Meet Perry Julien: Photographer and Podiatrist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Perry Julien and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Perry, how do you think about risk?
There is a T.S Eliot quote that inspired me years ago “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”. The risks I have taken in my life have all been to push myself either personally or artistically. I feel these are “calculated” risks – my analytical mind is always conversing with my artistic and adventurous mind to help me find the best path at that given moment. In my photography, that has reflected in the locations that I have I chosen to capture an image, from cliffs and ocean surf to masses of ecstatic people in the streets of India and in the crowds at music festivals. From an artistic standpoint, this risks take the form of making photos that might not have broad commercial appeal but reflect my creative passion at that time. In my other incarnation as a physican, I took the “risk” many years ago of not joining a large group so I could remain true to the reasons I became a physician – allowing me to care for my patients and my staff in the way I feel serves them best.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I first got behind a camera at around 4 years old, traveling with my father who was a professional photographer. I spent hours with him shooting (my first camera was a Rolliflex) and developing and printing black and white images in the darkroom in our home. At 17 I starting photographing concerts, the first being Led Zeppelin at Madison Square garden in New York, bringing together my passion for music and photography, which continues to this day. I made the decision in college to pursue a career in sports medicine, combining my love for sports with my desire to help people. Despite this radical change in career direction, my camera was never more than a few feet away from me, shooting concerts, sports events and surgical procedures during my surgical residency. After opening my sports medicine practice I continued to balance my photography and my medical life. In 2006 I had a severe alpine ski racing accident training for an upcoming national championships that would subsequently prevent me from returning back to my running, cycling, mountain climbing and skiing. It was during that time I transitioned from a “professional amateur” to a professional photographer. Thanks to an amazing wife and an awesome staff in my office I remain able to balance my medical life with my photography life. After my injury I had to find ways to access locations to make the photographs I envisioned. I starting shooting in water environments rather than in the mountains. This direction brought me to photographing underwater using models and friends that were comfortable in that environment. Since my travels to ski and climb were no longer possible, we instead set our sights on beaches throughout the world, and I began capturing surf photos in locations such a Hawaii and Bali. My photography style was always spontaneous, authentic and for the most part unposed, a style developed through shooting almost 2000 concerts, and this vision translated well to my underwater, surf and travel photography including several years traveling to India on pilgrimage and festival photography including Burning Man. Rather than photographing more traditional commercial photography, I started to sell my prints online on my website: PERRYJULIEN.COM and at one or two photography shows I produce each year with the help of an amazing creative staff. These shows include live music and are hosted in non-traditional spaces rather than art galleries typically . Each of our shows have brought in over 250 people in a night. Despite the challenge of balancing a medical practice with my photography, I feel I have been able to remain true to both facets of my life. I feel there is no reason not to pursue what you are passionate about, despite the challenges and risks you might encounter on that path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Despite living in Atlanta for over 25 years, until the pandemic we would travel every month. If I was showing friends my best time ever – we would head to Hartsfield Airport to Maui, staying in the small town of Paia, eating fresh fish at Nuka, my favorite sushi restaurant on the planet and Paia Fish Market. Paia is right near Hookipa Beach, one of the best windsurfing beaches on the planet, and 4o minutes from Makena Beach, known as Big Beach and Little Beach. If conditions were right, we would hike down (or hopefully grab a 4 wheel lift down) to Jaws – one of the biggest waves on the planet On the way back to Atlanta we would stop over at Oahu for a couple of days staying on the North Shore where the famous surfing beaches Banzai Pipeline and Wiamea Bay are located.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My freedom to take risks and to travel this path with unconditional support would not be possible without all the love from my wife Lisa and my daughter Monika. I am truly blessed to also have teachers and friends that continually inspire me on my creative and spiritual path and a medical partner and staff that makes it possible for me to balance my doctor life with my photography and travel life. I am also grateful to my mom who has always been there for me in every aspect of everything I do.

Website: WWW.PERRYJULIEN.COM
Instagram: @perryjulienphotography
Twitter: @julienphoto
Facebook: www.facebook.com/perryjulien