#021: A Tapestry of Art For a Visual Voice | Chris McDuffie

02/16/22 • 49 min

One of the core questions I’m always looking to find answers to on this show is “What makes a brilliant visual creator?” Is it the grasp of technical aspects like lighting, composition, and moment? Or a personal skill or special gift of connecting with individuals in your images? There’s obviously a nearly infinite number of talented photographers out there, so what gives certain shooters a true “visual voice”. Well, today’s guest is such a brilliant example of forging that visual voice, that photographic identity, that brand... by melding artistic influences to create as Aristotle so brilliantly said “A Whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Chris McDuffie, born and raised in St. Paul, MN, is the founder and visionary behind Chris McDuffie Photography. Chris became interested in photography while studying Business and Marketing Education at the University of Minnesota, which ultimately led his entrepreneurial spirit to start his own photography business shortly after graduation. He’s since been fortunate to land jobs with companies including: Activision, Cargill, Fairview, North Memorial Hospital, Minnesota Timberwolves, Target, TCF, ESPN, Nike, Bumble, GQ, and the New York Times. WHEW. Chris has been recognized by the MN Fashion Awards in 2015, and the Beautiful Humans Award in 2017.

Since beginning his company, it has been his mission to bring creativity, honesty, and humor to both consumers and commercial clients. Being a life-long artist, his creative taste and aesthetic eye has been shaped by a rich tapestry of music, galleries, and theater in the Twin Cities. When not engrossed in work, Chris loves to spend time with his illustrious wife, Vanessa.

In today’s episode, Chris and I had such a perfect back and forth about creative inspiration, what it means to constantly re-examine and hone your craft, and so critically building genuine relationships and networks across skills, across genres, and across creative styles to uplift the whole creative community. Time for me to get out of the way and into today’s beautiful episode with commercial and editorial photographer Chris McDuffie.

Previous Episode

#020: A Message from Photo Forward

It’s only been a few short weeks since our last episode, but it already feels like the entire world has been flipped on its head. We all saw and were outraged beyond words at the murder of Goerge Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Soon after, my city responded to a collective pain, sadness, and anger with protests that engulfed the Twin Cities in the days after Floyd’s death. The message was and is clear: Now is the time for change. Now is the time for justice.

I’ve been slow to publicly respond because I wanted to ensure I shared this message as deliberately, clearly, and compassionately as possible. The photography and visual creator industries have long tip-toed around the issues of race, gender, and representation in our visual medium. But to continue on in this podcast and in our communities at large would be a tonedeaf mistake to our reality. Now is a moment and an energy we should not choose to ignore.

While it feels strange to say, this podcast and the small community of followers I have online is a platform. And with that comes a responsibility to share, promote and connect with a more diverse group of creators. And though the podcast is still in its infancy, I’ve failed at that. In no uncertain terms, I support the Black Lives Matter movement, inclusion, and justice. And I’m a firm believer that if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

That is why I’m going to be taking a brief pause from the podcast to connect with a more diverse group of creators to hear their stories, unpack their perspectives, and share their wisdom for all of us – and in so doing, make this podcast and those we serve with it comprise a much larger range of voices.

As a person of great privilege in my own life, I’ll keep this short — it’s time for me to talk less and listen more ; More action and less words. So again, I want to thank all of you listeners and subscribers for your patience as I sought to find the words and the actions to be a small part of the solution to dismantling institutionalized racism in our communities. I should have done better months or years ago, but I didn’t. And I apologize for that. My goal for the Photo Forward podcast going forward is to ensure our community of photographers, cinematographers, and multimedia creators is one of inclusion, one of diverse voices, and one that lifts up all members our beautiful visual medium.

I look forward to meeting that challenge in the months and years to come on Photo Forward. As always keep seeing, keep clicking, and keep putting your best Photo Forward. Cheers everyone.

Next Episode

#022: Reading Material to Shape your Visual Creativity (and Your Life)

Hey Photo Forward listeners — It is the winter (slightly post-holiday) season! A time to step back, reflect on the year behind us (what goddamn wild one...) and look forward to the future and how your photographic work can and should evolve. And yeah, there’s that whole giving of gifts thing... And as my present to you all, the podcast is back delivering weekly episodes on photography, creativity, and making a living as a visual storyteller. Yes, finally at long last after taking a while away from the podcast during 2021 following the unrest in the Twin Cities and examining how to make the show more inclusive, the Photo Forward Podcast is back and will be better than ever. We’ve got some incredible interviews lined up for the coming months and experimenting with new content on the show (Q&A segments/episodes are going to be HUGE, but more on that after the bulk of todays show. Thank you all so much for your patience.

So, without further ado, let’s get into this week’s episode on my curated list of five of the best pieces of reading material for you, the photographer, or the visual storyteller in your life. (With a bonus item on the list that should just flat out be required material for every fucking human that’s sufficiently old enough to read it)

Hello and welcome to the Photo Forward Podcast, the weekly show where we explore the stories behind some of the greatest photographers and visual storytellers the world over. From their photographic origin stories, to finding work-life balance as creative professionals, to how to actually make a living as a photographer, cinematographer, or multimedia creator — we uncover what makes them tick and their shutters click. I’m your host, Ben Brewer.