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

Hi Anthony, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think about risk, the first thing that comes to mind is emotions. How I feel usually dictates my decision-making. Especially when I know there’s a major risk at stake. If I’m in a positive state of mind or feeling optimistic, I’m going to speak life into the idea of that risk being the best decision I could make. On the flip side, in a mental state full of fear, there’s no way anyone could convince me to take that risk. When it comes to my personal life and career, I know for sure that I wouldn’t be where I am today without rolling the dice. More often than not, you find out after the fact that what you may have feared before taking a risk is all a facade. There were several times where I was unsatisfied with where I was in life but fear of failing held me back from elevating. It’s very important to listen to your intuition when taking risks.

Summer of 2019, I was offered an opportunity by Chris Armond, founder of House of Heralds Entertainment, to shoot a few events held at the Essence Festival. I had shot concerts and shows before but those were all for my personal portfolio so this was the first major gig. Everything was covered except for travel and it was last minute so flight prices were more than disrespectful. I was in the process of moving so the ends I had were set to go towards rent for the following month. The thought of failing to provide quality work started to set in after checking my account. At that moment, I decided to buy a train ticket from Atlanta to New Orleans. The idea of riding a train to another state with all my photography equipment was bananas to me but I had to take that leap. Once I arrived, I was connected with the host of Black Excellence Brunch, Trell Williams. That connection led me to get booked for the Revolt Summit and I know for sure that these opportunities may have never been brought to my attention if I did not take that risk.

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 can say that I’m most proud of the positive effect I have on the people around me. My team inspires me and vice versa. Whenever I get time to sit back and look at what we’ve accomplished so far, I always get excited about the future and the possibilities ahead. Although I may have 10 years of experience, it still feels like I’m just getting started.

It was a struggle to get where I am today but that’s expected. Adversity is the only way to progress. The best way I know how to overcome challenges is to do research on people who are on a similar journey but most importantly, ask questions. I’ve learned that you cannot do it all yourself regardless of how independent you claim to be. Regarding my brand and my story, I want people to know with hard work and patience anything is possible. If you love it enough, you’ll always find a way to make it happen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The first place I would recommend for brunch is 5 Church located in Midtown. Best grits in the city I promise you. Not far from the restaurant, you have the High Museum. I often visit this location for inspiration mainly, artwork out of this world. I like to skate so I’d probably try to swindle them into riding on the Atlanta Beltline or sliding to Cascade on Wednesday night. There are too many restaurants to mention but if I had to choose the last spot for dinner, it would have to be Poor Calvin’s. The name might throw you off, but they have the best food and drinks in Atlanta’s hand down. The vibe is always on point. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
All the homies man I wouldn’t be on this journey without them. The love, support, and encouragement I get from my people keep me going for sure. My brother Adrian helps me stay grounded. My boy Kendal, Faibein, Kris, Junior, Harold, Jay, and several other names I can’t mention have always supported the process since I picked up the camera. Connecting with Jaszy Shavers, Recording Artist, Producer & Engineer has also helped me learn the process of working directly with an artist in the industry. Recently, we’ve been able to collaborate on several different projects that have pushed us both in the right direction. She’s a musical genius so it’s been nothing but motivation working to match my visuals with her quality of music and unique sound.

Website: https://www.envisionartistry.net/

Instagram: envision.artisrty

Other: Prints https://envisionartistry.darkroom.tech/

Image Credits
Anthony Whiting, Owner of Envision Artistry, LLC

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