Jack Scoresby. Maybe the name doesn’t invoke in everyone the same respect and gratitude that it does in me – but that’s only because not everyone knows him. Yet.

I remember Jack emailed me a long time ago and told me he wanted to buy a print. And then emailed me back about a week later and said he couldn’t buy a print anymore because he spent all his money on his birthday party. I looked at the pictures from said party, complete with blow-up castle, lap dances and more alcohol than ever was before – I couldn’t be upset about money so well spent. Since then, Jack and I have developed a great friendship and he has become a major inspiration to me.

Jack’s photos are dark and sexy and strong and vulnerable and violent and soft. Much of his work deals with extremes and polarizations; it’s these contrasts that make his work so captivating, and it’s what makes Jack as an artist so interesting. His 365 Days project—a self-portrait taken every day for a year—was 365 lessons in pushing the limits of creativity, resourcefulness, and intensity. His latest photos coming out of Japan show a new growth in terms of process and perspective. I recently got the opportunity to ask Jack some questions about his photography, life in Japan, and his future artistic endeavors. Ladies and Gentlemen, the very sexy, very talented, very manly, very honest, very fucking wonderful, Jack Scoresby.

I know photography is just one of your many talents; you also write and act and probably are capable of other things I am as of yet unaware of. Did you always have a creative drive? Or did your creativity click later in life? What sparked it?

It definitely clicked. I was in the 8th grade and had this huge crush on a girl named Kiley Rard. She was just perfect; brains, beauty, kindness, and a great sense of humor. Totally out of my league at the time, because I was still that kid that everyone made fun of. She was very nice to me though. I had always been a voracious reader, even as a child reading two novels a week usually, so I had ideas for things to write. She liked writing as well so to have something else to talk to her about I started writing poems and short stories and asking her to read them. She loved them, or at least said she did, and things sort of snowballed from there. She moved away at the end of that year, but I took Drama for four years in high school after that and continued writing for all of it. I briefly majored in film learning the technical side of things like lighting, sound, directing, finances, camera work, etc. I stayed involved in the theatre for a long time after high school as well. Eventually I got interested in photography because of how much I enjoyed the lighting class at college and because an ex-girlfriend of mine modeled for some private photos for me at my birthday party, which I thought turned out pretty decent. I thought I might be good at that too. But bringing this answer back to the original question, I think everything I do that’s artistic can be traced back to Kiley for giving me the initial motivation and resulting confidence in my creativity and imagination. I always had the imagination, but she focused it and gave me pride in showing it off.

In many of your 365 photos, you seemed to find yourself defending the content of your photos – specifically concerning how you portray women. What did you think of this reaction, and did it change your way of thinking about your photography in anyway?

A majority of the women I photograph are close friends of mine, so that’s probably why I defend the content when it concerns them. I don’t use sexuality as a prominent theme very often I don’t think, besides my pinup work. I used nudity even less. It offends me when people see something in my photos I didn’t put there, then they attack me for it. I realize that any photo will be only about 20% of the whole idea someone forms when they view it, but that’s also the reason it bothers me. I have never photographed any woman in a way they were uncomfortable with and I have never presented women as anything but beautiful and/or powerful figures in my art. So when someone says it’s porn or it’s degrading, it’s insulting. It’s like they’re calling me a liar. I present something with my work, and the viewer does the rest of the imagination. That’s with any art. I don’t feel I should be vilified when they imagine something into it that I didn’t put there then get offended by it.

Initially it did change the way I viewed my photography, but as I explored and developed more it began to bother me less, especially as I learned more about the photographer/audience relationship. Often I find that when I’m in disagreement with someone over the content of my work, be it sexuality or violence or anything else, that person does far less to understand it than I do to understand their work or why they feel the way they do. Ultimately it’s made me imagine things differently, but controversy is a reaction like any other, and as an artist a reaction is what I strive for be it positive or negative. I think the positive feedback I receive is usually much better constructed and from much more accomplished and artistic people than the negative, even from artists who don’t explore sexuality and violence at all. I’m of the opinion now that I’m generally more mature and more open to art and the world than the people who tell me my work is irresponsible or offensive. It’s almost become it’s own unique compliment now to be insulted by people who I don’t have anything in common with anyway. It’s like I’m doing something right.

One of my favourite things about your photography is the contradictions in how you portray yourself – and to an extent your subjects. One day you can be a crazy killer, the next a vulnerable man, the next a goofy playboy king of hot women. What compels you to portray so many different characters and emotions in your work?

Escapism. I like to wear different hats, and I like to remake myself sometimes. It’s a persona/personality thing, where the personality is how you are, and the persona is what you want people to see you as. Sometimes I like to be me, but a lot of times I like to be something else for a little bit. It’s very interesting to look at a photo of yourself being something you’re not, or doing something you never did. It’s like looking into another world because there you are in living color doing it, but it wasn’t real. I’m not violent or a playboy by any means, but sometimes I like to see what it’d be like if I was. The theatre background probably doesn’t hurt either, and I do tend to view a lot of my photos as pieces of a story. Many photos I take I think are actually the moment right before, or the moment after the real moment the photo is about. I like people to imagine for themselves what came before, or what happens next, and make a story that way. To do that the people in my photos (be them myself or others) are playing characters and roles to communicate that. It’s all a play on emotion and trying to get people to feel certain ones. Ultimately it all comes from me, and I’m a little bit of everything in my photos, but the photos are all extremes and exaggerations built on truth, but in the end it’s just theatre.

I know you are an excellent writer, but maybe not everyone does. Are you going to try to pursue this further, or at least maybe show the world a little more of your stories?

I am actually currently working on a novel. Hopefully a trilogy. I’m not going to say too much about it besides it’s a science fiction/fantasy story. As far as writing goes that’s where my main focus will be for a while. I’ll continue to write short stories but probably won’t do anything public with them until I’ve accumulated enough. I have no idea what amount “enough” will be, but at that point I might find a place online to put them and make them public.

Since you were deployed to Japan (being in the Navy and all), how has your creative view changed, if at all?

So far it’s definitely expanded my creative view. I mean how could it not? I get to see things I’ve never seen before, and familiar things have a new tint in the lense when I look at them again. I want to get a little more real with my photos, but still keep all that theatre I was talking about earlier. Maybe move from doing plays to doing films if that makes sense. I want to stop using stages in the form of studios and backdrops and I want to shoot on location. I want to start making the stories the photos tell more real in that respect.

One thing I’ve been interested in doing here, and will be starting soon is documenting the homeless in Japan. The class difference is really interesting in a very sad way, and to see the haves and have-nots in such close proximity in such an advanced and flourishing place such as Shibuya for example is something I really think everyone should see.

Have you found new inspirations in Japan that you would never have thought of back in America?

I accidentally answered part of this already with the homeless idea, but there’s a lot of other things on my mind as well. I want to go more into the modern culture here that’s unique to Japan first and foremost, but on a more general scale I want to do more urban work and a lot more with available and natural light. Being from Oklahoma, a lot of how dense and populated it is here is very new and beautiful to me. I want to capture that as I see it while I’m here. I have a love for the cities here and how busy things are on a constant basis. And again, the culture here is fascinating. I want to remember it and I want it to be remembered, so I’m looking to incorporate it in my work while I’m here.

Since I met you online, I think it’s appropriate to have an Internet question. Tell me how the Internet has affected you and the development of your art?

It’s had a huge affect. I mentioned I’m a theatre geek, and as such I enjoy attention, so the Internet has given me a large audience to show my work to. Not only that, but it’s given me an audience of people who I can pay attention to, and appreciate, and learn about. It’s helped me grow in so many ways, both imaginatively, and in just how many people know me for my work. I’ve made some great friends online who are both artists and passionate about the same things I am, and I think that’s a really amazing thing to be able to share with those people. The Internet has given me feedback and a spider web of connections to friends and inspirations that have made me a hundred times more creative than I ever was. The audience it’s provided me also gives me the motivation to continue doing photography and to continue to love doing it, because what artist wants to perform for an empty house?

So many people use pseudonym’s online, or pen names associated with their work. Jack Scoresby is not your real name. Why create the distinction between Jack and Jacob?

A lot of people ask me sometimes if Jack and Jacob are two separate people. I’ve even had people ask me if certain photos are of Jack and others of Jacob. I’ve always kind of thought that was ridiculous. Jack Scoresby is a pen name of mine of course, and I’ve considered it a character as well. I think the best explanation comes from an earlier answer where I mentioned the personality and persona. Jack Scoresby is my persona. Jack is me as I like to be seen, but Jack is still me in every way. Every photo I take of myself is of Jack Scoresby, and it’s also of me. There’s not really a distinction between the two. As to why I’d create another name to go by, Jack Scoresby comes from two different names. Jack London, my favorite author, and Lee Scoresby, a character from my favorite story. I think it suits me and my feelings at times, and its origin is a homage to artists and art that I enjoy. I thought it would be a fine name to go by when making art of my own. I think if there is a distinction to be made, then it only goes as far as persona/personality. Jack is just the hat I wear when I’m creating things.

And now I’m going to steal a question from Justin Holt from when he interviewed me, because it was a good one. A hypothetical: Someone comes across your photo stream – what do you want them to get from your photography?

Honestly I’m not looking for the audience to get anything. I’m selfish and I want something from them. I want a reaction. I want them to feel something, to have a mental or emotional response to my work that makes them form a new thought they never had before, or revisit a memory that’s powerful to them. I guess that’s what I’d want them to get; a new thought they never had before.

Who are some of your all time favourite photographers? Show us a photograph you’d wish you’d taken.

Besides you? I’ve never made it a secret you’re my favorite photographer. I might as well discredit this whole interview right here and now. I’m kidding. Anyway, a lot of my favorite photographers are from flickr. I’d say I’d have to mention Stephen Poff, Chad Coombs, J.R. Blackwell, Sable O’Driscoll, Mark Velasquez, Chad Michael Ward, Billy Bofh (A.K.A. MonkeyTwizzle), Chase Lisbon, Pilar Castro, Lars Venner, Rune T, Lauren Peralta and many others I’m sure. As for a photo I wish I’d taken, I feel I’ve never done enough when I’ve been around J.R. Blackwell, and she’s done some amazing work in the 365 days project she’s just completed. I think this shot is way up there on the “Shots I wish I’d taken” list.

What do you see for yourself as an artist in the future? More photography? Writing? Acting?

I’ll always be pursuing photography. I don’t think that will ever stop; though I also don’t think I’ll ever want to do it professionally. I want to write more and I am, and maybe someday I might be able to make a living at it. I’ll always be open to acting as well as I do enjoy being involved in the theatre and in film, despite a long absence from it. We’ll see how that pans out.

Realistically I know that being successful—enough money to make a comfortable living successful that is—isn’t likely in any of these fields, so I’ve decided to go to school and become a high-school drama teacher if all else fails, or even if it doesn’t fail. It’s something I think I would really enjoy and be good at, or else I wouldn’t bother trying to do it.

Basically no matter what I’m going to be involved in the arts somehow. I really don’t think it’s in me not to be. I’m not too sure on the specifics, but as long as I’m around I’ll be making something I’m going to want other people to see.

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Interviewee Jack Scoresby’s ever-evolving work can be found at flickr.

Interviewer Katie West is a Canadian photographer, writer, and all around creative soul.  Her first book, low self-esteem, was published in 2008

“I won’t settle nope not a little bit.”

If it sounds like a proclamation it should, and it comes beautifully by way of Emma-Lee, Canadian singer-songwriter on “Where You Want To Be.” Since last time we heard from her she has managed to get exactly where she wants to be. Her debut album, Never Just A Dream, which was given 4/4 stars from the Toronto Star—and also fared quite nicely with Oxyfication—is a brilliant beginning-to-end coming-of-age listening experience that defies genre classification. For the better part of the two years leading up to the recording of Never Just A Dream, however, it seemed as if the reality of it coming to fruition might be in danger. Emma-Lee faced two potentially career-ending-before-it-had-a-chance-to-begin medical hurdles that resulted in two separate surgeries on her vocal chords. At 25-years old, more resilient and determined than ever, recording wrapped on the album in mid-2008 and was released in August. On the album Emma-Lee played the songstress-of-all-trades: writing, singing, co-producing, photographing, promoting, and chief financing the project. The wearing of many different hats is nothing new for Emma-Lee. She runs her own photography business, Stripped Media, and she’s a founding member of the Toronto-based creative-collective, GoodSoundsGood. In a brief moment of downtime Emma-Lee stopped by Oxyfication to answer all things pertaining to Never Just A Dream, from what it felt like to finally finish the album, to what it’s like being the object of affection of the Viagra-popping generation.

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So it’s been over two-and-a-half years since you first spoke with Oxyfication. In our first interview you stated your goal was to record your first full-length album and now on the eve of its August 8^th 2008 official release, Never Just A Dream becomes a full-fledge reality. For starters, has it finally set in yet that you’ve done it, and if so when was that moment? Was it hearing the finished product in the studio, when the disk arrived on your doorstep, or if so/not, what were those moments like?

I think the moment for me was when the vocals were officially done. Before mixing, mastering and packaging, I knew all those things would be done one way or another but because of the surgery, and my nervousness about whether or not I could sing the way I used to, it was a true victory when I had completed that part of the project.

Early response to Never Just A Dream has been extremely positive, including a nomination in the “Best Jazz” category of Toronto’s Independent Music Awards as well as a nod in the Toronto Star’s weekly “Anti-Hit” list of the best-undiscovered musicians. What do these honors feel like? Are they strictly a validation thing for all of the hard work? Are they something you worked towards/hoped for? Or is all of it just an added bonus to accomplishing something that you’ve proud of?

It’s always nice to get a positive reaction from people. You pour your heart into something and at the end of the day I’m very proud of the record, so I guess people enjoying what I’ve done is a bit of a bonus. I’m always grateful for the added exposure though.

What has been your favorite or most fulfilling moment in all of this so far?

For me it’s watching the songs come alive by way of my amazing band. I’m blessed with a lot of talent around me who believe in the project, which is very encouraging. The world is so fast now and everyone is so busy. If someone is willing to lend me their time because they believe in the music, that’s probably the most fulfilling thing about what I do.

Back in 2006 you spoke of making an album that “flows like a story.” The obvious theme of Never Just A Dream would seem to be rooted in heartache, yet there is a strong sense of redemption in songs such as “Flow”, “Isn’t It Obvious”, and “Mr. Buttonlip” that it seems if there’s any real sense of cohesiveness in terms of an overall story it’s of a woman—or person for that matter—who is coming into their own, who feels comfortable in their own skin, as scarred as it may be. Considering some of these songs are years older than others did you still have a cognizant theme in mind when you were putting the album together, are they more a collection of songs that happen to skate in familiar waters, or were they perhaps just the songs that fit best with what you wanted to say?

I would say they are a collection of songs. The three you mentioned are all about one person and play out on the album in order of which they were written: the sadness of the break-up, the trouble that comes from trying to remain friends, and the inevitable angry or “fuck you” song. The rest of the songs on the album are more or less things that took place in the last few years of my life and just sort of “fit”. For a debut album I wanted something that people could put on start to finish, but it is by no means a concept record.

The lyrical content seems to be familiar territory on the album’s first run through, but the lyrics reveal many intricacies on subsequent listens. Possession and the pitfalls of couplehood seem to be a recurring theme– and then comes a song like “Where You Want To Be”, which is on a different plane. With such an economy of words the song floats through some tricky states of mind— there are shades of comfort, tenacity, and disappointment here. Do you approach a song like this by trying to abbreviate a distinct narrative you’ve got in mind, or are you working purely in abstracts that, when paired with the music, evoke a pure mood?

“Where You Want to Be” is sort of an observation on people who are complacent with where they are in life and never chase anything further. I’ve had a few friends who seemed to settle quite early on and never dreamed of anything that wasn’t directly in their reach and I never really understood it. It angers me a bit when people who I know are full of potential or talent, but just sort of give in to being comfortable, even if that means sacrificing a dream.

The song “Flow” has undergone a facelift since its first appearance on The Sneak Peek E.P. Though the melody and spirit of the song remain the same it’s a completely different song. Why did you decide to change the song? Was it strictly a matter of having more at your disposal now than when you initially recorded it? Did the song mature, did the way you sing it perhaps mature, or was this the way you heard it sound in your mind all along?

Definitely the first version of “Flow” was never in my mind “complete”. I think a song can be done a million different ways. That’s what makes music so exciting. A big part of the change in the way it sounds was removing the electric guitar and replacing it with piano for the intro. Tyler Yarema, who plays all of the piano and organ on the album, came into the studio and I told him to just experiment with playing the intro verse a few different ways. When he played this ultra-minimalist take I just knew it was right. He barely knew the song and his intuition was just so bang-on. I think he did maybe three takes of the song and that was the one we (Mitch Girio, my co-producer) and I chose. Vocally, I had definitely improved and matured since the first recording. I’ve laid off the over-done runs that often happen in that genre as I found they often can be distracting from the real message in the music and lyrics. It took me awhile to tune into that. I know now that I don’t have to show off my vocal acrobatics to get my point across.

In terms of the structure of how the songs of Never Just A Dream were laid out the album opens (with “Bruise Easy”) and closes (with “Until We Meet Again”) with a fade in/fade out feel to it giving it a sort of cinematic feel. Was the sequence of the songs something you paid a lot of attention to, or planned out?

Once those songs were written—which coincidentally they were the most recent additions to the album—it made sense for me to open with something really bare. People in the industry will tell you to put your best songs first on an album but I didn’t really care about that. It was more important for me that the first song be intriguing rather than bash people over the head with a hook. It’s short, almost like an intro; it sets a mood. The last song, with its title (“Until We Meet Again”) seemed like a no-brainer to place at the end, and I think it is an equally intriguing way to finish the CD. For my first real “album” I didn’t want to compromise anything. No one is telling me what to do right now so why should I do what is expected by the mainstream? I think the best thing that you can do as an independent artist is to take major advantage of the freedom. At the end of the day it’s my name tacked on to the project so if I don’t feel good about it, it’s going to be hard to promote.

The boys that inspired these songs, have you heard from any of them on how they’ve been immortalized? Is there a line of men already forming to be in the next round of songs? And specifically, with the song “An Older Man”, have you already, or do you expect a harem of Viagra-packing gentlemen to show up at your performances?

[Laughs] A few older men have come a-courtin’, that much is true. As far as the rest, the one who Mr. Buttonlip is about left me a really funny message on my answering machine after receiving the album. It was something along the lines of “Hey…just wanted to tell you that I love your album, particularly Mr. Buttonlip, but I have a feeling it’s about me. If it’s not about me and I’m just being a vain asshole I’m sorry, but let me know because I think I will like it a lot more if it’s about someone else.” I kind of forgot when I gave it to him that there might be some offensive words on there.

The strings added another dimension to the songs giving them a grander yet seemingly more intimate sound. Were strings something that you wanted to work with all along and what was that like, hearing songs you built on the guitar get transformed with classical instruments?

That was one of the most exciting moments in the project. I asked Mike Olsen to do the strings early on as I’d heard a lot of his work, which was amazing. I have a belief that you need to let people just DO what they’re truly good at. So I basically gave the songs to Mike and said, “Write whatever you want”. I know that I do my best work as an artist, whether it be in music or photography, when people just let me do my thing. Rules and restrictions can be suffocating, so I wanted to let the people involved in the CD shine in what they had worked their lives becoming an expert at. The results are just as I expected, and I still get goose bumps when I hear their parts.

In the past two years you were forced to face two separate problems with your vocal chords resulting in two different surgeries. Were there times when the “What if?” and “Why me?” questions started to creep into your head? Or did these roadblocks only strengthen your resolve to get Never Just A Dream completed? What was the hardest part of going through all of this? Have you had to change your approach at all? How has your voice held up since the surgeries?

I’m not a religious person but when a series of unfortunate events occur in your life sometimes you turn to spiritual means to sort them out. Certainly a lot of “what if” and “why me” questions crossed my mind. But I’m not the type of person to just succumb to struggle. I know that there was no fucking way I would have come this far and worked that hard just to roll over. My voice feels the same, if not better than before the surgeries, and I try to appreciate it a lot more.

In the heat of the creative process is it hard—or on Never Just A Dream was it hard—to objectively step back and enjoy what you hear, and moreover enjoy what’s going on? Does it get too familiar at times? Were there/Are there times when you have to step back for a while to allow things an opportunity to remain fresh? When/If ever did you start to hear the “magic” on the album?

I would say I heard the magic right away. After those first sessions recording the bed tracks I was sold. There was a period of time spent not doing any work on the record because of the surgery I had. During that time I played the shit out of what had been done and got to a point where I felt I had listened too much. Then the vocals, strings, and finishing touches were put on and it was exciting again. After a couple weeks listening to it for hours on end during the mixing and mastering stages I was sick of it. I do that with almost every record I love though. I listen to it for every detail until I could recite it to you lick for lick. Once I sent it off to the plant to get manufactured I took a few weeks off and didn’t listen to it once. I think it’s important to spend time away from something so you can appreciate it again later. I listened to it again today actually and still felt really happy about it, so I guess that’s all I can ask for.

In our first interview we talked about the hardships that being an independent artist—in its truest sense—face. Considering that you shouldered the brunt of the load on Never Just A Dream (singer/songwriter/nylon guitar/co-producer/art direction/promoter/chief photographer/glockenspiel/financier/and most importantly, claps & stomps) how difficult has it been it to pull everything together and still maintain the focus, drive, and creative spirit? Do you have a greater sense of accomplishment because you laid so much of yourself on the line? And do you feel like everything up to this point has been how you envisioned it would be?

I think given my resources for completing a project like this I have no complaints and I feel comfortable where I am right now. Many of the singer-songwriters I admire took a long time to really accomplish great things and I’ve always felt like a late bloomer in that sense. I didn’t really start writing songs until four years ago, so I can only hope to learn more every year and become a better writer. At times it’s difficult to maintain a creative spirit when you are mountains in debt, but truthfully my best writing comes from harder times, not when I’m lying on a beach getting a massage in Barcelona. As annoying as they are in the present tense, as long as I tune into those feelings as they’re happening, hopefully [I can] write a song, and they can be good for the spirit.

The sounds of Never Just A Dream meander through many different genres—from jazz, to blues, to pop, to a big-band era show tunes feel—rather seamlessly, and though theory says that good music should conquer all, it seems the music industry from top to bottom is hell bent on compartmentalizing sounds/bands/singers into specific categories, even if they don’t fit, for marketing purposes. The flipside of that—and a freedom perhaps granted to you as an independent singer—seems to be that because the album is so diverse in its sound that it could appeal to a broader base of people. Have you run into any hardships on this level, either trying to describe the album, market the album, or promote the album, or has it been a fairly easy go because of its diversity?

I’ve pretty much come to an acceptance that I am terrible at streamlining—or channeling—my inspiration into any one sound. I listen to way too many different types of music to make a record that is any one particular genre. I mean never-say-never; there might be a top-to-bottom jazz album in me yet, but not anytime soon. I love to explore far too much. I think it’s a lot more acceptable in Indie music to be all over the map. Or it’s simply more common because, again, no one is telling you what to do. As much as I hope that people will listen to this album from start to finish it’s an iPod generation, and people pick favourites and play those. Does it really matter how cohesive something is anymore? I don’t know.

In terms of singles, do you—or with Never Just A Dream specifically did you—consciously think that you’re going to need a single—or singles—to help pull people into the album? Do you write with that in mind? Does something like that maybe develop after the fact? Or is the whole need for a single overblown?

In my world a single isn’t necessary. I’m not making the kind of music that’s going to be played on mainstream commercial radio so I have to go to campus radio. Their format is totally open; DJ’s play whatever songs from the album they want. You can try to get your fans to request particular songs but that doesn’t always have sway. However, if there were a first “single” for the album it would be “That Sinking Feeling”. I’m working on getting funding for a music video for that song right now. I have never tried to write a single, or a “hit song”. I could be completely wrong but I still hold to the idea that the best songs come from true inspiration, not what someone thinks is catchy or “cool”. As soon as I feel like I’m “trying” to find the hook I toss the song. Pretty much all of the hooks I’ve ever come up with I don’t really remember where they came from. They just sort of came out, eventually.

You mention trying to secure funds for a music video of “That Sinking Feeling”. Though internet sites such as YouTube are hugely popular, and have pretty much completely replaced the MTVs and other once video-friendly cable outlets that are now more concerned with reality shows, do you think that music videos still have a pertinent place in music? So many of the popular videos on YouTube seem to be quirky by nature, and though they can go a long way to getting a lot of people to notice you, it seems that fame in that regard can definitely be fleeting. Is your desire to make a music video driven by the chance of exploring another creative medium, is it because you truly believe that there’s still a place for music videos out there, or is it maybe something different? And do you have an idea of what you’d want to do for “That Sinking Feeling” visually to compliment the song?

I believe YouTube is an opportunity to expose a little piece of yourself to the world with a low budget. It’s a good way to connect personally to your fans, but as you said, it’s fleeting. My interest in making a music video isn’t so my mug can be on computer screens across the world as much as it would be the joy of attaching a visual creation to the musical creation. I think there will always be a place for music videos because often the combination of music and film is more memorable than just the song itself and ups the sentimentality a person could feel towards it. I have an idea for the video, but you will just have to wait and see it to know what it is! Completing a music video will definitely be a big check mark off the old “life to-do list”. I’m excited to say the very, very least.

Prior to the release of the album you had a pre-order where people could buy their copy (or copies) of Never Just A Dream in advance. The benefit for you was that it helped raise necessary money. The benefit for them was that they received the album upon its completion ahead of the official release date. Was the pre-sell a success, and what was the overall response. How wide-ranging in location were the people who pre-ordered?

The pre-sale was quite a success. I was surprised and flattered that people were sending me money for an album that hadn’t been recorded yet, and that they hadn’t heard even a tiny sample from. Apparently I have some very kind and supportive friends and fans. I got orders from all over the world.

Both with Indie releases and those from major studios the album booklet and its artwork are often overlooked or passed off with indifference. Perhaps that’s due to the overabundance of people who get their music in mp3 format, or perhaps it’s a way to cut down on cost, but you’ve paid great attention to the artwork and the booklet and the presentation really pays off creating a fuller experience. Was that really important to you and if so, why?

I figure anyone who buys the physical CD is buying it for that exact reason; the experience. If you’re more partial to iTunes you probably don’t give a toss what the liner notes say. So I made the booklet with the idea in mind that the CD was going to go to people who wanted that experience. I love photos; it’s obvious why I got into photography. I’ve always been drawn particularly to the way my favourite bands/musicians were presented in their artwork. There is a quote from Bjork that says:

“The reason I do photographs is to help people understand my music, so it’s very important that I am the same, emotionally, in the photographs as in the music. Most people’s eyes are much better developed than their ears. If they see a certain emotion in the photograph, they’ll understand the music. So instead of having to listen to my album ten times, they’ll get it the first time.”

I guess that explains why I do self-portraits. I can capture myself exactly as I would like to be perceived.

Now that you have your first full-length album under your belt has there been any time to relish in that feeling of “I’ve finally done it”, or is it just a matter of having to move on to the next phase of promoting and selling the album? And does the completion of the album leave you with an added sense of pressure both on yourself and what you expect of the album?

I’ve definitely had my moment to enjoy and say “Ok, it’s done” and I’ve fully moved into promo mode. As far as pressure and my expectations, I feel that I’ve done the best job I possibly could right now and I’m truly happy with the result. If people get it, and like it, that will encourage me to move forward. I look at this record as an introduction to what I’m all about, and I hope it will take me far enough to make another one.

You’ve already performed several dates in advance of the release of Never Just A Dream and have several others lined up in the coming months, including your first mini-foray into the U.S. Ideally the goal would be to tour the album as much as possible in as many different places/counties, but realistically as an Independent musician, what sort of places/cities do you see yourself getting to?

I’ve been playing with a band for most of my career. As much as I would love to take them on the road with me everywhere it’s financially not feasible right now. I’m working on finessing my solo act so I can go anywhere at the drop of a hat. A solo performance is always completely different than with the full band but it should never be thought of as better or worse – just different. Some people have said they love to hear me acoustic because my voice is at the forefront; others love the rhythmic element having a band provides. I like playing with a band for the feeling of sharing music with others on stage, but there is a certain control you get playing alone that you can’t always have with a band. I’ll go wherever people will listen; but I would like to spend more time in Europe, if only for its simpler navigation. Canada is a monster.

In terms of the live show not being any better or worse whether it’s a solo gig or one with a full band, do you feel that all of the songs from ‘Never Just A Dream’ can—and do— translate over to a solo show, or are there some that you reserve for when you have a band?

I personally prefer playing with a full band because that provides me the ability to show an audience exactly how I hear things in my own head. On the flip side, the intimacy and control you have when performing solo is also nice depending on the gig. I believe all of the songs translate to solo, that’s where they started. Not always, but as a general rule I think if it can’t stand-alone with a guitar and a voice it’s probably a dud.

Finally, in closing your last interview with Oxyfication, when asked where you saw yourself in a year’s time you answered, “I predict I will be in the midst of making a full on disco album and working on a completely pretentious coffee table book of nude self portraits.” How are those proclamations coming along, and do you have any insight into a year from this point?

[Laughs] Well, the nude coffee table book and disco album are still in the back of my mind, but I’ve been too busy with NJAD to really let them…flourish In one year from now I hope to have all the material for a new album, and if I have that, I’ll be exactly where I want to be.

“Come for the breasts. Stay for the heart.”

That’s the tagline to Katie West’s website. Find yourself exploring the site one minute, and an hour later, eyes all bloodshot, mouth still ajar, you’ll see the tagline fitting. West, a photographer from Windsor, Canada is not only not afraid to show either—her breasts or her heart—she’s adept at intertwining the two with an ease that is equally admirable as it is poetic. Through an extensive—and impressive—collection of self-portraits (though not her sole focus, self-portraits are her specialty) you see a gamut of emotions and inspirations. West uses a camera the way a mirror uses people. She is both vulnerable and strong in her pictures, shy and savage. If a picture is worth a thousand words Katie West writes a novel each time the shutter closes. On top of that, West can write. From time to time her blog features passages written as if they were cut at random with scissors, most of them in medias res, conversations about experiences, either fictional or true, that ring like chimes on a windy winter day. They sting. They make you remember you’re alive. Like her photographs West’s writing has the innate gift of being honest. Recently that honesty carried over into West answering a few questions ranging from how she came into photography, to whom are some of her inspirations, to the power the Internet has in helping spread the word on the individuals behind the viewfinder.

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The seeds of creativity had to be planted somewhere along the way. Do you remember your early creative moment(s)? Did they involve photography/taking pictures? If so/not, when did you first get bit by the photography bug?

I always wanted to be a writer. From as soon as I could write, I wanted to be a writer. But I guess continually getting rejected from creative writing classes (but really, who needs them?) took its toll and I focused mainly on my photography. As far as the first memories I have of photography, they all come from modeling for friends. My friends in high school were all very artistic and all went on to attend art school. I can’t draw or paint of sculpt, but I still believed I had an artistic view that I could offer. So I weaseled my way into an advanced photography class and just jumped in. Because I hadn’t taken the first class, I had no idea about technique or the technical aspect of developing film or anything, but I knew I liked it. And then it just went from there. And I still don’t know anything about the technical side of photography.

In your biography it mentions that you’re going to school for a BA in English and Literature. In your various online journals/blogs your writing is part the revealing of everyday stuff with a witty twist, and part poetic snippets that compliment the pictures featured. Is that a cognicent thing, and if so, what comes first, the writing or the photo? Also, why English and Literature and why not Photography?

Well, English Literature because I always thought I was going to be a writer, but I realized I can’t hold a coherent thought after about 2 paragraphs, so I had to switch my focus. And these last five years getting my English degree have been awful; I wish I had taken photography. But I think no one around me really believed that I was serious about photography, I don’t even think I knew. So I just graduated high school, went on to university, did what I thought I was supposed to do. But truth be told, I think it’s ridiculous to have someone decide what they want to do with their life at 18. I also think university is mainly only good for people who want to be a professor, a teacher, a lawyer or go to med school. But that’s just me.

Back to the point! My pictures and writings are usually always separate. Conceived at different moments in time and not usually related in any way. Sometimes the words will come first and I’ll fit a photo with the words, or I’ll look at a picture and remember something from the week it was taken and write about that. People have commented that the way I write reminds them of my photography; short exposures into a life, something they can relate to and something they can appreciate. So perhaps the writing is there to help some people relate to the experience while the photo will help bring the other half of the people into the same experience.

You’ve stated online that you haven’t had any formal training in the art of photography. How would you say you’ve learned along the way? Was it a trial and error thing by shooting your way to feeling comfortable? Was it advice from other photographers? Did you maybe find help/advice/tips by reading photography instructional books?

I’ve taken a photography class, but as I mentioned earlier, it was the second class and I skipped all the technical stuff, so mostly I’ve learned by trial and error, but I also know a lot of very talented photographers. So when I’m stuck on something I can call them up and bother them with questions. I’ve also learned by looking at a LOT of photographers online and thinking to myself, “Wow, I really like how they did that in this photo here, I wonder if I can do it?” And then experiment until I get something I like.
When taking pictures are you a planner–i.e. Are you one to plan out/set up a shoot in advance–or are you more the type to just grab your camera and go?

I definitely do not plan my photos. All of them are shot on a whim and all stem from something I’ve been thinking about and something I’ve been feeling; photography as therapy. Every time I try to plan a photo, it’s always so outrageous and grand that I wouldn’t even know from where to start to shoot it, plus they usually involve things I can’t have, like hundreds of stuffed crows, or Chinese restaurants filled to the brim with fetish models, stuff like that. Haha.

In your self-portraits a lot of different looks come across. One shot can feel very Audrey Hepburn while the next is very Shirley Manson or Fairuza Balk. Are these extremes intended, and if so/not, do you see your self-portraits as a role-playing of sorts, where you can be anyone you want to be in the name of art?

I say you can be anyone you want to be in the name of…well just because you can. You don’t need art to justify it. These extremes come across in my photography because they exist inside me. Some days I feel like a sex vixen, other days I feel very alone and vulnerable. But everyday I feel honest, and want to share what I’m feeling with total strangers!

Not so long ago most people probably heard the word ‘photography’ and thought of Ansel Adams or Anne Geddes, something they’d find mass marketed in a mall department store. But that’s changed in large part because of the advancement of the Internet. How has the Internet changed the way you approach/market/spread your photography?

I think it’s ridiculous for someone attempting to promote themselves, whether as an artist, a business, whatever, and not have a web presence of some kind in today’s world of e-commerce and Google. People become famous from having a video on YouTube. People become rich by selling used underwear on eBay. People get lucrative ad deals by posting photos on Flickr. Today’s world basically lives online, and that works out well for me, because in real life, I’m very very shy. I know, hard to believe while looking at pictures of me naked on my kitchen table, but trust me, I don’t do social well. So for me, the Internet is integral to my photography; without it, I would not be answering these questions, because you would not know who I am and you wouldn’t care. I like how the Internet gives those who wouldn’t necessarily get exposure into situations where they can, and how that can lead to real life success. The Internet is basically the only tool I use to spread the good word, as it were. I spend many hours updating livejournal, myspace, deviant art, journals on suicidegirls, gods girls, deviant nation, updating profiles at model mayhem and retro kitten, adding photos to flickr. It’s a lot of work, but worth it.

To pick up on the last question regarding the internet, do you think that it’s completely a good thing, or is there a danger, and a watering down element out there where too many people have too much exposure, and basically everyone has a camera? Does that maybe make it harder to get noticed or be taken seriously?

It might, but maybe it also makes people work harder, because a photographer who is used to having gallery shows and what not might realize that there are people on the internet who are doing things infinitely cooler than what they’re doing, and they think, “Oh shit, I better kick it up a notch.” So maybe it makes for more boundaries being pushed and more creativity being squeezed out of people’s brains. It is true that everyone and their grandma has a digital camera and can upload photos and call themselves a photographer and act super awesome, but I’m sure the majority of people can tell the difference between someone like Holly Bynoe, who is an amazing photographer and someone who is uploading pictures of their feet to post on MySpace.

That old cliché about how sex sells, there are a fair amount of your pictures that have nudity in them. Is the nudity strictly an intimate expression of your art, and possibly yourself, or is it at least in part a way to pull people in and get them to look around at your other stuff?

Haha, no! I don’t use sex to seduce people into my work! Never! Well, I don’t, not really. If I used sex to pull people in to look at my other stuff, they’d be thinking, “Okay, what other stuff?” I think many people look at my work and consider me to be an erotica photographer, and that’s fine with me. Everything I do, I do because I like it, and I like sex, and I like being a woman, so that often appears in my photography. But some of my favourite pictures of mine have no nudity in them, well I’m not usually wearing pants, but pants are overrated anyway.

On the nudity angle, do you find that at least on some level that the nudity puts you in a vulnerable position considering that complete strangers see that much of you? It is ever a double-edged sword, where at times it leads to’creep’ mail/email/advances/etc? If so, how do you/would you react to messages like that?

I think the majority of my nude photos don’t really represent a vulnerable Katie. I find that my strongest photos are usually the ones in which I’m naked. Usually when I’m mad or frustrated I take nude photos, I think because I find it to be my most honest and liberating means of expression. I don’t think it’s the nudity or the clothing that makes someone vulnerable or what have you, I think it’s their expression, their body language, their surroundings and how they’re reacting to them. In regards to creep emails, I’ve only honestly received 3 or 4. Most of the time, it seems like the sender doesn’t even realize how creepy they’re being. I understand people have fetishes and if someone asks me for already chewed food or hair or urine, I just say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t sell that sort of product. Sorry about that, thanks for the interest though!”

With programs like Photoshop out there that allow so much manipulation to any given picture is it ever an issue of artistic integrity to leave the picture(s) as untouched as much as possible? Or is it maybe just the opposite, and those programs allow you to enhance a picture as much as possible?

There’s always people who are anti-Photoshop and other such programs, but I like the freedom Photoshop gives me. The words ‘artistic integrity’ to me have more to do with not stealing other artists’ work and claiming it as your own than not manipulating your own work.

Who/what are some of your influences? Who are some of your favorite photographers? What is your favorite photograph of someone else’s?

My main influences and favourite photographers are mainly photographers I’ve found online through sites like Flickr, and I also like fashion photographers: Miles Aldridge is a favourite; I really like high concept photography, though I don’t usually attempt any in my own work.

I like finding photographers through Flickr because I like the interaction that’s possible on a site like that. I can favourite photos I like, I can add people to my contact list and keep track of what they’re doing, I can talk to the artist and discuss their art, I think that’s awesome. Some of my favourite photographers on Flickr are Rose and Olive, Jack Scoresby, Holly Bynoe, Dr. Joanne, Rebekka, Unscene, Nardell, Kristmas Klousch oh god, I could go on and on and on. I’m also influenced by artistic people I’ve met online, like Warren Ellis, J.R. Blackwell and Jhayne Holmes. People who ooze creativity.

In pitting photography against the other arts–writing, music, painting, etc–how do you think that photography is different?

Photography is good for people like me who can’t actually draw or paint or sculpt. It’s good for people who have an artistic mind but have trouble expressing it. Art is so subjective so I’m not even going to argue why photography is or is not an art, but like writing or painting or music, there’s good photography and there’s bad photography. That’s all.

What is the hardest part about being a photographer?

I don’t think there is anything hard about being a photographer. I get to express myself how I can, how I want, whenever I want, whenever I can. I make money doing what I love doing. I guess the hardest part is not making enough money to just take photos all the time and not have to have another job. I think I am very lucky that I do what I do and people respond to it so well. I don’t take any email or comment for granted. When someone takes the time to write me, or to comment on a picture, then I feel very lucky that I was able to create something that they like just as much as I do.

A hypothetical: Someone comes across your personal site, or one of your blog/photo posting sites, what do you want them to get from your photography?

I want them to think, “Yeah, I totally get that. I’ve been there, felt that and I love this because you get it too.” After I post a picture online, it’s not really mine anymore; it can belong to whoever’s looking at it. And they can interpret it however they want to suit their own needs. I don’t like to explain my photography or the things I write, I’d much rather people be able to see themselves and their experiences reflected in my work. I just want people to be affected by my work; whether they’re pissed at all the boobs, happy at all the boobs, empathize with my loneliness, uncomfortable with my honesty, or turned on by it. I want people to “come for the breasts, stay for the heart.”

What does success mean to you in terms of being a photographer?

I would love to be able to do photography and live off of the income it generates. That’s not necessarily success, but it sure would be nice.