Meet Landon Hale | Photographer / Director

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

Hi Landon, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
In life I believe there is only one option and that is to keep going. If you give up on perusing your dreams or the things that are important to you and fuel your passion, you loose the lust of life. It’s pretty much inevitable that tough times will hit you and thats one thing that we all have in common. For the longest time when things got tough I shut down and felt like giving up but the fact of the matter is that things happen and you cant control it. The only thing you can control in life is your actions. I always think to myself, “am I going to regret this if I don’t at least try?” Almost always the answer is yes. It also makes all the hard times worth it once something you have been working really hard on works out. So in closing, never give up and always keep going.

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.
My photography and film style stemmed from skateboarding. When I was young I found all my inspiration through my skateboarding heroes like Jamie Thomas, Ed Templeton, Bam Margera, Richie Jackson and Tony Hawk. The way skateboarders looked at the world and saw obstacles out of every day objects really influenced the way I looked at everything when it comes to photography or film. I loved how every single skateboarder had a different style and vibe to them. It gave originality to everything they did from their fashion to their ticks. I think I adopted that idea when I started doing anything creative. When I shoot music I want there to be motion in the image. I want the shots to be aggressive and close to the subject so the viewer feels like they are there. When I shoot portraits I tend to talk to the subjects and attempt to get a more intimate experience out of the photography process. One of the things about photography that I made an agreement with myself was that if I am photographing it I have to be a part of it. If I’m shooting something I want to be up close and personal and truly experience whatever the subject might be.

Turning the photography and film making into a reality was a huge challenge and wouldn’t be possible without the support and help of other people. I spent my whole life hearing the insecurities of others vocalized towards my ambitions. I had teachers tell me I’ll never make anything out of my life and other people tell me that I shouldn’t bother trying because there will always be better film makers and photographers. But once I realized that these people weren’t happy in their own lives and they were projecting their own negative view on the world to me, it made it easy to use those negative statements as fuel and to just do what I was doing because I loved it and not because I was trying to please anybody else. Once I changed the way I was looking at it my whole world changed and I started getting opportunities that I never thought were possible.

If I have learned one thing along the way it’s to pursue what you love and put all your effort in to that thing. It always works out even if it doesn’t happen the way you thought it would. Your life will have a lot more purpose and meaning if you are stoked on what you are putting your time and energy into.

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?
I travel so much that I feel like I reside in quite a few places. So first things first if I’m giving someone a tour of the city whether it’s LA, Salt Lake or San Diego, we’re going to a punk show. Punk and hardcore are thriving right now and there is such a fun experience getting to dip your toes into these communities even if it’s just for one show. I also love breweries, coffee shops and local food. In Salt Lake I have to shout out Water Witch, Blue Copper, Coffee Garden, Fisher Brewing and TF Brewing. Also huge shoutout to Mark of The Bistro / Beehive, Utah’s first and only vegan straight edge music venue / restaurant.

Honestly without naming specifics the best way to visit any city is to just start walking and start talking to people. Locals know whats up and they can point you to some pretty amazing places. Thats how I found the best things in San Diego and LA and everywhere else I travel. I walk around with my camera, take peoples portraits, talk to them and ask for recommendations. It usually works without fail.

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?
My shoutout is dedicated to a handful of people because without a world of support nothing would happen. First goes to my college professor Channing Lowe for going above and beyond helping me out in the world of filmmaking. Still to this day if I have any questions or needs Channing is always the first person I ask. Second is Kristopher Schooler, who acted as my first mentor right out of college and took a chance on me. It’s years later and we still talk almost every day whether it’s camera tech, movie ideas, photoshoots, etc. we are always in long discussions about anything and everything creative. Third goes out to Sean Gooley, my current business partner and creative go to. Every wild idea I have usually gets pitched to Sean first and his stoke and willingness to create helps bring the whole creative endeavor full circle. Then there is Eric Norris, my childhood best friend who has been the main source of my creative outlet since we were both children. His music and writing has been a huge source of inspiration. Now that we are older I see our worlds overlapping and our different paths of creativity blend and collaborate quite frequently.

Next I absolutely have to mention my everyday support system Cheyenne Smith, who supports me in all aspects of life and lives as an example of passionate action. My sister Gentry Hale who is my best friend and total hype woman when it comes to any sort of idea or project. Gentry also is a grand example of dedicating her life to a creative purpose, journalism. And my parents for supporting both of their children in their creative pursuits and unconventional ways of living.

Last on this list is Salt Lake City Hardcore. This community deserves respect and acknowledgment, because I really cut my teeth in photography shooting and documenting this group of individuals. Thank you for helping me discover my style. Endless respect and love for everyone involved.

Website: www.landonhalemedia.com

Instagram: @landonhale

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landon-hale-593571225/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCThYe9MX5hGFo6iDPIwLWKw

Other: https://www.behance.net/landonhale