meet piper ferguson — celebrity shooter — our newest addition to the roster!

Posted on | December 6, 2011 | No Comments

I wasn’t looking to represent any more photographers the day I received Piper’s email inquiring about representation. After viewing her amazing work and hearing how surprisingly down to earth and genuine she was — there was no doubt in my mind, I wanted to add her to the roster. I’m extremely pleased to announce piper to our already amazing team of photographers. Get to know Piper in the interview below and then go check out her incredible body of work!

Tell me about yourself. Where is home? Family? Places you’ve spent time? Home at this point is LA. I was raised in the Bay Area and spent a lot of time in San Francisco. However, I truly love LA. I love my friends, who are my family. I love the lifestyle, the career opportunities…there is always so much to do, it’s overwhelming in the best way. I hope to live in New York and London one day, to experience the infectious energy and passion for everything art, fashion, music, love, night life… living life. Twice I’ve lived as a crazy youth in Spain, about 8 months each time. There, I went to school, taught English, worked in an Italian restaurant and drank like a Spaniard!

What are five words that describe your style? Saturated. Animated. Modernist. Intimate. Fun.

Where did you go to school or study photography? I went to school and studied photography at the School of Nightlife in Hollywood. I used the Pentax camera manual as my text book when I began taking pictures in the music + club scene. I also claimed Kodak’s 1970’s Photography series of books at a yard sale for 99 cents each, and filled in the gaps. I studied film theory at SFSU, which also stamped grooves in my mind’s visual learning curve.

How long have you been a photographer? I didn’t pick up a camera until 1997. I bought it in an effort to learn lighting, film stocks and composition—to become a better music video director. I ran a mod club for 15 years, so I brought the camera to the club and started documenting the bands that I booked. I also shot many live shows for Goldenvoice, including Coachella every year.

If you had to choose one lens, which would it be and why? I would choose the 50mm 1.4—I use this lens everyday, it’s the most rock and roll lens there is. You can get close and not distort. You can get a shot of a whole room in low light and have focus. It’s what Jim Marshall used to shoot every photo of Dylan, Joplin, Stones, Hendrix, The Doors, Johnny Cash, etc. I’d say it’s a safe choice!

What lighting equipment do you shoot with? The lighting gear I use is very simple. I use Calumet heads and Lumedyne portables. I love my Lumedyne! People make fun of me who use Pro Photo, until they are carrying Pro Photo. My lights do the same thing and weigh a lot less. I call it my “chic kit” because it’s fast and light. Also a big fan of natural lighting in dark venues and on the road.

What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera? My prism filters from the 1960’s. I don’t really use them often, but when I do, it’s a psychedelic dream sequence fantasy for everyone involved.

What’s the best part of being a photographer? The best part of being a photographer is the people and experiences it bring me to. I love music, film, art, and the people who make them. I am fortunate to be around it all of the time, from the moment I wake up ’til the moment I go to bed. THAT is Living The Dream, to me. I was recently given the opportunity to teach kids photography through Pablove Foundation, a foundation for kids with Cancer. I also donate prints for auctions, that raise money for charities. So, I feel good that I can use my skills in such a rewarding way.

The hardest part of your job? The conflict of Art and Commerce.

How do you keep yourself motivated and your photography fresh? I watch a lot of 50’s 60’s 70’s art cinema and a lot of music videos for all the amazing new indie bands. I look at blogs, like American Suburb X, Flickr, Tumblr, and Facebook. I buy magazines like Flaunt, Dazed and Confused, I-D, Filter, Rolling Stone, Spin, Paper, Nylon, Black Book, etc.

Have you ever been published and if so who with? Filter, Rolling Stone, Spin, Mojo Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Rock Pile, Pasadena Magazine, LA Weekly, PDN, Swindle, The Guardian UK, and Plan B Magazine.

What has been your most memorable assignment and why? I would have to say when Shepard Fairey and Roger Gastman asked me to photograph Billy Idol on my Birthday for Swindle Magazine! When I was 13, I went to the Cow Palace with my best friend to see Billy Idol, who was my all time favorite. At one point during the show he was singing Kiss Me Deadly, The Generation X song, and someone threw a shoe at his face and he walked off stage really angry. I think I cried until he came back on. Let’s just say the shoot was an incredible event for me.

If you could shoot an assignment with someone in particular, who would it be and why? I’m inspired by many—from the artists I meet to the people who do my dry cleaning. It really doesn’t matter who they are, or where they come from…their stories just amaze me. I thankfully have new muse’s all the time—men and women. That is another reason I love being in such a cosmopolitan city—I love being around passionate geeky people who are psyched on their lives. That makes me want to be better at what I do.

What is one web site and or blog you visit often? Doug Rickard’s American Suburb X

Who or what inspires you in your personal life and work? Ellen Von Unwerth is a Goddess!

How do you make time for personal photographic work? I go to parties and see live music a lot. I try to bring my camera whenever I can to document the experience. I also have so many friends who are musicians who need shots—I do what I can to help them out because it is always a fun day and it gives me time to experiment.

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