Rising Stars: Meet Victoria Binkley of Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Binkley

Hi Victoria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I usually tell people the story about how my dad gave me a camera when I was three and that I started making portraits after he yelled at me to stop wasting so much film on plush toys and pets. It’s a fun, light story in person, but in my heart I know that I truly latched onto photography when I was sixteen. My sister had survived a serious car accident and I was witness to her relearning how to be a person.

The darkroom became my sanctuary. The camera became my extension of self. The sense of permanence portraiture has in relation to our friends and loved ones became vitally important. I decided to go to school to hone my craft, first my associates from Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography. While there, I met Robert Golding who encouraged me to gain my bachelors from Rochester Institute of Technology. Through my studies, I really leaned into the craft of light control and manipulation, and I leaned further into my passion for portraiture. It fuels my desires to connect with humanity and rescue moments in time.

In 2019, I lost vision in my shooting eye. I trained the other one after sulking about it for two years; I’ve taken long breaks from shooting to heal my creative spirit. When I decided to move to Los Angeles from Philadelphia in 2021, I was blessed to meet incredible creatives that didn’t hesitate to remind me that I was given two eyes for a reason.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Have you seen the roads in Los Angeles? Lots of potholes but we still get there. My road has been far from smooth, but I am grateful every day that I get to ride it. Joy said to Sorrow, “where you go, I go.”

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a stills photographer specializing in location and studio lighting. I’m focused on fashion, editorial, music, and conceptual portraiture.

I’m proud of my resilience. I’m proud of how genuinely I approach image making. I’m proud of the life I have created for myself and having the ability to share my creativity with others.

What sets me apart from others is my empathetic nature, my fluidity in the studio, my warm embrace for creative change, and the depth of my lighting.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m a bookworm; I recently finished How To Be Perfect by Michael Schur and it completely changed my perspective on life. Creatively, I often reference The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel. Paris The Memoir by Paris Hilton was very encouraging and a beautiful story of perseverance. Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking was compelling, sobering, and hilarious. My favorite thing she said was “If my life wasn’t funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable.”

I listen to a lot of podcasts, they help me focus and stay off my dang phone. Shmanners is good, it’s the history of etiquette. Behind The Bastards is informative and interesting; Astonishing Legends fuels my interest in the unexplained. And considering that I am a white millennial woman with tattoos and a nose ring, of course I listen to a lot of true crime; in particular Crime Junkie.

There is no teacher more patient than YouTube.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vicbink.com/
• Instagram: @vicbink_photo

Image Credits
© Victoria Binkley