Artist: Natalie Somekh / Interviewer: Rebeca Castillo / Editor: Ash Alexander
Current student Rebeca Castillo interviews rising graduate Natalie Somekh, giving readers insight into her photography on and off the stage. Coming to ArtCenter with significant experience in music photography, Natalie has utilized her time at ArtCenter to expand and refine her skillset, while exploring her style and sensibilities within Fashion Photography.

“Most importantly, no matter what you are going through, it is important to keep creating art. Turn your experiences and feelings into something tangible. I found that even at my lowest points, art has always been there for me. Creating is in my blood. I don’t know who I’d be without photography.”

Explore Natalie’s work: nataliesomekh.com + Instagram

Rebeca: When did you realize that you wanted to pursue photography? What or who inspired you?

Natalie: I have always wanted to be a visual artist. Growing up, I was very independent and always with a camera in-hand. Withholding information about my age, I started working as a freelance photographer when I was sixteen shooting bands and concerts. There was this photographer named Christina Chi Craig that photographed shows at The Observatory in Orange County and I admired her work. I started frequenting the venue and I ended up meeting her. After that, she took me under her wing and taught me a lot. I was really grateful for that. Eventually, I was offered a job there and for the first time I realized that photography could be my career. I was only 17 years old, but I had been photographing shows for a year because I was so passionate about music. I was really inspired by Christina’s style, so I practiced as much as I could. I began photographing my friends who were in a band so I could get experience off-stage, and we collaborated for a long time.

R: When would you say your career began and when did it start to feel real?

N: I think my career officially started when I began working at The Observatory. I was the backup photographer to the house photographer, which was Christina, so we would split the shows. But it started to feel real when I was hired to photograph Coachella by Consequence of Sound and Interscope, since it was a major festival I had been wanting to shoot. I remember photographing Kali Uchis— I took some of my favorite photos at the time. I also will never forget taking photos of the artist St Vincent. That was amazing. She had a great set design.

R: What advice can you give to people pursuing the same field or are wanting to try it?

N: It all comes down to persistence, you have to be confident in your work to be able to get photo passes to concerts at different venues featuring different artists. Also don’t be afraid to follow up on emails, and ask people to give you a shot.

Most importantly, no matter what you are going through, it is important to keep creating art. Turn your experiences and feelings into something tangible. I found that even at my lowest points, art has always been there for me. Creating is in my blood. I don’t know who I’d be without photography.

R: You obviously photograph concerts and music, but you also make gorgeous portraiture and fashion work. Can you tell me about this work? How was the transition from concerts? Have you always wanted to explore these genres as well?

N: I didn't know I wanted to pursue fashion photography until I came to study at ArtCenter. The reason I enrolled at ArtCenter was because I felt like I was good at a specific area of photography– events and music. I saw myself leaning more towards events. People around me were shooting these amazing portraits of musicians, but that was something I just wasn’t doing. So I thought if I went to school I could learn more about portraiture, since I initially wanted to be a portrait photographer. But then I took Michele Laurita's Fashion Photography course and that made me realize that I might want to explore other genres.

The transition was difficult because I’m not an outgoing person. Making these photos is definitely a more intimate, one-on-one experience than what I was used to when shooting shows and events. The more I have worked at it, the easier it has become.

R: What have you learned from photographing concerts that you apply in your personal work? What perspective does it bring?

N: I learned that you have to be able to stand by your work and be confident in what you're putting out. It's okay to mess up sometimes because that's when you might find something fantastic or have the opportunity to expand your style.

R: Do you find parallels between your professional and personal work?

N: I see parallels in lighting. My lighting is pretty dramatic sometimes, so I think it mimics stage lights in a way. I'm used to shooting with very low light at venues, so a lot of my portraiture is made in low light as well. The adding and subtracting of light to create an optical phenomena invigorates my creative drive. I am obsessed with details, textures, and painting with light to tell stories. I want to capture the essence of human beings – a snapshot of who they are and what they represent.

R: What projects are you working on right now? What inspires you to create work?

N: I’m currently working on my Grad Show, which has been really inspiring me to keep shooting and connecting with different stylists and makeup artists. I think that’s what gives me life— the connection between collaborators. To me, collaboration is where the magic happens. I love pulling from the full spectrum of experiences and I am captivated by the people I work alongside: models, artists, stylists, creative directors, and more. Being about to graduate is intimidating, but it's exhilarating because I get to start my career again and possibly go on tour or towards a fashion career.

R: What does life look like for you after ArtCenter? Where does your career and your work stand, and where are you hoping to go from here?

N: I want to work on my connections with different creatives, and hopefully one day I’ll shoot for Vogue or other magazines. Another goal of mine is to document a musician’s life from the beginning of their career. I would love to document life on the road again. Hopefully it’s with someone who is passionate.

I have also been thinking about pursuing work that mixes both of my styles and passions together: music and fashion. I want to find a way to do both because nowadays everything intersects. Sometimes you see musicians in runway shows, like Arca just walked for Mugler and Charlie XCX did a campaign for JW Anderson. I am happy that I can make work where both of my passions meet, and that they can be part of the same world.