kenna klosterman

Simon Jackson is a storyteller, photographer, filmmaker, speaker, author, and advocate for wildlife and nature. Both a movie and a children’s book have been made based on Simon’s story. At 13 he had a passion for bears and belief that he could change the world. For two decades Simon built the six million-strong Spirit Bear Youth Coalition to help save Canada’s rare Kermode or spirit bear and helped create the largest land protection measure in North American history. Together with his wife Jill Cooper, Simon continues to promote nature literacy among young people through the non-profit Ghost Bear Institute and their latest initiative Nature Labs.

I recorded this episode sitting at a picnic table with Simon in the stunning Mt. Robson Provincial Park in Canada. Simon and Jill lived there in a tent for months as they patiently and meticulously created multimedia content for Nature Labs - a virtual high school textbook for science, art, social studies and English curriculum using nature as a lens. We talk about how Simon became passionate about bears at age seven and why he believes you can’t teach without telling a story. Simon takes us behind the scenes of documenting Mt. Robson’s dominant grizzly bear named Chocolate, who is Nature Labs’ main character and in fact a metaphor for what we have and what we stand to lose.

This is We Are Photographers with Simon Jackson and this is his story.

Amy Sacka is a documentary photographer based in Detroit, Michigan, who is passionate about celebrating the beauty of people and culture, particularly in Detroit and the Midwest. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, TOPIC, LensCulture, the Guardian and many more. She’s a National Geographic Explorer and a Top 50 Critical Mass photographer. Amy's photography has been exhibited internationally, including at Photoville in Brooklyn, Cortona on the Move in Italy, Brighton Biennial UK, and Arles France just to name a few.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being published by National Geographic, this episode is for you. Amy talks about how a quest to know her father eventually led to two grants. She describes why she drove 10,000 miles around Michigan to meet and photograph ice anglers. We talk about her move back to Detroit to discover what place, home and belonging mean to her, and the surprising reaction to her ‘Roommates After 40’ project. I’m enamored with her month-long 250-mile NYC slow walk, where she photographed along every block from 1st Street to 110th Street on Manhattan’s east side.

This is We Are Photographers with Amy Sacka and this is her story.

Amanda Lucidon is an award-winning documentarian, filmmaker, public speaker and New York Times best-selling author. She served as an Official White House photographer responsible for documenting First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017 and is one of only a few female White House photographers in history. Amanda is the author of Chasing Light: Through the Lens of a White House Photographer and Reach Higher: An Inspring Photo Celebration of First Lady Michelle Obama.

In this episode, Amanda describes what it actually means to be responsible for documenting the daily life of the Obamas for history, both inside the White House and around the world, and how she remains ready to photograph anything at any moment. She reveals how growing up as one of ten children allowed her imagination and creativity to blossom, and the beauty of imperfection. Amanda takes us behind the scenes on some of her most recognizable images and tells us what she learned from Mrs. Obama. She talks about the power of personal projects, bringing arts into underserved communities as a Kennedy Center Turnaround Artist and her latest work bringing arts and mindfulness to a Memphis juvenile detention center.

This is We Are Photographers with Amanda Lucidon, and this is her story.

Jasmine Star is a photographer and business strategist who empowers entrepreneurs to build a brand, market it on social media, and create a life they love. After quitting law school, she picked up a camera, built an internationally recognized business, and teaches others how to do the same. In this episode we talk about Jasmine’s mission to help people believe they can turn impossibilities into possibilities. She explains why she left being a wedding photographer after 12 years and the path to building new businesses including Social Curator. Jasmine describes her imaginative childhood: growing up home-schooled as a first-generation Latina, science experiments in the park, her mom dumpster diving for textbooks, and turning into an avid reader after not learning to read until age 11. Hear how her mom surviving cancer led to Jasmine becoming resolute to live life on her own terms, and how she turned her mental soundtrack of self-loathing into one of self-love. This is We Are Photographers with Jasmine Star and this is her story.

Chris Weston became a professional wildlife photographer in 2001, changing his career to follow instead his passion for what he describes as “the extraordinary behavior of animals”. He's written over 20 books on photography and his credits include the BBC, Daily Telegraph, Outdoor Photography, Practical Photography and Digital Photography magazines. He is an ambassador for Fujifilm and is a renowned speaker and teacher, leading multiple safaris, workshops and seminars around the world.

In this episode we talk about his hand-eye-heart approach to photography inspired by Japanese philosophies of mindfulness. Chris describes what it feels like to photograph tigers and other mammals in the water with them. He explains why his favorite lens for photographing wildlife is 50mm (not long telephotos like you’d expect), which means he patiently waits with an energy of calmness for the animals to come to him. We discuss our mutual fascination with quantum physics and what book has been both of our favorites since we were young.

This is We Are Photographers with Chris Weston and this is his story.

Rafael "RC" Concepcion is an award winning photographer, podcast host, educator, storyteller and the author of 8 best-selling books on Photoshop, Lightroom, HDR, and how to get your images on the web. RC is now known as Professor Concepcion at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. He is a highly sought after public speaker, lecturing at seminars and workshops around the world, including right here on CreativeLive.

In this episode we talk about what it takes to continually reinvent yourself and life’s epiphanies that often arise when unexpected. RC takes us on a journey from growing up in the South Bronx to the lavish life working in tech during the .com boom to the lows of working out of a U-Haul 10x10 storage unit and back up to being a Photoshop guru whose face and voice are known all over the world. RC’s passion for teaching is not just about the tools of Photoshop and Lightroom, but at heart about how to get what’s inside of you out through creativity. We discuss being a Latino industry leader and coming full circle to doing projects with the Bronx Documentary Center.

This is We Are Photographers with RC Concepcion and this is his story.

Lisa Carney is a high end retoucher and photoshop artist who has spent over two decades working with the most dynamic players in the print, motion picture, and television industries including Disney, Netflix, Sony, Universal, ABC, ESPN and more. Besides being a regular presenter at the Adobe MAX conference, her teaching roster runs the gamut from beginners to professional retouchers, and includes universities, design & movie studios, private students and of course, CreativeLive. In this episode Lisa explores the balance of creativity for work as a commercial retoucher and photography for self-expression. She describes how moving to France at the peak of her career led to some of her hardest life lessons. Lisa talks about how her dad dying at age 18 impacted the direction of her life, how being a mother has influenced her art and why allowing yourself to show up and feel uncomfortable is a secret to success.

This is We Are Photographers with Lisa Carney and this is her story.

Pye Jirsa is the founder and partner of SLR Lounge and Lin & Jirsa Photography, a premier boutique photography and videography studio in Southern California. The Lin & Jirsa team photographs over 300 weddings each year, with nearly 1,000 yearly client commissions. Pye is the creator behind the workshops and resources inside the SLR Lounge library which has nearly a million monthly readers. He’s also a prolific instructor on CreativeLive with classes on everything from lighting mastery to business systems to engagement & wedding photography.

In this episode Pye explores how he had to lose everything to gain happiness. He shares personal stories of loss and love, fear and growth. He describes what being raised by a single immigrant father who moved him from Iran to Utah taught him about fear as a child. Pye stopped creating art for a decade after his high school art teacher told him to quit because he wasn’t good enough. We talk about mental health and finding the source of stability. He shares his daily routine that helps him stay present and why discomfort became his compass.

This is We Are Photographers with Pye Jirsa, and this is his story.

Mark Wallace is a photographer, educator, and solo world traveler. In 2014, Mark left the U.S. to embark on a worldwide adventure. In 2016 he decided to give up planes, trains, and automobiles and is now exploring the world on his motorcycle. Mark has created hundreds of photography tutorials sponsored by Snapfactory and Adorama. His most popular series are Digital Photography One on One and Exploring Photography, in addition to his best-selling lighting classes on CreativeLive.

In this episode we talk about what he’s learned about human connection from five years of nonstop travel to all seven continents and how his approach to storytelling and photography have changed along the way. We discuss why he intentionally sets out to have conversations with people he doesn’t agree with and the silver lining of his motorcycle being stolen. He describes how he recovered from the downward spiral of hallucinations and depression from side effects of anti-malarial medication and the gift of being told he only had three weeks to live. You’ll be surprised by his advice to the hundreds of people who tell him it’s a goal to travel around the world on a motorcycle.

This is We Are Photographers with Mark Wallace and this is his story.

Paul Ninson is a freelance photographer based in Ghana with passion for portraits, visual storytelling and documenting humanitarian and environmental stories. His current personal projects include the Masai tribes in Kenya, the lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia, and documenting the lives of women in Umoja for his Village with No Men project. In this episode, Paul talks about the life-changing experience of meeting Brandon Stanton in Ghana, being featured on Humans of New York and gaining 30k followers from around the world in one day. Paul attributes his photography education to CreativeLive where he spends most of his non-working hours learning from as many classes as he can. He talks about getting his first camera and how he’s been growing his business and portfolio of personal work ever since. Paul is the definition of taking risks, nonstop hard work, nurturing a supportive community and sharing knowledge and inspiration in return. This is We Are Photographers with Paul Ninson and this is his story.

Natalie Amrossi, a.k.a. Misshattan on all things social, is known for hanging out of helicopters creating dynamic aerial images of the cities below. Her extensive client list includes brands such as Nike, Jaguar, Apple, and Jordan. She’s been featured in the press including the New York Times, New York Post, Buzzfeed and more. In this episode Natalie talks about the rewards that come with taking big life risks. In her early 20s she left investment banking to become a professional photographer. She recently gave up her Manhattan apartment to travel & work full time from the road. Natalie shares the challenges and opportunities of being a solo female traveler, how she connects with locals over a shared love of photography when arriving in a new country, and stories from filming a documentary in Bhutan for AdoramaTV. This is We Are Photographers with Natalie Amrossi and this is her story.

John Greengo is a travel, landscape, and wildlife photographer. He’s one of the most prolific educators on CreativeLive, best known for his must-see Fundamentals of Photography class. He’s the author of two books, including The Enthusiast’s Guide to Exposure & 50 Things Photographers Need Know About Focus. John leads photography tours globally to destinations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Cuba, Morocco, Jordan, Antarctica and more. In this episode John describes his most epic moments - both exciting and scary - when photographing in remote corners of the world, including while working on the TV series Travels to the Edge. He shares life lessons learned as a professional foosball player, and he claims to be the only person to play foosball on all seven continents. We talk about what it means to “win” at photography and what he loves most about preparing his world renowned presentations for his classes that make learning both easy and fun. This is We Are Photographers with John Greengo and this is his story.

Valérie Jardin is a visual storyteller recognized internationally for her street photography. She is the author of several books and teaches street photography workshops all over the world. She also hosts the podcast 'Hit the Streets with Valérie Jardin' and is an official Fujifilm X-Photographer. In this episode we talk about the importance of street photography, how her approach to storytelling includes both following the light and following her heart when photographing on the street. Valérie explains her love for Fujifilm mirrorless cameras and prime lenses, the power of limitations and the joy of educating others to find the beauty in everyday life. This is We Are Photographers with Valérie Jardin, and this is her story.

Sal D’Alia is an Italian-born and raised filmmaker currently based in NYC where he creates original content for AdoramaTV. As an executive producer he’s created the series Through the Lens, The Photographer’s Roundtable and the new My Travel Diary. Sal is a Sony alpha Ambassador and one of the founding members of the Sony alpha Imaging Collective. In this episode we talk about the creative influence of growing up in Italy being surrounded by art everywhere. We discuss his career evolution from working for big brands as a freelancer to creating original content while traveling the world for AdoramaTV. Sal explores the differences in approaching still photography and motion and those moments that give him chills as a filmmaker. This is We Are Photographers with Sal D'Alia and this is his story.

Lucas Jackson is an award-winning Senior Photographer at Reuters. For over a decade he’s worked as a staff photographer covering every aspect of the news and feature stories in New York as well as the red carpet, concerts, natural disasters, politics and wars. As a staff photographer he has to be ready to photograph any scene at any time under any circumstance. In this episode we talk about the work ethic he learned growing up on a cattle ranch and being a commercial fisherman in Alaska to pay for a photography education. Lucas describes his career path to becoming a staff photographer at Reuters and what that role actually looks like, from photographing the courthouse steps one day to filming a 4-mile long glacier calving in Greenland the next. This is We Are Photographers with Lucas Jackson and this is his story.

Michelle Valberg is a renowned explorer, adventurer and wildlife photographer. She is a Nikon Ambassador Canada, a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and was the first ever Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence. She’s an author, a speaker and guides photography expeditions to extreme destinations. In this episode Michelle talks about photographing everything from narwhals to ice bears to snowy owls to a field of 10,000 walrus. She describes her first time making eye to eye contact with a polar bear and how photographing wildlife involves using all of your senses to anticipate the decisive moment. This is We Are Photographers with Michelle Valberg and this is her story.

[Jacob Jonas] 1 is a dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of the Jacob Jonas The Company, which he founded when he was only 22 years old. His works have been performed around North America including at The Kennedy Center, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Lincoln Center. He’s a self-taught photographer, a director & filmmaker, educator, and entrepreneur. In this episode, we talk about #CamerasAndDancers, a series of monthly Instameets bringing together influential photographers and dancers at significant cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum, the Getty Museum, and the New York and Seattle Public Libraries. #CamerasandDancers is not only building collaborations and community but also increasing the visibility of the art of dance itself. This is We Are Photographers with Jacob Jonas and this is his story.

Kelly Brown is an award-winning newborn & portrait photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. She is an international educator, speaker, author, print competition judge, and serial entrepreneur. Her brands include Little Pieces Photography, The Baby Summit, Newborn Posing, Rise International Photography Awards, and Spine Street Studios. In this episode, Kelly opens up about who she is as an artist, a daughter, a mum, and a business owner. We talk about her childhood imagination, the importance of family and home, her creative process when collaborating with the subject of her very personal storytelling portraits, and what makes her feel most alive. This is We Are Photographers with Kelly Brown and this is her story.

Andy To is a photographer and filmmaker based in NYC. Along with his partner in life and business Joycelyn Linh, he travels nonstop creating content for brands including Adobe, Sony, Adorama, Apple, major airlines, and tourism boards globally. Andy says he’s dedicated his life to filmmaking and spreading positivity. He also loves to give back by teaching his craft to others. In this episode we talk with Andy about growing up in Oakland, the influence both his grandmother and high school teacher Mr. Jackson have had on his life, being selected as one of two travel videographers for Beautiful Destinations out of the 50,000 applicants. This is We Are Photographers with Andy To and this is his story.

Joshua Coombes is the founder of the movement #DoSomethingForNothing. Josh is a British hair stylist who began offering haircuts to people he met on the streets experiencing homelessness. He found that listening to people’s stories and connecting through a haircut, along with showing people a photo of themselves before & after, made a far bigger impact than he ever could have imagined. He’s now amplifying his mission by collaborating with brands such as TOMS and touring an art exhibit Light Noise Art around the globe to encourage all of us to Do Something For Nothing in our own way. This is We Are Photographers with Joshua Coombes and this is his story.