“Photography allows me to experience beyond what my eyes alone are able to perceive, to channel something deeper within myself that would otherwise remain hidden”, Frames photographer Evers explains…
Los Angeles-based Evers isn’t your usual photographer, the 24-year-old’s relationship to his camera reaching into the metaphysical, near inter-dimensional. It’s a dynamic that comes across in spades, the US creative’s portraits of his many subjects flush with a surrealist aura that’s incapable of truly describing. It makes for some of the most interesting shots in the history of Frames history, but according to the man himself, such a feat isn’t by design. Rather, photography is just chemistry between him and the world, and the image is the “meeting place where the reaction happens between internal and external”.
For this week’s Frames, we caught up with the LA native to get the drop on his early career, his creative process and his love affair with film. Scroll down for Evers’ full Frames portfolio, and be sure to head here to follow him on Instagram.
Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?
Grew up in Boulder, Collardo and San Diego, California. I currently live in Los Angeles.
When did you start taking photos? What was your first camera?
I started taking photos as a kid, and my first camera was some Nikon DSLR, from Costco probably. I didn’t start taking photography seriously as a potential career path until I went to college, and it wasn’t until years later, when I started shooting on film, that photography became a really important part of my life. Something about using a tangible medium to capture light completely changed my relationship to photography, giving it a new meaning for me.
What’s your favourite person, place or subject to shoot?
I love working with people who are as passionate about being in front of the camera as I am about being behind it. That synergy creates magic. I am blessed to have some very talented collaborators I work with who have also become great friends of mine, so it’s tough to choose favorites.
How would you describe your style?
A lot of my stylistic choices are motivated by the drama between my mind and the external world. I try to emphasize the perspective I have on reality as a subjective observer, which has become the basis for a lot of my work. From distorted lenses to vibrant color and experimental post processes, a lot of my artistic decisions are inspired by this idea that the act of perceiving is a creative, expressive and beautifully flawed process.
I rarely try to achieve an “objective” viewpoint; I don’t see the value in using photography as just a device to record something external to me. Each image has the potential to be a window into the photographer, as much as it is a window into the world. My introduction into visual art was through painting, and a lot of my inspiration comes from modern art movements — surrealism and abstract expressionism especially. These artists subverted common perception, pushing the boundaries of the medium while providing a looking glass into their minds. A metaphysical viewpoint on life and art. Looking at a Dalí or a Pollock, you’re challenged to see things in a new way. In a similar vein, I like to think that photography allows me to experience beyond what my eyes alone are able to perceive, to channel something deeper within myself that would otherwise remain hidden.
This brings me to the idea that I like to think of every photo as a self portrait. When I look into the camera, I begin to see myself in everything, transmitted as light through the lens and into my eye, followed by my manipulation of the image by creating the composition, and all the way to making final touches in photoshop. It’s like a chemistry between myself and the world, and the image is the meeting place where the reaction happens between internal and external. Whether I’m working with a model or taking a picture of a landscape, there begins to be a sense of wholeness; I become what I am creating.
What is the wildest experience that has come from your photography career?
Photography takes me to so many incredible places and introduces me to people who continuously inspire me. Probably the craziest experience, though, is how much it has taught me about myself, my relationship to the world, psychology, human nature — the list goes on. I feel like I am constantly learning, not just things about photography specifically, but rather about life, through photography. Coming in touch with the world through this art has impacted me in more ways than I could have imagined.
What do you enjoy most about photography?
I already touched on this somewhat– photography provides me a deeper connection with reality; with other people, and with myself. When I started taking photos, I was taking pictures to record what I considered to be beautiful things. We’ve all taken a picture of a nice sunset, and I think that kind of observation and awe of nature is what gets a lot of people into photography in the first place. What I’ve begun to experience is that the camera provides me a portal into a world beyond the visible; into myself and into the souls of others. I’m still in the very early stages of this journey, exploring how places beyond what the eyes can see are channeled through the visual medium.
