Watchlist Magazine

It is great to see someone so dedicated to documentary photography getting ahead in the magazine world. Reed Young’s portraiture has an enviable quality to it, brilliantly borrowing from his training in fashion. You know you’re witnessing something special when you go out exploring with your camera immediately after viewing his work…

His stylish and intelligent use of flash lighting bring everyday characters to life in a remarkable way. And what great people they are; his portfolio is an encyclopedia of personalities, from the very old, to the very young. The very rich, to the very poor. Photographed with great skill. But aside form great lighting, there are other skills at work. His composition goes beyond the obvious. He is clearly interested in his subjects… there seems to be a sense of understanding between them. And perhaps most importantly of all, Reed has an active imagination; his insatiable curiosity has taken him around the world – from Harlem to Sturgis to Tanzania – where he finds engaging and imaginative real-life stories a world apart from your average magazine’s celebrity spreads. National Geographic kind of people… He is showing us  a completely different world through the people he meets.

Tell us about your background?

I was born March, 1982 in Bozeman, Montana. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota where I attended an arts high school and after graduating I went to university at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. After school I moved to New York to assist photographers. During my time in New York I won a photo contest and was invited to Italy to compete against other photographers. I didn’t win the contest but I was asked by one of the judges to come to Fabrica on a yearlong scholarship.

Fabrica is the creative research centre sponsored by the United Colors of Benetton, located in Treviso just north of Venice Italy. During my time at Fabrica the style of my work changed a lot and I started to create a portfolio of portraits usually brought together by a specific topic or social issue. After Fabrica I moved to Milan where I’ve been based for the last 3 years. Next week I’m moving back to New York where I plan to call home for a long time. I’m tired of moving.

Tell us about blagging your way into art school to study photography and film.

When I was 17 years old I heard about a high school in Minneapolis that specialized in the arts. I don’t remember how I decided that I could be an artist because I had never done anything remotely artistic. After I looked into it and realized that you had to specialize in a certain area of the arts and show a portfolio of your work, I asked a friend if I could use her photography portfolio and I presented it as my own. I was accepted and that was the beginning of my career as a photographer.

What was it about fashion photography that put you off it?

In photo school most of the students, including myself, wanted to take fashion pictures. There’s probably many different reasons for this but I think the main one is because it’s easy to take nice pictures if there is a pretty girl in front of the camera. What I finally realized is that to be a great fashion photographer you’ve got to love fashion more than taking pictures.

What fashion techniques have you taken-over to documentary work?

I guess the lighting I use is inspired a lot from fashion photography. I’m not so sure I’d call my work ‘documentary’ because in most cases I’m directing the scene, not documenting it. This is also something I can’t shake from the days when I took fashion pictures; it would be impossible for me to be a reporter because I don’t have the patience to wait for things to happen.

Talk us through your lighting style and how you came to it… elevated strobe[s] for fill-flash? With an assistant?

When I moved to Italy my first assignment was photographing fashionable young people in the streets for a weekly women’s magazine. This ended up being a lot harder than you’d expect because all the young fashionable people are inside working all day so they can afford to buy fancy clothes. So as I walked the streets the only people I found were old and retired. I decided to start taking their pictures to make a small portfolio, and in doing so I realized that when you stop a stranger on the street they’ll usually be willing to let you take their portrait, but you’ve got to be quick or you’ll lose them. So I started having my assistant hold the flash instead of putting it on a light stand.

What kind of kit are you carrying around with you on outdoor/foreign projects?

I always use a quantum Q flash, sometimes 2 of them. They’re small and battery powered and they produce nice light.

What’s the upside to your career in photography?

I get to meet some amazing people. I’m very lucky.

Have you found yourself in trouble or in danger taking photographs in deprived areas, or as you have travelled in the developing world?

Not very often. I’ve learned that if you find a local wherever you’re shooting it will make your life much easier. When I was in Harlem it was often very clear that I should’ve been with someone from Harlem. When I was photographing a boy standing in front of some flowers his brother poked his head out of the shop door and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was taking pictures and he said that if I didn’t leave he’d “fucking kill me”. So I left.

What has been the most important lesson for you of the last few years?

Be as patient and unassuming as possible.

Tell us about some of the defining moments of your career so far – achievements that have [re]assured of your success?

I’m very lucky that this is my only job. That’s probably the biggest thing for me. It’s not easy to make a living taking pictures of this kind, but apparently it’s not impossible.

What do you think it is about your approach to magazine photography that has helped you to get ahead?

Picking up the phone was my key to making contacts and eventually finding work. You can send emails but the majority of people will ignore them. I used to work as an art buyer at an advertising agency and I probably got 60 emails a day from freelance photographers. It was hard to even open all of the emails, let alone respond. But when someone called me directly it was harder to ignore them.

Tell us about your aspirations for the next few years.

My main goal is to continue telling other people’s stories. Life is fascinating and photography is my excuse to see as many sides of the bigger picture as I can. I’ve photographed the CEO of one of the worlds largest energy companies and I’ve photographed a man that goes to bed early every night because he can’t pay his electric bill. I’d like my work to represent the huge contrast of human perspective.

Tell us something everyone should know, but probably doesn’t.

A lot of people don’t know their blood type.

See more at: reedyoung.com