Meet Hadi Salehi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hadi Salehi.

Hadi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to USA in 1978 to become a photographer. Start working as an assistant to a wedding photographer and same time worked in photography processing LAB here City of Angeles. Skill was the name of the game to survive at the time of analog photography. 1987 start Art Center College of Design and after four years of hard work got BA in photography. Worked ten years for surfing companies as lifestyle photographer and same time functioned as colorLAB instructor. Teaching and learning always was and is my passion in life and photography. I do maintain my energy for analog photography every single day. Now I call myself image maker which analog photography is main ingredient. I photograph and rephotograph and mix and manipulate. As we know, half of analog photography is science and the other half is ART. I am 69 now and for the last few years, I call myself also fine art photographer. Show my work here at a gallery called the space. You know selling photography is very hard but doable for sure, most money goes for painting and at the same time who cares. Creation itself is priceless and that is the blood of working.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hello there, I really do not know what is a SMOOTH road. Never had it, in America and being brown man. Always was and is foggy foggy road, knowing that makes you stronger and you walk accordingly. Skill is the key; if you have it, you are in the road and pray for the smoothness. Love to say, struggle continues every day. And us as an artist needs that struggle to be fresh every day to create.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I believe my work is totally me from shooting to printing and manipulating. Meaning that I am a human being not a machine. My work has love and passion inside it not like a drum machine which does not have a soul. Time of digital photography doing analog is blessing because they are totally different games like eating fast food or waiting for your food to get prepare. I am like a great cook making food for your visual pleasure.

What were you like growing up?
I am from the Northern part of Iran by Caspian sea, beautiful landscape with rice fields and orange groves, for season and a lot of colors and simple happy people. And Cinema which showed a lot of Indian movies and American movies. Moving images and poetry was always my first love forever. I find peace and love with these two mediums.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2035 Bay street
  Studio 110
  LA,CA,90021
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: hadihadidd

Image Credit:
Pablo Aguilar

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