Featured Contributor: Ryan Carville
Every so often, a call for change will inspire a movement, break down barriers and shatter norms. Be it a series of words, of songs or of images - often it takes the birth of a creative, collaborated brainchild to set the stage for an honest and well-deserved platform. Art is the medium we choose to awaken, influence and empower global and local communities. Art is what brings us together, and incites a riot within our hearts, minds and bodies. It is not what sets us apart.
As Marcel Proust once said, “Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees.” If it is true that life imitates art, photographer Ryan Carville has allowed us all to see as he sees, granting his work the agency to speak volumes reflecting the realities of present day politics, equality and fundamental human rights.
And if a single spark can incite a wildfire, the following images shot for Love Inc. Magazine comprised the matchbook. It took the brilliant minds of several creatives to breathe life into their vision from origin to execution. And as every creative endeavor actualizes into a reality, it was not without some trepidation.
In a Huffington Post article regarding the shoot, Brittny Drye, the editor-in-chief of Love Inc., said, “We were treading a fine line between people interpreting this as extraordinary or insulting. However, after I saw Dylan come out in the first look…I cried. I literally cried. As makeup artist Cali Jeffries and hairstylist Jessica Watkins were putting the finishing touches on him, I knew that something truly magical was happening.”
It is that very magic that galvanized an absolutely groundbreaking movement. And I was absolutely honored to speak with commercial, event and travel photographer Ryan Carville – the visionary behind the lens.
Below is what Ryan shared regarding the themes and visuals that inform and influence his work, the key to capturing the perfectly candid photograph and the chance moments in which he sources his inspiration.
I can’t get enough of these images you shot for Love Inc. Magazine. And at such a pivotal point in time for same sex marriage. Can you tell me how you linked up with Love Inc.? And how this whole photoshoot came to fruition?
The transgender cover shoot and editorial was groundbreaking and I was proud to be a part of it. It caught like wildfire on social media and amongst the wedding community. The concept was a brain child of Krista Roser, who is the fashion editor and head stylist for Love Inc. She and Brittny wanted to embrace the beauty that lies within every bride or groom no matter what “gender” you subscribe to. The challenge for this shoot was to make images that were stunning, but not cliché. Striving to make portraits that showed off the beauty of being yourself. Dylan, the talent, was incredible in creating the sense of owning his sexuality in a classic tux to a gorgeous gown. It was truly a team effort which is how all my shoots run. It takes a village to create.
Love Inc. and I have been together since the birth of their magazine. The founder and editor-in-chief, Brittny Drye and I cut our teeth in the industry at the same time in New York City. We met on a photoshoot for Elle Décor - she an editor’s assistant, and I a photo studio manager. We hit it off instantly and became good colleagues and eventually friends.
It was her dream to create the first wedding magazine that just celebrated the wedding. Not type castings of straight or gay…just beautiful, human love. It took some years to make this dream come to life, but Brittny did it. She called me up and in a very sweet, southern tone (that she has being a native of Tennessee) told me she finally pulled it together and needed a photographer to shoot her covers and fashion editorials and couldn’t think of anyone else she could trust to help her vision come to life besides me. Honored, I humbly accepted and three covers and editorials down we are going strong.
Just when I nearly pinpointed you as a portrait photographer, I came across your travel photography. There is such a heightened sense of awareness present in these images. There is as much a sense of celebration as there is a universal curiosity, hope, struggle and kinship. What is it about this variance of photography that speaks to you? And that you wish to convey within your work?
My travel work is something very special to my heart. It has only begun to take shape over the past three years, but I love creating these images. There is a rush for me when I walk the streets of an unfamiliar place. My senses are heightened and everything feels enhanced. I begin to notice all the small details that may otherwise be dismissed. All of my images are actual moments. No production, no staging, no bullshit. These are real people in their true surroundings doing normal things and there is power in that. Being able to capture a moment when someone isn’t aware of your presence is the key.
From portraiture to product stills, travel and kids - your portfolio encapsulates an incredibly wide array of subject. What do you tend to gravitate towards within your work, both personal and commercial? What are your favorite things to shoot?
Since day one, I would ask the opinion of more experienced photographers and their advice was mainly to specialize. But that wasn’t a word I was comfortable with. I am a seeker by nature and to only capture one aspect of life - commercial, travel or personal - would feel limiting to me. The one piece of advice I received that resonated with me was, “Whatever you decide to shoot, just shoot who you are.” And so I did.
I began to build a portfolio specializing in what I love most and what interests me the most - light. It didn’t matter to me what the subject was, if I could master the light I was fulfilled. The more I shot like this, the more I began to focus on how to make whatever was in my viewfinder look its most compelling. My interest in a particular subject matter varies. Too much of anything is never a good thing. I don’t like to be put into a box as it limits my creativity. I will say that my current photographic mood is texture.
I’ve worked with photographers in the past who kept somewhat of an ongoing theme present within all of their work. Would you say there are common themes stringing all or some of your imagery together? Or do you like to keep all of your work uniquely singular?
If I had to find some commonality to connect all of my work, I would go back to the light. Albeit that the lighting styles do vary, the consistency is in the quality and narrative my lighting tells.
For you, was it always photography? Was there that one moment where things kind of just fell into place for you? Or was it a slightly messier journey than that?
The journey was a messy one. After taking a 101 course at high school, I had already begun to be drawn to photography. Tradition areas of study: doctor, engineering and business were the areas I thought I would end up studying at college despite the pull of photography.
Then a life changing event, my mother passing away, forced me to reexamine my choices and really focus on living a life that was going to be fulfilling to me. Photography was the course of study I then began pursuing. Once I finished college, I moved straight to NYC to start my adult life with a camera and a suitcase. I took any job in the industry that I could get. The goal was to make money, be connected and learn how commercial shoots were run. PA, prop stylist, studio manager, photo assistant, digital tech - I worked them all!
Then a good friend of mine told me that If I wanted to truly become a shooting photographer, I needed to devote time to it. To take the risk of not working for other photographers and start shooting myself. Taking his advice, I began to focus on shooting for myself and things honestly just started to happen. Slowly, the phone calls and emails started coming from clients wanting to work with me as a photographer. I have just made the move from the East Coast to the West Coast and in some ways that process is starting again. It has been a ride of ups and downs, but I love my work and am very much looking forward to all the new opportunities.
From where do you source your inspiration?
My inspiration comes to me like a dream. Fleeting moments that appear in front of me so vividly that I am able to feel with all of my senses. The look of a stranger’s face or the way a scarf is blown by the wind. This occurs across all aspects of my work from travel to still life. It’s seeing and acknowledging what has been placed before you. Of course, I also study and marvel at the work of the masters, and my source of inspiration is the world that I am presented with.
What is your one piece of advice for aspiring artists, struggling artists and successful artists alike?
Be your best resilient self. If you are trying to do what has been done, you will almost always end up being the best copy.
To view more of Ryan Carville’s work, visit his site.