much. I am so grateful for that experience and after I left him I started my own business. Now here I am just trying to make a name for myself in this very hard industry. But at the same time I kind of like flying under radar a little."

The images below are from a recent shoot we did at the old Freemont theatre in San Luis Obispo, California. Tom and I collaborated on this shoot showcasing Vintage Gowns and Jewelry on the beautiful model HannaF, with hair by Brooklyn Truderung. My story for art direction was an old Hollywood starlet who's time in the limelight had become a memory. She dresses and enters what is now just an empty theatre, adoring fans long gone. It was a collision of fashions past and present in the looks I styled styling and wardrobe too.

The work speaks for itself, you know the old adage a picture is worth a thousand words...