Caleb Gaskins is an editorial and documentary photographer focusing in medium format film.
Do you have any tools or practices for getting out of a creative "funk"?
I really like having a routine - especially a morning routine. I make coffee, read for a bit and then write my morning pages. I essentially jot down two pages of whatever comes to mind. It’s a stream of consciousness and it doesn’t have to make sense but over time I’ve found that putting my thoughts down on paper actually frees my mind to think more creatively and be more in tune with my emotions and body. So when I get in a creative rut, continuing to have a routine can help that process of whatever it is I’m working on. I also accept when I am in a rut. It can be annoying for sure, but I try not to force or rush myself to get out of it because it usually doesn’t help.
What are the main influences of your artistic style?
There’s a quote by Gary Winogrand which I think of often and he said, “I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed.” It’s a pretty broad statement in the photo world since there is so much to photograph and in so many ways. But I feel like this has guided me in both my editorial and documentary work. I want to know how I would photograph certain landscapes or people and so much of the time I don’t have a game plan. It’s rare when I try to control every aspect of the shoot. I allow the moment, environment, people, and light to influence how I photograph.
What do you want someone to feel or think of when they see/interact with your work?
Oh, I don’t really know. Art is so subjective. The best thing about art is that it can mean something different for everybody. Whether the viewer finds beauty, tension, honesty, mystery or whatever else may come up, is totally up to them. It’s like dissecting your favorite song, you love it but might not know why. So you try to understand its meaning and lyrics and when you come to your understanding, you hear an interview from the artist regarding that particular song and they describe something entirely different. You may like their original meaning, but you’ve also found comfort in your own.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to make creativity their lifestyle/career?
I wish I didn’t allow other photographers to influence me so much in the beginning. I wanted to have a certain look or be in the same field/genre as my favorite photographers but the more I pursued their photography style, their editing style, the more I didn’t understand mine. I’ve learned to be more comfortable with my editing and decision making when it comes to what I photograph and how I photograph it. And it’s always changing and evolving. But when you have that gut feeling or even just a curiosity on something, let it move you, pursue it. So much of being an artist is finding yourself as a person. Once you discover who you are, and choose to be an ever-present witness to your own evolution then your craft will reflect that.
What is your favorite medium / material /subject to work with?
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