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M A G A Z I N E
Style Matters: Learning to Think Ahead 10 Ways to Stay Inspired
Dismantling Photography
J A N E A
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E L I Z A B E T H
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B L A C K
FROM THE EDITOR
ASCEND MAGAZINE
2 STYLE MATTERS: LEARNING TO THINK AHEAD We hear from a photographer and a cosmetologist about the importance of thinking ahead in regards to fashion. We’ve uncovered why better results come when you plan ahead.
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5 REASONS TO CREATE EVERY DAY Life gets crazy and we tend to get caught up in the storm of it all. Creating helps us escape. Read about the benefits of creating something new every day.
10 WAYS TO STAY INSPIRED Practically learn just how easy it is to stay inspired despite self-criticism and suppression.
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ALL BLACK We get a peek at a session with Janea Elizabeth [see cover] and receive a first hand look at the fashion stylings of Dexter James.
DISMANTLING PHOTOGRAPHY Photography is an artform in every sense of the term. We unpack the inspiration and symbolism behind some truly artistic photographs.
I believe that to ascend is to move upward in the direction of something greater than where one currently is. With that being said, this magazine exists to showcase the words and work of various creatives that all have one thing in common... They are ascending. They are conquering new territory. It is my hope that this magazine not only entertains you, but that it inspires you to move upward in your passion toward something greater. Creatives, let’s grow together.
— Matthew Norton
CONTACT IG: @matthewnortonphotos matthewnortonphotos@gmail.com
ASCEND MAGAZINE
Written by Matthew Norton
STYLE MATTERS:
LEARNING TO THINK AHEAD "As a photographer and content creator, I am drawn to things that are different. I find myself instinctively liking what most people would think is obscure. But I am aware of the style I am going for and I create with it in mind. You see, style is everything in portrait photography. When people view a photograph they typically notice two things… Fashion and location. I would argue that you cannot have notable fashion without a carefully selected location. I would also argue that you cannot have a good location without unique styling choices. Before you tell me that I am crazy, I should mention that this is specifically in regards to portrait photography. In my experience, thinking ahead always results in a better outcome.
Things to consider when planning a shoot are: the location, the time of day, the model and his/her unique features, and the outfit choices. Every single one of these matter just as much as the last. It would be an unwise practice to halfway plan out your shoots. Your concept may be awesome but it is the execution that people will see. I recently read a quote that said: ‘If people do not feel a sense of awe when they look at your photographs, you did them a disservice.’ Just like a musician will spend months, sometimes upwards of a year in the studio while planning and recording an album, creators should also take the time necessary to develop something that will stand out from the rest."
STYLE MATTERS Written by Amanda Keeley
"As a photographer and cosmetologist, I’m forever linked into the creative world. I tend to gravitate towards fashion, editorial and portrait photography specifically. That is what I’m most interested in shooting and styling. With this sort of industry, you must have a game plan. Think ahead. Typically, I come up with a theme, create an inspo board, screenshot the inspirational photographs I’ve scrolled past on social media and start thinking of models who might fit the shoot. Ideally, as a cosmetologist, hair is the first thing that comes to mind. Do I want it a specific color? Up or down? Avant-garde or simplistic? Straight, wavy or curly? There are so many things to think about… And that’s just the beginning. I must continue thinking about a matching makeup look. Clothing. Can it be thrifted? Can I collaborate with an awesome designer? All of these things matter. Straight down to the jewelry and nail color. These guidelines are important because if you plan a well-thought out shoot, you will get the best results possible. That is not only satisfying for your portfolio, but it pushes your talent to the extreme and opens a whole new world of bigger and better." Photographer: Amanda Keeley Model: Alexandra Vail
5 REASONS TO CREATE EVERY DAY 1. You will learn to think on your feet.
4. Your attitudes will begin to shift.
When you are constantly creating, you will be propelled into innovation. The more you create, the more you stand a chance at being inspired. If you dedicate yourself to creating on a daily basis, you will learn to think quickly. You will learn to find inspiration in the smallest of places. You will find inspiration in the ugliest of places. You will be able to create regardless of your surrounding variables. You will learn to think on your feet.
When you are not being artistic, are you processing and expressing your emotions in a healthy manner? If you are like most people, the answer is no. Your emotions will begin to regulate if you choose to create daily. Art requires that you be in-touch with yourself. Knowing yourself in an honest way will point you toward the resolve of internal conflict. When your heart is open, your attitude changes.
2. You will feel a sense of purpose. It is well known that when you are doing what you love, you are happier than when you are not doing what you love. If you are an artistic individual, you must create. You are wired that way. It’s that simple. Let yourself be excited to bring life into something. Let that drive push you into a project that will bring joy to your day. Allow yourself to feel a sense of purpose.
5. You will experience community. As you create and share, like-minded people will see and appreciate your work. People will even feel your work if your content tells a story. Community happens when people are vulnerable enough to share what is close to their hearts with one another. If you are intentional about your art, you will experience community.
3. You will have less time to worry. You are human. There’s no mistaking that. This means that you will, at some point, be weighed down by worry. Life happens. We have minimal control over the outcome of so many things in this world. By creating, you are keeping your mind focused on what can be controlled. You are the one that will be able to dictate what does and does not happen. You will be cultivating an atmosphere of peace.
Photographer: Tara Rooney Models: Phoebe & Isabella Mansell, Eden Rickson, Natalie Quarry, Beth Jespersen & Sophie Correa
Written
by
Matthew
Norton
notroN wehttaM | YAD YREVE ETAERC OT SNOSAER 5 MORF NEKAT
IF YOU ARE AN ARTISTIC INDIVIDUAL, YOU MUST CREATE. YOU ARE WIRED THAT WAY.
ASCEND MAGAZINE
JANEA ELIZABETH IN
A L L B L A C K
Photographer: Matthew Norton Makeup: Shelby Guzman Model: Janea Elizabeth Stylist: Dexter James
ASCEND MAGAZINE
Written by Matthew Norton
10 Ways to Stay Inspired: 1. Keep a Journal for Your Creativity A mind can be a chaotic space. Thoughts and ideas will flow in and will flow out. It is the creator’s responsibility to catch them, keep them and execute them. A good way to keep them in your memory is to externalize them. Write them down in as much detail as you can in the moment. These thoughts and ideas can only be improved later on. 2. Create Poorly Executed Content
“Spend 10 less minutes tweaking your creation. Instead, use that 10 minutes to admire what you’ve accomplished.” 4. Forget Perfection
Free your mind from harsh self-criticism by creating something really, really bad. You would be surprised what can come from silliness. Just like a sloppy jam session can lead to the next rock ballad, intentionally awful visual content has the potential to inspire astonishingly great imagery.
Perfectionism is perhaps the biggest killer in the creative world. People spend so much time perfecting their work that they lose inspiration for their work. If you wrestle with a perfectionist mindset in your work, try dialing it back a bit. Spend 10 less minutes tweaking your creation. Instead, use that 10 minutes to admire what you’ve accomplished.
3. Step Away
5. Give Yourself a Different Purpose
It is only normal to feel stuck; uninspired. But there is good news! You can take a break any time you want to. Sometimes all it takes to become inspired again is to remove yourself from previous inspiration. Visit a place you haven’t been to. Listen to music you’ve never heard. Spend time with people you’ve neglected at the sake of creating content. When you’ve taken a step back, you will have a larger view of everything you’ve spent so long creating.
Sometimes it’s beneficial to switch things up. For the sake of your work, and for your sanity, temporarily change the content you create. If you are a portrait photographer, commission yourself to learn street photography or product photography. If you’re a fashion model, find photographers that specialize in conceptual shoots and glean from them.
6. Attempt a New Medium Many creatives are multi-faceted in the skills they possess. It’s no coincidence that hair and makeup are combined by way of cosmetic styling. By committing time to something other than your main attraction, you are allowing yourself to stay creative despite the droughts that may come your way. 7. Remember the Reason It is completely normal to feel uninspired. That is precisely why a creative person should consistently remember the reason they create in the first place. What are your immediate goals? What is your 5 year plan? Do you even have a 10 year plan? These are good things to ask yourself any time you feel stuck. It is not necessarily about reinventing yourself as a creator as much as it is about reminding yourself why you create in the first place. 8. Eliminate Fear
Choose to believe that you are enough. It doesn’t matter if your skills or gear match the vision you have for your creation... Your vision is what matters. Skills can be attained. Gear can be purchased. Learn to eliminate fear from your life as an artist. 9. Join or Establish Community Photographers, models, videographers, designers, etc. all need a creative community to propel them into action. If you do not have any like-minded individuals around you, it is easy to fall into complacency. Allow others to invest into you. Curate a skill set from the lessons you’ve acquired within a creative community. Allow these people to be a part of your story. 10. Stay Strong, Push Through You may not always be able to manipulate inspiration. You must be content knowing that eventually, new inspiration will find you. Stay strong and don’t ever let go of your passion.
Fear will cripple you. Whether you are afraid of reaching out to companies or booking clients, you must do so without fear. Much of the terror you face derives from self-doubt.
"Inspiration… If there is one thing that I’ve come to learn about inspiration it’s that it cannot sustain and progress without great intention. As a musician and creative director, I often get asked questions such as: 'What inspires you' and 'How do you continually create without getting burnt out'? Given the season I am in right now, the best answer I can give those questions is… Observe. Observation is key. In order to propel your inspiration and creativity into consistently new depths, you must shift your mindset to recognize that from every minuscule facet of life comes inspiration. Observe the vibrancy of a flower juxtaposed with the grayness of a storm cloud. Observe the deep-rooted issues of someone who grew up without a father, the performance of an Olympian, the way the oceans ebb and flow, or even the cruel treatment that someone of fame or fortune receives daily. Every facet holds significance.
[continue reading on next page]
Written by Gatton
STAY INSPIRED (ING)
ASCEND MAGAZINE
Staying
Inspired
One of my favorite quotes that I am constantly reminding myself of is: “The greatest enemy of creativity is distraction.� This is a vital concept to grasp. Especially for an incredibly scatter-brained, conquer the world in a day, person such as me. This generation is faced with more distractions than ever before. It is, however, those rare few that find it within themselves to implement discipline and rid themselves of distractions as much as possible, that will succeed. So as a creative, I challenge you to cultivate intentional time every day. I challenge you to set aside every distraction and observe. Channel your inner child. Liberate yourself to find joy in the little things and imagine what has never been imagined before."
Photographer: Sam Silver Model: Gatton
Photographer: William Vest Models: Gatton & Savannah Ogle
Photographer: Tara Rooney Models: Jenna Unwin & Jodie May Sully
DISMANTLING PHOTOGRAPHY
"Jenna and Jodie are dancers, and the concept behind this shoot was to show both the lighter and darker sides to friendship. As someone who doesn't know the first thing about dance; it was a more challenging shoot to direct. We wanted to avoid the cliche dance poses, so we used shapes to conjoin the models in order to create more abstract and "awkward" shapes. For example, in the image on the right: we wanted a hug that was unnerving and puzzling to observe."
ASCEND MAGAZINE NO. 1 January 2020 Cover Image Janea Elizabeth | IG: @janeaelizabeth Dexter James | IG: @littlefashionguy Shelby Guzman | IG: @shelbybiancaguzman Matthew Norton | IG: @matthewnortonphotos
Editorial Matthew Norton | Editor Contributors Dexter James, Amanda Keeley, Matthew Norton, Gatton Models Janea Elizabeth | IG: @janeaelizabeth Alexandra Vail | IG: @zombehboo Phoebe Mansell | IG: phoebus.m Isabella Mansell | IG: @isabella.signora Eden Rickson | IG: @edenrickson Natalie Quarry | IG: @natalie_quarry Beth Jespersen | IG: @bethjespersen97 Sophie Correa | IG: @so.cozza Jenna Unwin | IG: @jennaunwin Jodie May Sully | IG: @jodes_may1 Gatton | IG: @gatt0n Savannah Ogle | IG: @savogle Photographers Matthew Norton | IG: @matthewnortonphotos Amanda Keeley | IG: @amandakeeleyphotography Sam Silver | IG: @sam_silver William Vest | IG: @williamjvest Tara Rooney | IG: @itstararooney Sylists Dexter James | IG: @littlefashionguy Amanda Keeley | IG: @amandakeeleybeauty
ASCEND MAGAZINE
IG: @magazineascend ascendmag@gmail.com
A MAGAZINE MADE BY CREATIVES FOR CREATIVES