Meet Johanna Siegmann | Photographer

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

Hi Johanna, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
That there is some sort of secret formula for success.

In fact, I think the opposite is true. If you read about the lives of some of the world’s most successful people, most of them got to where they were in unusual ways. Some had mentors who saw traits in them. Some hit rock bottom and found their path through recovery. Some had hit-and-miss careers for most of their lives until they found their thing. This is true for artists, or business people.

If there is a common theme at all it’s that they had a vision at some point, persisted, and didn’t give up.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Perhaps one of my more distinct qualities is my ability to sense other people’s energy. I can instantly assess where my subject’s energy is at and modulate my own to match it. Whether my subjects are human and/or animal! This is especially relevant and useful with my pet portraiture, which is my passion. I create relationship photos of people with their pets, each one unique to that relationship. The most common phrase I hear after my shoots is “how did you get him to do that”? And it’s because the first thing I do when I arrive is to meet the pet wherever they are, energetically. So they trust me.

Getting to this point was quite a circuitous route. I was in theater for 30 years, performing, and also directing. I was a writer for most of my life until chemo for breast cancer in 2007 changed how my brain handles words. I could no longer hold a story in my head, and couldn’t writing it down fast enough. Which led me to photography. I could definitely hold a single image in my head, which I could then translate into a photograph. I suppose in retrospect, every one of my “careers” gave me skills that I find very useful in photography: working with a wide range of personalities, thinking on my feet, creative problem-solving, collaboration, lighting, wardrobe, my sense of color and drama. My mother was a very well-known sculptor in Mexico, so I was exposed to every kind of art from a very early age, and met all manner of famous and eccentric artists.

My father traveled a lot for business, and as a result, all of us got to travel. I think this led to a more broad-minded outlook on the world than most people have. So my work is also informed by the wide mix of cultures that I’ve experienced.

The most important lesson I think I’ve ever learned is that you don’t have to know all the answers. When I was directing theater, I would panic if I didn’t know what I wanted from a scene or from an actor. And then the incredibly empowering rush when I realized that other people might have an idea if I just allowed them to express it. It changed my life and led me to be a very collaborative person. I love working on projects with other people, helping each other manifest an artistic vision.

This year I published a collection of my pet portraits, called “In Good Company (Notable People with their Pets)”, featuring an amazing array of notable people from not just show biz, but from art, literature, science, music, politics… But some of the most touching moments are of people whose pet passed not long after our shoot. They express such gratitude at my having created such a beautiful memory. Then there are those who for whatever reason were unable to schedule a shoot, and express remorse at not having gotten an image to remember them by. So not only do I do pet portraits, but also senior pet portraits. People sudden realize that their pet is nearing the end of their lives and want to get an image that shows their relationship.

I’ve also started doing corporate portraits for companies with an online presence. With so much of our business being conducted on line, having great photos of your team is also great for business. I bring the same approach of individuality to my corporate portraits, to convey a sense of personality to the site visitor, and not just the team’s likeness.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, that’s not fair! L.A. is just so vast!

First of all, it would depend on the guest – I would tailor my tour to their tastes. Some people like cultural stuff, others like landscapes, others just want to have fun.

But I live in Los Feliz, so I take almost everyone to Griffith Observatory. There are so many great eateries in this neighborhood that I’ll start out here, maybe at an old favorite like Farfalla, or one of the newer spots like Tu Madre or Mirate. Also, if it’s in season, I take them to the Hollywood Bowl, and dine there at either the Backyard or Ann’s Wine Bar.

If they want to go to the ocean, I’d do a tour starting in Venice Beach, then up to the Santa Monica Pier and Palisades, and end up in Malibu.

I’d spend a day in downtown L.A. and take them to the Broad, Disney Hall, and the Music Center, and to check out the downtown library, and some historic buildings like the Bradbury Building and the Million Dollar Theater. Depending on what food they were in the mood for, we could go really lowbrow like The Pantry, or super high end like 71 Above.

I also love Descanso Gardens and the Huntington Library and Gardens. Time permitting, I’d treat them to High Tea in the Rose Garden.

There are a ton of museums everywhere, but for sure I’d take them to the new Motion Picture Museum “Death Star”, because it’s so cool, and then to LACMA and the Tar Pits. However, if they wanted to do the Hollywood thing, I’d send them on a double-decker tour through Hollywood

Nightlife is a whole other thing. I love Catalina Bar and Grill, but also Herve’s in Santa Monica. A friend of mine performs there every Monday night.

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?
This is so hard!! I think that help and support, especially in the arts, is the only way to succeed.

My earliest supporter was actually photographer Bob Killen, who in collaboration with the National Park Service, chose me to be the artist-in-residence for the Mojave National Preserve. They saw something in me, and nurtured my budding photography career.

I also have to thank Julia Dean, an extraordinary street photographer, whose workshops helped nurture my emerging portraiture style, and gave me the opportunity to teach a workshop of my own on how to work with models.

The brilliant Brooke Shaden introduced me to the world of compositing.

A couple of contests UPOTY (Urban Photographer of the Year) and the International Portrait Photographer of the Year – chose me as a finalist from amongst thousands of entries, further reassuring me of my skill with both people and with my camera.

It goes without saying that friends and family are also critical in supporting artists, and so often go unacknowledged. They are there to celebrate the successes, and offer support and consoling with the self-doubt arises. They are sounding boards, and cheerleaders; assistants on occasion, and even models.

Website: www.JohannaSiegmann.com

Instagram: @supertographer

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063584292373

Image Credits
These are the models. 1. Diana Barabash 2. Carl Hunter 3. Dana Peterson 4. Dave Scott 5. Gren Wells 6. J. Bruce Camino 7. Lu Parker 8. Mel Gorham 9. Cherie Shore