FEATURED PHOTOGRPAHER: Keitaro Cloward – Reignland
story by Ella Audrey Rae
LA based photographer, Keitaro Cloward has become one of my favorite photographers. I found his work on Instagram when I went looking for a photographer for this issue. He can take any atmosphere and turn it into a work of art. His eye for captivating photos and brilliant film direction make him one of the best. He has worked with Volant Magazine, C-Heads Magaine, Flanelle, and many more.
How did you get into this creative field and what has it done for you being able to create for a living? “I don’t know if I ever “got into this creative field”, I think we are all born creative, it’s more the strict and monotonous fields that you have to try hard to train your mind to get “into”. Creativity is something we’re born with, just some types of creativity aren’t recognized as “creative” in the worlds we live in.”
How do get your inspiration for these amazing shots? “It’s almost always a mutual thing. Either some place or thing one of us has seen inspires us. Or the person without knowing it is inspiration itself and then your mind throws on the scenes textures of light, color and feeling and then we try our best to make it happen.”
How has it been doing photography and creative direction in the pandemic? “All the planning parts are done in the mind, so only the actual shoot days are affected. And being creatives it’s our regular lives to always find the new, restructure, and make a new a way. So the first months were hard and stressful but we’re all learned how to stay safe and create.”
What advice would you give to others in your field to help them get amazing shoots in this time? “Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.”
What has been your favorite project to work on? “Any shoot that I have a lot of time.”
What is the most difficult shoot you worked on and why? “It was a shoot where we had a lot to do, in a very short window of time. And if we didn’t do it all, since it was all connected, then everyone’s time, etc would’ve all been wasted, stress , haha.”
What are your thoughts on the way American’s are standing up for the justice of others? “It’s the minimum, and none of us should only be doing the minimum.
You can view his work here and follow him for more on Instagram.
