Conversations with Holland Clement

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holland Clement.

Hi Holland, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I originally moved from Nashville to LA to be an actor.

*the crowd’s shoulders slump in devastation as they glance at each other in angst, “another one?”*

My love for stories developed in my childhood where my mother would take me to see theater at TPAC in Nashville, TN. We’d often stay for interviews with the actors and director after the performances and get to ask whatever questions we had. I had roughly thousands of them and yet was far too shy to ever dare ask one. Fortunately, my curiosity rarely went unappeased thanks to the more brazen children. It’s the first time in my life I remember thinking, “I really want to be up there doing that,” while simultaneously realizing I was a coward.

It was the 90’s, so naturally I vigorously pursued athletics just as every self-respecting beta male in small-town Tennessee must do. God forbid I be a child of the theater. Paid for college with money from said athletics, plus some money from academics (which I assure you no one was more surprised about than me). Actually decided to work really hard, learned some stuff, got great grades, and didn’t cheat to get there. Graduated, worked in health care for a couple of years, became morbidly depressed, wept in front of my parents, and decided to drop it all and move to LA where I could pursue what I actually wanted:

“The *dreaded* Arts

In pursuit of the arts, my interests only grew and evolved. I wanted to be an actor, yes. I also however wanted to choose framings, get performances from other actors, have a say in the musical score, and overall be a Hollywood icon whose name got caressed in lights. Storytelling at the forefront of my desires, I also just wanted to make people feel something. Through a vast series of eclectic events, I found myself holding a stills camera. I was near immediately obsessed as it allowed me a new, creative storytelling tool. Seeing the world through the restrictions of a viewfinder has allowed for so much creative freedom. I have pursued little else since. Now I work full-time as a professional photographer in Los Angeles.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Likely sharing sentiment with every artist in LA, no – it has not been a smooth road. There have been times of both plenty and of panic. None of the expectations I had for myself walking in survived past the first year. After the second year and third year in LA, I was simply nowhere where I expected myself to be upon arrival. Wasn’t even close. And that can lead to a lot of self-loathing and disappointment. Looking at your previous unreasonable dreams of grandeur and comparing them to your current, perceived failure can be really daunting. Forced a lot of growth and for that, I’m thankful. Have been here for seven years now and because of the various ways life took me, have had a lot of amazing experiences and met some incredible people. I’m glad to be where I am now with the experiences I had to get here.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’d consider myself a Lifestyle Photographer. I specialize in authentic storytelling. How to take a product, personality, business, or whatever it may be – and translate that into imagery that best represents the particular client. I think audiences really crave authenticity from the people they support these days which really drives me.

That being said- I’ll also shoot travel/adventure, weddings, landscapes, dog portraits, actions sports or a baby shower. My desires from photography have a near infinite span.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My happiness recently has come from the pursuit of things that fulfill me. I find that through the seeking of fulfillment, I do in fact stumble across it occasionally. Fulfillment is rewarding, rewards happen to feel good, so I’m leaning into that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hollandclement.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollandclement/
• Other: https://vero.co/hollandclement

Image Credits
Holland Clement