Meet Frank Ishman | Commercial and Fine Art Photographer/ Director & Creative

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

Hi Frank, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

Well let me explain it like this for everyone in one very shot run on paragraph.

I ran out of money my senior year at Morehouse and shifted to the Art Institute of Atlanta where I graduated in photography. The desire to be your own boss is inside every artist so this was somewhat of a no brainer. I paid my dues assisting a lot longer than most partially because I was just scared of not really having a safety net from my family if I failed. I was very aware of the racism on the commercial side of the industry so much like in double dutch I waited and waited for a good time to jump in the game; for me it took 20 yrs of assisting full time and shooting when ever I had free time; the industry isn’t perfect now but it’s a lot better than it was in the past when I started shooting full-time . Thankfully, I had an understanding wife who was a workaholic herself so it all played out fine. I’m not “struggling” anymore but I’m still appreciating every job and still taking chances artistically. I stay true to myself with martial arts, yoga, meditation and outdoor sports like hiking and rock climbing to name a few and if I’m having one of those moments for self reflection I lean into readings from The GITA, Tagore, Du Bois and Cornel West just to name a few.

Now all that being said I love being an artist whether it be commercial or fine art in expression. The best advise to give anyone in the arts especially someone looking to pursue it commercially is that being on time means being there 15 minutes early on every project physically and mentally.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a black kid growing up in a diverse area in Southern California and as much as there was harmony in pockets surrounding my education and home life you still had to learn to navigate all these worlds independently. You were black with your family and black friends (sometime not black enough) and a little less “threatening” with your white friends and their families. I learned very quickly how to compartmentalize my life events a child. This helped in trying to navigate to waters between commercial and fine art worlds and all the hats I have to wear in developing my portfolio and pitching to clients. It’s a lot easier now but not perfect by any means.

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.

Before covid …….. I loved hanging out at my buddies Mark & Johnnie Houston’s bars for beverages and nightlife events. I hope things get back to normal soon and even more people wise up and get vaccinated.

I have alway loved hiking in Griffith Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My shout outs go in this order of how they happened:

1- My Parents
2- My Grand Parents
3- High School art teacher – Suzanne Woerner
4- Creative Margo Weathers
5- Wife Amy Squires
6- Photographer Brigitte Lacombe
7- A talking to from Anthony Minghella in London
8- A talking to from Dr Maya Angelou at her home after a shoot

Tipping point
9- Being jokingly called out on set by David Alan Grier as to why aren’t I shooting while assisting
10- All those first clients that gave chance to step up and friends that connected me with the folks I should meet

Website: www.frankishman.com

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

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