August 29, 2016

Meet Burbank Photographer/Artist: W.B. Fontenot

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to W.B. Fontenot.

W.B., please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I got into photography when I was 19. I took my camera everywhere. I was attracted to the medium as a way to express myself efficiently. After really studying the work of other photographers it was clear that I needed to concentrate on the technical aspect to help express the creative. I attended a few programs including The Art Institute of Seattle, programs in Spokane, WA and Florence, Italy, and finally Brooks in Santa Barbara. I got an internship at Playboy Studio West that turned into a photo assistant job. Gradually I had the opportunity to shoot for the magazine. Currently I shoot for a number of publications as well as working with bands which is something I really enjoy. Musicians seem to be much more willing to step out of the box with you and try more original ideas. I recently published my first coffee table book “Muse- A Portrait of Sara Jean Underwood” which is a project I worked on for about 3-4 years.

Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges is always getting those first couple jobs. An editor or creative director wants to see that you have handled a decent size production before they give you a job, so it creates a bit of a Catch-22. I think that can discourage new photographers. It is really helpful to get a good team working with you as well. Finding people (make up artists, stylists, assistants etc.) that share your creative vision and that you work well with is extremely important. It can be tough the first few years when a new photographer is just starting to find their style. The nature of the job has changed a lot in the last 5 years or so. The rise of digital photography has made creating images much easier and is allowing people without much in the way of technical ability the chance to create pretty solid photos. Of course there are positive and negative aspects to this. On the negative side the field has been flooded with new shooters which makes it difficult for people just starting out to do this full time. As far as the positive side I love the fact that people are able to express and share their vision of the world with such ease and it really makes the possibilities endless.

What role has luck had in your life and career?
I think luck/bad luck doesn’t matter if you have perseverance. I suppose I could say some of my set backs are due to bad luck but it would just be an excuse. Much in the same way that attributing progress to luck wouldn’t be giving myself credit for the time and energy I put into something.

Do you feel like there are certain traits that increase the likelihood of success?
Hard work and experimentation. When you are trying new things or approaching a project from a different angle it is easy to worry about the final product not being up to your standards as a professional/artist. But I have found that the process is an important place to find growth and new ideas. You have to works through the clichés to find your voice. That can be something that takes years, but in the end I believe that that experimentation can really help to create a unique voice.
Hard work speaks for itself. But an important subset of that is learning the technical aspect of your work. As a photographer learning the true in’ and outs of your profession (far past just ISO and shutter speed) will allow you to concentrate strictly on the creative when on set. If you are trying to understand lighting while shooting for a client you will not be setting yourself up for success or producing the best work you are capable of. I spent a lot of time working on just the technical side of my craft which has allowed me to be able to easily address lighting problems and spend more time addressing my client’s needs.

Tell us about your favorite and least favorites things about our city.
Los Angeles is a fantastic city for the creative mind. There are a lot of job opportunities here that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Some of the best people in our field work and live here. That being said, there is a lot of competition as well.

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