For most of us, it takes many years if not a lifetime to develop a skill. It takes even longer to refine that skill until it becomes a feasible career. If you are artist, Joshua Shultz, it only takes four short years to establish yourself in one of the hardest industries there is.
Shultz is an eager, creative and assiduous Los Angeles native, and if there is anything that I've learned from the few times I have met him, he knows how to work the room. But that is necessary in Los Angeles, and that is necessary when you are climbing to the zenith of a successful career as a director and photographer. His drive to connect with the cream of the crop is one of the many reasons Shultz's artistic career blossomed in such a short amount of time.
At 7 years old, Shultz was sketching and painting, learning about composition, shadows, framing and the importance of storytelling through an image. He saved his allowance, purchased a coffee table book on Special Effects and began building and destroying sets. His love for art eventually overtook his plan of becoming a business exec, and Shultz dove head first into the film industry without any formal education. At 28, an idea of merging his business knowledge with film drove Shultz to meet a director, tell him that he was a producer and then self-teach his way through the film industry. With producing a music video for the frontman of Incubus as his first gig, Shultz's career quickly took off.
I had to be quick on my feet and absorb everything I was doing and seeing. I looked confident, but I was sweating with nerves. A friend of mine later asked to do a photoshoot and I fell in love with photography. After being told you 'have something that cannot be taught' (an artistic eye), it was impossible to look back. I taught myself the technical side of things, learned which parts of the camera triggered which emotion inside of me, and I just began shooting. Risky, but completely worth it.
Most of the photographs and film that Joshua Shultz creates center around his clients, whom are usually celebrities, notable bands and large companies. But his work is not a reflection of who is handing over money, it is a portal into the mind of someone who filters beauty through a compassionate eye and is keen on creating individual worlds devoted to these people. With a Canon, natural light and two lenses, Shultz creates photos that are crisp, focused and highlight nuance details. His goal is to capture an image that is nearly impossible to look away from. In many of his photographs, one can easily see a comfort and a "dance" that comes with knowing your subjects while developing an artistic, unbreakable rhythm.
Although photography is an absolute love in his life, directing is his real passion. There is a clear correlation between Shultz's photographs and his film, in the sense that visual storytelling is high priority...and it shows.
Everything I do is research for directing. When I take photos, it's an investigation and an experiment but it's also a way for me to bring beauty into the world. It also becomes clear that art is subjective, and that fascinates me. Photography gives me the opportunity to display emotions in just one still. If I shoot an attractive woman, I figure out the line between 'too much' and sexy, and I can bring that into my directing. If I shoot a man who radiates with confidence, I can figure out the best method that depicts that pleasantly and not obnoxiously. Everything I do has a purpose. In a world full of photos and film, I am working to stand out. I want to create art that fixates an audience.
With the classics in mind, Shultz's style is simple and timeless. Each detail of movement, wrinkle of expression and contrast of environment is a practical and compelling charge of emotions. And even when shot in black and white, he seems to make his subjects glow. Although some of his clients are household names, Shultz keeps his work an artform and manages to stray away from giving off any sort of acquisitive impression. His most recent projects include music for Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff, Juliet Simms and indie singer songwriter, Aubrie Wienholt. Currently in pre-production are both a Thriller feature film and a Sci-Fi short, in which Joshua will channel his inner Kubrick, bring back traditional techniques and use Practical Effects.
On December 11th, Joshua Shultz is hosting his first major public art show in Los Angeles. There, he will display his photography as well as project a loop of some of his film work. Premiering will be his new music video as well as his new commercial.
"I want everyone to be inspired when they leave. My mission is to give rise to other artists and motivate them to create. The room will be flooded with artists, and those people, those artists, they are not competition, they are family. Art shows are a celebration for all of the beauty put out in the world."
You can attend Joshua Shultz's art show December 11th, 2015 7pm at 1816 N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles
You can also keep up with Shultz by visiting his website: www.joshuashultz.com
Photos courtesy of Joshua Shultz