Serge Najjar - @serjios
Tips for newbies: “Try to see the hidden details, capture the changing light and look for moments of interaction between people. It is not about what you see but how you see it.”
Valentina Loffredo - @thatsval
Valentina began her photography career last October, when she fell in love with Instagram and began to notice the positive feedback she was receiving for her work. She credits her success to her “pre-visualization” work and her ability to draw inspiration from her everyday life. Valentina is a mother of two and lives in Hong Kong.
Tips for newbies: “Paying attention to the little inputs from your daily life builds the base for a playground where ideas evolve and show their true potential.”
Carlos Copertone - @carloscopertone
When he isn’t busy capturing the elegance of urban structures, Carlos is an exhibition curator and owner of a publishing house. He did a PhD in urban planning, which lends itself to his ability to make the structurally complex visually simple. Carlos doesn’t have a particular photographic process; rather he simply tries to recreate in his photos the emotions he first feels when he sees the object he’s shooting.
Tips for newbies: “You have to be absolutely radical in your approach. See your projects through to the very end.”
Molly Cranna - @mollycranna
A full-time freelance photographer, Molly initially had an interest in the craft growing up in her father’s photography darkroom. After going to USC for film school and working in the film industry for a few years, she ultimately transitioned to still photography. Her exceptionally lively minimalist shots are a product of her creative process: To get the shot she wants, she spends an inordinate amount of time in the studio “laying on the floor thinking or obsessively moving props around until things look right.”
Tips for newbies: “Don't be lazy with your lighting and styling. Shoot the things that you like looking at.”
Danny Rice - @venice_sunsets
You wouldn’t know it from the photos he takes, but Danny doesn’t have a formal photography background. He began taking mesmerizing shots of Venice Beach and the surrounding area when he purchased his first iPhone, which was also his first camera. Danny takes a variety of shots every night, goes home and edits the best ones, and then selects one of the group to post. Photography is his hobby; he works in Motion Picture Finance for Sony Pictures in addition to running social media accounts for various businesses in Santa Monica.
Tips for newbies: “Have fun and try new things. You can always take test shots and go from there.”
