Meet Noah Webb: Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Noah Webb and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Noah, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My approach to the balance between work and life is organic because the nature of my work is very unpredictable. I may have a few months in a row where I am working on projects here in the US and abroad with various clients and content needs and then following months may be slow with only sporadic work. So when I take on a new project I try to give it everything in terms of focus and energy and being appreciative of the work in the moment. When I have some down time try to utilize it by working on personal projects which in turn have helped generate paid work down the line. I also like to keep a balance with my physical training like running, swimming and biking. It helps me endure some of my more arduous shoots but also keeps me mentally balanced in the down times. In the end my perspective on my work is that I love what I do and feel lucky to be able to make money at something that gives me satisfaction and fulfillment in life. So work is not so much work to me, it’s what I love to do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My photography work lives both in the commercial and art realms but the perspective and aesthetic thread is evident throughout. I get fulfillment from both making personal art pieces as well as working with clients on commercial projects and both have fed the other in one way or another. I like to think of myself as an image maker because the content and approach is not just one thing. I have a definitive way of seeing and I bring that to a shoot whether it be a portrait on location, an interior of an amazing home or a travel shoot around the globe. I definitely feel like my visual and conceptual thinking was developed while studying for my MFA at Cal Arts. It helped me think about making interesting work and having a vision versus just technical or content driven studies. Once I started to develop a body of work to show others it took years before I started to get my work out there. As with anyone who is not known it is hard to get your foot in the door and have people believe in your work to take a chance on you. During these years I had to keep an optimistic attitude and know that persistence would pay off. I don’t like to over use the word authentic but I do believe being yourself is essential while one is pursuing their passion. The unique signature is what sets people apart from each other not just replicating others or chasing fads that come and go. I like that when I look at my work from both 20 years ago and today I can still see the visual connection. I’d like to think that viewers can tell a photo is mine whether it be a portrait or an interior or abstract art piece.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I had a friend and work colleague come to visit LA from Hong Kong in 2019 before Covid. (Thinking about the itinerary during this pandemic would very different.) I had traveled to Hong Kong 3 times in 2019 and so when he was coming to LA I wanted to share LA experiences that would be unlike his home city. I live in Mar Vista which was home base while he was visiting. Being on the west side I took advantage by doing a fun run along the beach in Playa Vista in the morning. I followed the run by a stroll along Abbot Kinney for some shopping for gifts at Miansai and Stag. Folowed by lunch at Gjelina take away and a pick me up coffee at Blue Bottle. Later in the afternoon I took my friend to one of my favorite spots, a tour of the mid century marvel the Eames house in the pacific palisades. Later that night we met up with other friends and ate at the Tasting Kitchen in Venice. Next day we started the day hiking up Wonder View trail to get a perspective of LA from behind the Hollywood sign. We headed east after the hike to have lunch at the Alcove in Los Feliz followed by a tour of Siverlake. If I was to add other must sees to the itinerary I would also do: dinner at Trois Mec, a visit to LACMA, a drive up PCH with lunch at Neptunes Net. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shed some light on someone who was pivotal in the direction of my career and work, my friend and agent Maren Levinson at Redeye Represents. In 2003, early in my career, I was doing some meetings in San Francisco and I was showing my work to the photo editor at Dwell magazine. The editor at that time was Maren Levinson. I wasn’t confident going into the meeting because in my portfolio I only had portraits, still lifes and landscape images, no architecture or interiors at all. Being a recent graduate with my MFA from Cal Arts my work was not commercial or editorial but more personal and art based. Maren saw something in my work that made her feel confident I could tackle a story for Dwell. Shortly after the meeting I had my first feature story for Dwell and the start of my ongoing interiors ad artictecture work to this day.

Website: www.noahwebb.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahwebb/

Image Credits
All photos by myself, Noah Webb