Today we’d like to introduce you to David Poznic.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I took my first photography class at UC Santa Cruz in 1997, and instantly fell in love with the magic of photography. I was shooting black and white film and developing by hand in the dark room, and right away I knew I’d be in love with this art for the rest of my life.
After college, I followed my career as an acrobat / dancer / actor and spent 15 years traveling to over 30 countries around the world, always with a camera by my side. I fell in love with capturing the world through the lens, and explored many forms of photography, from portraits in villages in India to photojournalism, macro, nature, and street photography.
In 2018 our daughter was about to be born, and we moved from Paris, France to Santa Cruz, California to start our family. For the first time in decades I lived in one place, and was finally able to officially launch a career as a photographer. I still shoot a variety of genres, including my very favorite (in-water surf photography), but these days the bulk of my career is photographing weddings, events, and headshots.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since I started working professionally as a photographer, things have actually been pretty smooth. By the time I got paid for my very first gig in 2019, I’d already been shooting around the world for over 20 years, so I’d put in the time to hone my craft and to feel comfortable in a variety of settings.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
There are two things I probably hear about more than anything else: My ability to capture real moments and emotions, and my tendency to climb things to get the shot.
I have Aphantasia, which is basically the opposite side of the spectrum of photographic memory, meaning I can’t visualize anything in my head at all. If I close my eyes, I have no idea what my wife or daughter look like, and I can’t remember huge chunks of my own life in any meaningful way.
So photography is more to me than a “visual” art. It is the sole method I’ve ever had to capture my own life so that I can remember the places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen, and – most importantly – the way it felt. So my camera has always been a crucial part of my own autobiographical memory, and I carry that deep connection to capturing real memories and emotions into my work as a wedding and event photographer.
I love taking beautiful photographs and I’m constantly searching for unique ways to use light and unexpected backgrounds and compositions. But more than that, my deepest passion is taking photos that a client can look back on years from now and be teleported right back into the actual emotion of the moment.
Then there’s the part where I’m a professional acrobat. I have quite a few Google reviews that mention I climbed a tree or building or some other obstacle to get a shot from a special angle. I move quickly and will do truly whatever it takes to get the shot.
Also, due to my background as both a street photographer and a professional performer, I’m very versatile in how I shoot. I spent years training to be able to take photos without the subject knowing I was taking one, so I’m able to really disappear when appropriate to capture intimate moments without intruding in any way. But I’m also great with people, and am always ready to wrangle the crowd, get everyone laughing, and have a whole slew of fake, bad accents to get grown-ups feeling relaxed in front of the camera, as well as some solid animal noises and beatboxing skills for the kiddos!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’ve certainly read books and watched plenty of videos about photography, especially when I got into wedding photography. But the strongest influences on my work actually come from outside of photography. Specifically my work as a professional theatrical mask-maker, and my tutelage under my Italian mentor, world-renowned mask-maker Matteo Destro.
Making theatrical masks by hand taught me to completely rethink what visual art can be. When we see a mask, we think we know who the character “is.” But as soon as someone puts it on and breathes into it, it looks completely different. Then if a second person puts on the same mask, we see yet again a totally different character.
Matteo would always say, “the mask is not the mask!” And similarly, I believe “the photo is not the photo.” We might be able to describe the visual layout of a photo in a way that would be similar to how most other people would describe it. But if all a photo does is inspire someone to describe it visually like a map, then by my values, the photo has failed.
My goal is to take photos that will be experienced differently be each person. That bring out sharp emotions and connections to memory and somatics, that allow the viewer to not only see but to feel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.davidpoznicphotography.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidpoznic
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/davidpoznic
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidpoznicphotography/
