Michael Schultz
MICHAEL SCHULTZ: “I had been in a creative and life crisis for a while - I wanted to break out and leave my job in the insurance industry for something more meaningful.”
What are your favorite songs you play in your car/at work/bathroom/kitchen right now? : Lately, I've loved listening to Curtis Harding's "If Words Were Flowers" album.
Who are you? Describe yourself in a few words.: I'm Michael! I love taking connected, real, emotion-filled, warm photos for people. I also love music and film and being a father to my three lovely children.
Any plans for the future you would like to talk about ?: I plan to get into more conceptual portraits with projections and colored lighting, that have a moody and film vibe. I was starting to get into the style but then a lockdown happened here, followed by the start of the wedding season. However I plan to get into it a lot more once the season dies down again but here in New Zealand it is about to be Christmas, and then it is peak wedding season from January to April.
Where do you come from? Give us details: I was born in Australia, grew up in South Auckland, New Zealand, and have lived in London and Annemasse, France. I now live in Napier, North Island, New Zealand. Napier is famous for it is Art Deco architecture and the region is famous for it is warm, dry weather, wines, and for relaxed laid-back music concerts.
What move you in this adventure/journey?: My education was in Science, and I have a bachelor's in Health Science but I could never shake the urge to want to create my whole life. I have tried my hand at music, songwriting, and latterly photography. I had been in a creative and life crisis for a while - I wanted to break out and leave my job in the insurance industry for something more meaningful. I became more and more obsessed with photography as a result as my passion for it evolved and as my skills improved.
Is it important to have the support of your loved ones, family, friends?: Yes definitely, I can't do what I do without them. Also, photography works the other way as well - because I am self-employed I can take time off to care for a sick child or go on a school trip or two spend extra time with my children and family.
What are you the proudest of?: I'm really most proud of people who are creative professionals or even just artistic, creative people supporting and admiring some of my work. I think that means more to me than magazine covers or features on big blogs. I suppose it would be like being a musician and having a band whose work you love tell you that they like your music. They know about the work, and they admire what you do. I think that's almost the highest praise.
What kind of jobs did you have before your career took off?: I have been a Podiatrist and worked for insurance companies after that. I worked as an English Language teacher for foreign language students when I lived in London and France. I have always gravitated, whether in a creative industry or not, towards helping people and animals.
If you could interview a creative person (past or present), who would that person be? Please explain your choice.: I'm not sure about the interview, but it would have been lovely to have met Jimi Hendrix. The most amazing musician ever, a truly unique thinker, and such a creative mind. I'd have loved to have gone to his house, politely refused his drugs, and would have wanted to see his guitars and maybe have him jam a bit in front of me and just chat like friends. It would be almost a bathe in his presence type thing rather than asking him hard and fast questions.
Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work?: I think creativity is making sure that you don't clock in and out. That you don't let muscle memory and your eye do all the work for you, that you move above that, beyond that, and try and push yourself even if it means you stumble around and look like you don't know what you're doing or have doubts, even in front of clients or other creatives. If they let you feel comfortable in that and you push through your fears that can be the most exciting thing.
“Your mistakes and fuck ups make you what you are.”
What is your personal life has influenced you to choose your career?: Films, books, and music. I am constantly and consistently inspired by the creativity of others.
What is creativity to you? Do you consider yourself to be creative? Why or why not?: Creativity to me is having a vision. It is being inspired and turning that into some work that you do that produces a result. It is having an eye, or an ear, or a hand, that creates something that gets close to that vision. It is the urge to push through whatever blocks what you want to do to achieve the piece of work.
If you had the chance to live during a different artistic movement other than now, which one would you choose?: Not so much now, but back when I was younger and unmarried I think I would have been quite happy to have lived in the era of film press photojournalism in the 60s to 80s. I think I would have been a film SLR or maybe a rangefinder type of guy, embedded with people and trying to communicate with people and communicate with film. Not one of those guys with immense kits and huge zooms and motor drives and such. A quiet, thoughtful, deliberate type of shooter with a modest kit. I have long admired James Natchwey's demeanor and work because I could identify with his vibe.
Do you believe in destiny?: I think it is important to acknowledge destiny but also to understand that we are more than, and better than, the past or our upbringing or our parents and we should strive to be a better person and try and do inspire the same in others. I have come to learn more and more, especially as a parent, that personal examples and role models are very important.
Do you think that you would be able to teach what you do?: I think so, I have taught in the past.
What inspires you on a daily basis?: At the moment to be a better version of myself than I was the day before both creatively and as a person is what I struggle with, and try and forge ahead with. Sometimes I go backward, and definitely, at times during COVID, a lot of us slid backward. But you've got to go forward. And keep your imagination: "when I was seventeen
My mother said to me
"Don't stop imagining, the day that you do is the day that you die" Youth Lagoon, 17
Who do you define as a visionary?: David Bowie. Denis Villeneuve. Stanley Kubrick. Sebastião Salgado.
Looking at what you have created in the past, would you change anything today?: Probably I would change a lot but it doesn't work that way and I try not to think like that. Your mistakes and fuck ups make you what you are. Which is not the same as being arrogant and unfeeling. I don't like those character traits either.
What made you decide to follow a creative career choice (though possibly risky) rather than something more stable?: I think I tried to not be creative and just be good at a job but something in me just has always wanted to create. It's a compulsion.
What is your inspiration? How has personal experience influenced your creativity?:
How do you know when a piece or project is finished and needs no additional work?: Stuff can always be worked and worked and worked on, honestly you've just got to complete the work and think of it as a product of the time you did the work otherwise you'll never complete it. I mean how many times does Led Zeppelin need to remaster their music? haha
If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your day?: With my family. That's easy.
When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person: When I finally quit a normal paying job to move to a new city and be a creative full time I knew that I had become creative and that it couldn't be questioned in my own mind anymore.
What does it mean to get older for you?: I hate it! It means taking care of your health actively though. This year has been more about my family, health, and mental health. I think the other stuff will flow better if I look after that.
Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?: I think my work does convey a sense of peace and calm in some way.
Who is the most creative person that you have ever known?: I have a friend who is a street artist and muralist and he showed me that artists could be organized and finish work and make a living from being creative. He is always painting, drawing, creating, playing, or designing.
Who would you like to read from (Can you put me in touch with this person?)?: I've admired James Frost work, and Catguts work https://www.instagram.com/catgutsphoto/ a lot lately
What would be your question to this person?: Get them to answer these questions haha!
If you could ask yourself a question, what would it be?: How can you become more of an artist?
And your answer would be?: I don't really know - but I am trying anyway ;-)
ABOUT THE ARTIST
DOB : 30—0231974
LOCATION: NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND
OCCUPATION: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Copyright : AUTO PORTRAIT
CONVERSATIONS AND CLASSES TO INSPIRE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS.
WHERE TO FIND THE ARTIST?
INSTAGRAM: /michael.schultz.photography/
WEBSITE: http://michaelschultz.co.nz
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