The Looking Glass

Influenced by both fashion photographers and internet bloggers, New York native photographer Chloe Rice gives photojournalism a unique editorial feel.
But in addition to specific artists and authors, it is easy to see from her photos that she could acknowledge the entire world as her inspiration.

Chloe sees trees as “bird umbrellas” and rain clouds as “just parts of the sky that like to laugh until they cry”. In her mind cars all smile, bathroom sinks look embarrassed, and “everything looks prettier with eyelashes”. Luckily, Chloe has a series of cameras to capture all of this imagination that she sees.

Chloe excitedly dove into this Disney project with the technical photo knowledge and creative confidence of an adult as well as a child-like excitement for life. By harnessing these juxtaposing traits (and even enlisting the help of some construction paper, scissors and an extra dash of imagination), Chloe was able to capture the spirit of Disney through a series of fun, colorful, energetic images.

The world of Disney and this series of Chloe’s photos both ask you to remain innovative and inspired, to infinity and beyond!

Elton Anderson’s first encounter with photography was in 2008, after a good friend encouraged him to purchase a camera as a hobby. This was a decision that would not only change Elton’s life but spark a passion that the Detroit-native never knew existed. After only 9 months of shooting and simultaneously building up his savings, he walked away from a well paying job in corporate America, moved to Miami Beach and pursued his newly found creative freedom.

Today, photography has become Elton’s way of connecting with people. With a focus on moments and not necessarily the technical aspects of the business, he’s discovered a philosophy that he now lives by – “life happens outside the studio”. This philosophy, and an amazing eye, has made his work a huge draw for commercial and editorial assignments alike. With a growing client list that includes Disney, Tina Knowles, Black Enterprise and Rolling Stone Magazine, Elton is quickly spreading his philosophy of photography.

Elton remains inspired by his travels, his skateboard and capturing all the moments that this world has to offer.

Ben Van Hook is a commercial film director and photographer who specializes in lifestyle and people. He started his career as a newspaper photographer in Kentucky where he shared in The Pulitzer Prize and went on to work at most major magazines in the U.S. including Sports Illustrated, LIFE, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. Ben won many awards for his work over the years including the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial award for International Photojournalism. He started shooting and directing film advertising work over the past 10 years and now owns his own production company. His work is reflective of his career in photojournalism with an eye towards reality, humanity, serendipity, and a whimsical spirit.

Lindsey is a lifestyle and food photographer from Orange County, California. Her gear tends to be a mixed bag of cameras that include everything from Polaroid to Lomography. In addition to film, Lindsey loves the freedom of shooting with her iPhone which she finds is much easier to carry.

As a longtime resident of southern California, Disneyland was a place we visited often. I love that I can take my own kids and ride the same rides I did when I was their age. For this assignment, I wanted to capture that timelessness about the park using film. Hazy afternoons spent at the Tea Cups and Dumbo were ideal for these shots. The remainder of the time I was on the hunt for bright light and color, two things never in shortage at Disney California Adventure.

Kansas born, Brooklyn-based photographer Matt Rubin began taking photos at the age of 14 and hasn’t stopped since. He is obsessed with the beautiful minutiae of everything around him, but he is especially inspired by his friends and a certain DIY joie-de-vivre shared from a punk rock upbringing. Matt never leaves home without a camera, and he is constantly using it as a way to meet strangers and gain new experiences. “I have met so many amazing people and great friends through photography,” he says. “And all that from simply living in the wild, weird, and wonderful melting pot of New York City.”

Noah Kalina is a photographer living and working in Brooklyn, NY.

For this project, Noah wanted to make photographs of Walt Disney World in a way that hadn’t been seen before. Given the opportunity to make portraits of some of the most famous Disney characters, he knew he wanted to photograph them in a surreal and cinematic style. Making portraits before and after the park was open have given him the ability to create unique scenes that a guest wouldn’t normally be able to see.

Tom Bricker is a travel photographer based in Indianapolis whose work has been published internationally in a myriad of online and print publications. His love for Walt Disney World was sparked by yearly vacations with his parents, Don and Beth. Tom and his wife, Sarah, became engaged on the beach of Disney’s Polynesian Resort in 2007, and they have visited both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort multiple times per year since. When not taking photos in the parks, Tom enjoys relaxing on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. His all-time favorite Disney characters are Dreamfinder and Figment.

Tom’s approach to the Tumblr project involved a heavy use of ultra wide angle lenses to intentionally introduce distortion and converging lines into his architectural photos. This style can give structures and domineering or dramatic look not normally seen. He also used a variety of other lenses and techniques to keep things fresh, and edited his photos with an aim toward striking a balance between realistic and fantastic.