Zoe Wiseman: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Take Stunning Photos

Buck the trends. Learn from them if you must. Create fine art photography that will stand the test of time. Timeless. It is always a joy to view an image and not know what year it was made due to not having an indicator in the photograph. Try not to leave your images in a decade of fads. The longer your images last in this way, the more immortal they become, and a part of you lives on in turn.

As a part of our series “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Take Stunning Photos,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Zoe Wiseman.

A fine art photographer, Zoe Wiseman, embarked on a remarkable journey from being a model to a visionary photographer. Transitioning to photography in 2001, she crafted a unique style blending traditional techniques with modern tools. Her work focuses on fine art and portraiture, emphasizing the strength and mystique of the female form.

Zoe’s photography has gained international acclaim, gracing magazines, books, album covers, and films. She’s an award-winning photographer and has also appeared as a model and photographer in publications, showcasing her versatility. Beyond her creative pursuits, Zoe passionately supports artistic communities. She has been organizing annual artist retreats since 2002, attracting talent worldwide. These gatherings have become renowned, leading to Zoe organizing workshops for prestigious festivals and photographers.

Based in picturesque Malibu, Zoe finds inspiration in her surroundings, sharing her life’s journey with her husband, Charlie Clouser, a Grammy-nominated artist. Zoe’s photographs enrich Charlie’s music, adorning his album covers and promotional materials.

Zoe Wiseman’s story exemplifies the enduring power of passion and creativity. She inspires others to reach new creative heights through her lens and commitment to nurturing artistic communities.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was a fashion and commercial model from childhood to adulthood. When I moved to New Orleans in 1996 and met a couple of photographers there who were more focused on art rather than all the commercial aspects of photography I had been involved with, it intensified my enthusiasm. After a life of fashion, I became an art model. I became more than a mannequin. I was invited to become part of a creative process, and when I tired from playing the model in this role, I picked up the torch for fine art photography with my own vision.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

There are so many stories. Maybe one of the most uplifting was modeling for Leonard Nimoy, then becoming his friend and finding models for him. He made me feel validated without even trying. As I was broadening my photographic horizons and taking darkroom classes, he always wanted to know how I was doing and extended his encouragement. When he showed up at the opening of my first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, I felt a lot less nervous about it. The most generous gesture was getting his last book on photography, The Full Body Project, and finding that he had thanked me inside the pages. Grateful isn’t a poignant enough word to describe how I felt about that.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I don’t believe there are ever mistakes, only lessons. This wasn’t a “first starting” moment, it was years into being a photographer. Two models and I were at this absolutely gorgeous location, and by the end of the shoot, I went to wind the film in my camera, and oops! no film was in the camera. Luckily for me, they were sympathetic. We went through each photograph I made in my head again, and things probably worked out better. That first run was just a practice session. We did have a few laughs about it, though.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I’m an artist, I’m not a company. This means I keep my individualism and don’t rely on a corporate mentality when making my photographs. Maybe that is what makes me stand out. I don’t have to please anyone but myself. I believe that lends a bit of a unique vision that pleases those who view my photography. I don’t have anyone telling me what to photograph, how to photograph, or when. I am my only client.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Try not to get stuck making photographs the same way with the same camera, the same film/software, and the same backdrop. That will drive anyone to madness. Mix it up. Use different lenses, cameras, and lighting. Take chances. Never stop learning! Stop speeding through data cards like there isn’t a limit to how many images you can make in 5 minutes. SLOW DOWN. No one wants to weed through 1,000 images to find ONE. Be intentional before you press the shutter. Pre-visualize what you want before you even set up your scene. Don’t click the shutter until you have what you want before your eyes. Instead of 1000 images per session, make 12. Or be brave and make only 1. If you have only known digital photography, pick up a film camera; this will definitely make you slow down. Then, when you pick up that digital camera again, maybe you won’t weed through mass quantities of images trying to find quality. Quality over quantity.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Overall, my husband. Knowing there is someone always at your side loving you can take you anywhere. He is the most obvious person.

When I started modeling for artists in New Orleans, it was his idea to build a website to show my work, leading to where I am now. The internet was brand new in 1996; everyone had dial-up, and Geocities was all the rage. Maybe I would have made that path on my own eventually. Without his suggestion in that era of time, there are so many people throughout the world I probably wouldn’t know today.

Yet, there are so many photographers and models too. I don’t know how to single one out over all the others. They’ve all contributed goodness in my life.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

I always have a project in the making. There are several I have been building upon since I picked up a camera. Even my new book, Sunkissed 85, which will soon be released, isn’t the end of that project. As an artist, I keep projects to myself until they are released.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I have always had a knack for bringing people together with art. Introducing people to those they need to know. Creating a safe space to relax allows creativity to burst throughout the room. Without my foray into fine art photography and building the community up the way I was able to at the beginning of the internet realm, being an art model might not have led to much reward. A new job was formed with models traveling worldwide to work with fine art photographers. When I was an art model, I didn’t know any other art models, I had to convince my friends to test the waters with me. Curious art enthusiasts would join my site, and then, out of inspiration at seeing our work, they would meet the people I brought in so they could become part of art also. On and on it went until I wasn’t the only website making things happen. Today, there is an abundance, a cornucopia, of photographers and models just getting together to create something. I laid the groundwork for that. I think that is a good thing.

As Kurt Vonnegut said, “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”

Many people’s souls are growing after I created the first fine art nude photography community.

Can you share “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Take Stunning Photos”.

I don’t know what to share as an example; it’s more of a thought process and straightforward common sense that Group f/64 (google that) left us with and which other master photographers after them built upon.

1. Purchase and read every single word Ansel Adams wrote in these three books: The Camera, The Negative, and The Print. It will all still apply if you don’t shoot film. I challenge you not to take another photograph until you finish all three books.

2. Respect each and every scene you point a lens at. Without respect, a photograph will be completely soulless. See every leaf, every spark of light dancing in the water, hair blowing in the wind, shadow contouring a crevice; observe it all before you act. Pointing a lens without love never makes a connection.

3. See the photograph as a print before you click the shutter. Pre-visualize what you are doing. It might take a millisecond to see it before you make it, or it might take years. Imagining the end of what you create before you create it, in my experience, makes better photographs. Spend time daydreaming about what you want to make and slip away to a space to do so peacefully. Doodling is fine to do with pen and paper, but that doesn’t work all the time with photography. Don’t get lucky, be intentional. Maybe it doesn’t end up completely like you envisioned it, but it will be better than trying to get lucky. But don’t discount luck. Sometimes, it will sneak into your intentional plan and make it even better.

4. Don’t ever copy another artist. We see everyone who does this when they share it as if they originated the idea. You won’t get away with it. Find your own unique voice or eye, in this case. There are already Xerox machines in the world. Be influenced! Don’t copy.

5. Buck the trends. Learn from them if you must. Create fine art photography that will stand the test of time. Timeless. It is always a joy to view an image and not know what year it was made due to not having an indicator in the photograph. Try not to leave your images in a decade of fads. The longer your images last in this way, the more immortal they become, and a part of you lives on in turn.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Well, this is a loaded question triggering a thought. On par with that last word: Gun Control.

A girl can dream.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My Instagram: instagram.com/zoewiseman

You can subscribe to my blog and receive my work updates, seen as the photos are intended to be seen, at this link:

http://zoewiseman.com/sunkissed-85-and-my-year-in-life/

My website: http://www.zoewiseman.com

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!