Meet David Powers | Photographer and Art Director

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

Hi David, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I rarely consider balance when I think about my work. It’s not something I consider important. I wake up, work until I am tired or bored or need a snack, and pick it up again after. Some days I work 4 hours, some 18, some none at all.
Many of my heroes seem to stick to these beautiful, regimented, thoughtful practices, but I’ve never been able to do that- I find that consistency is more important than balance and I plan my workload accordingly.

With that said, it definitely has changed over time. When I started taking photos as a full-time job, I would often pull all-nighters to meet deadlines or agree to radically large deliverables. I think balance for me these days is less about the quantity of work I take on, or hours worked, and more about respecting my own time and vision enough to draw better boundaries around the types and quantities of jobs I will take on. Balance is overrated, but boundaries? Those are good.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I didn’t start making photos until relatively late in life- I think I was 21 before I picked up a camera. Prior to that, I thought I wanted to do music and spent my entire childhood and teen years building those skills- but never considered myself to be very capable of creating visual art.

During an especially difficult time of my life, wherein I felt overwhelmed by work, school, volunteer commitments, and a toxic relationship, photography was a simple way to stretch my creative muscles in a super low stakes way.
It didn’t have to be great, or unique, or anything with expectation.
It was just a reprieve, a way to stay curious, a few moments to capture nice light or a simple street portrait before running to catch the bus to my next class.

One of the first times I ever got paid for a photo was after signing up for this platform called Popular Pays. I was working part time at a restaurant, part time doing music for a church, volunteering, and trying to do college courses too.
I think I bid $400 for 3 photos and a feed post on my Instagram for the brand GAP. I knew in an abstract way that $400 was pitifully low for a large corporation like GAP, but it felt like I had won the jackpot- that was roughly what I made in a week from all my other jobs combined.
My dad used to say the difference between a professional and a hobbyist is just that the professional got paid, and in that moment I felt like I was starting a whole new life.

These days, those roles have flipped and photography is the main thing. But I still feel that it is a way to explore my intuition and curiosity about the world and the people around me. I’m drawn to extreme closeups and detailed examinations- of the weathered and slightly imperfect in portraits, objects, & places.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

My spouse and I love to experience new things- eating, drinking, enjoying art and architecture, all of it. With that said, there’s simply too much to get to in a week so I’d focus on a few neighborhoods as well as some nature, starting with the best neighborhood/the one I live in, Highland Park.
For breakfast, we’re hitting Belle’s for a BECA on Everything bagel, washed down with some joe from Collage. After a walk around York and a taco from Villa’s, head to one of the numerous vintage shops or markets (I love the Soft Humans popup that happens on Saturdays once or twice a month). In the afternoon, hike in nearby Altadena before coming back for dinner at newly-opened Highly Likely in HP. Finish the night with a bev at Good Housekeeping.

A big part of what makes LA so sick is the diversity- of people, of experiences, and of nature. My spouse and I try to drive out to Malibu every couple weeks, and out to Joshua Tree every month or few. Out of town visitors are often so shocked to discover that LA doesn’t look just like Venice Beach everywhere.

OK rapid fire, a few other bests-
-Coffee at Maru/Stereoscope/Dayglow
-Burgers at Goldburger/Love Hour/Burger She Wrote
-Drinks at Death&Co/lolo wine bar/Capri Club (i know, it’s kind of a scene, i can’t talk about it)
-Martinis and red gravy at Jones/Bestia/La Doce Vita
-Walt’s
-Cookbook- everything there

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude to for the place I now exist.

The people- my spouse and my first muse, Jenna Powers (@jennapowersphoto); also a much better photographer than I will ever be. I’ve learned nearly everything about what I do by observing what she does. She effortlessly allows others to let their guard down and inhabit themselves and it is a really special thing.

The Brain Trust; a small group of guys who are the smartest and most creative people I know. Every day we log on and make each other laugh, and it fills my life with creativity and joy.

A book that I revisit often is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield; I reread it annually and get absolutely electrified every time. It is good on a biblical level.

Website: https://davidactually.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpowersphoto/

Image Credits
Talent: Corynn Treadwell, Brielle Jolie, Sasha Lee