Meet Eric A.L. | Photographic Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric A.L. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
Stay in your lane.

It was in the context of trying to shoot with more experienced talent and tackle ambitious ideas early on that are not “in your lane”.

Not only is it enjoyable to take creative risks and aim to shoot with well-known creatives or try mixing different styles of photography, but it also creates a sense of achievement that keeps my drive going to get better at the medium.

If I were to keep shooting the same types of angles, and the same type of content, and the same type of subjects, then where is the growth? Hence, when people provide that advice, I respectfully disagree.

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.
What I do different to others is that I want the images I create to tell a story to the viewer. When I develop a concept, I ask three questions to myself: I first ask why the matters. Then, the next question I ask is how to convey the concept, such as wardrobe, location, lighting style, and also which model would be best to best convey the idea. The third question I ask is how will I execute the concept. Because of that, it always creates a great level of excitement to develop a concept from scratch.

Professionally, I still consider myself a beginner. So far, I’ve overcome my biggest challenge when initially starting out, which was scoping out and utilizing opportunities to network with models and other photographers. Through those opportunities, I have gained connections to bring my concepts to fruition.

My photographic art has moved towards telling stories to the viewer, and to explore different perspectives within the conventional genres by taking an abstract approach to the material I shoot.

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.
Are they staying with me or are they staying elsewhere?

First, we’d definitely go to the Beltline, which I honestly have not visited as much as I should have. Plus, we’d visit some of my local spots that I enjoy from time to time.

Hiking would also be a part of the itinerary, which I discovered that newfound love during the pandemic. So in that case, Sope Creek is a must, but it would also be a good opportunity to try to find the Bamboo Forest I keep hearing about near East Palisades.

If there were any good movies out that we both wanted to see, an IMAX trip to the Mall of Georgia would also be a part of the weeklong trip. Again though, it depends on the movie. But if its not IMAX, I definitely would see if the Plaza Theater was playing any movies on 35mm or 70mm film, then bring a friend along for the experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to fellow creatives in Atlanta who have provided opportunities for me to venture out of my lane and explore different styles, genres, and scenes, and also from the constructive advice I have received to find my style in a highly saturated and competitive industry.

I also want to dedicate this shoutout to my friends and family who have provided their advice as well, or asked the “who, what, where, how, why” questions I need to hear from time to time.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.l.img/

Other: Currently I am working on other avenues to showcase my work outside of Instagram. Until then, please feel free to follow my page, and stay tuned for more of my work!

Image Credits
Riley (IG: @rrileyy.lena) Bree (IG: @just_bree.xox) Acasia Artemis (IG: @acasiamodel) Kenya Leyva (IG: @kenyaleyva) Remington (@remingtonsemple) Astrid Kallsen (IG: @astridadventure) @artsy_af_photography