INNATE ABILITY
Linnea Stephan lives in a genuinely cinematic world. Like a true photographer, she’s able to keenly recognize those classic moments and scenes, and pluck them out of time and space. Her work is like a hybrid of street photography, and fine art allowing the best elements of each to come through. With a BFA in Photography from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design she has been photographing for most of her life and loves nothing more than to sit down and nerd out with fellow photographers—discussing everything from the difference between photographing men and women to techniques dealing with composition. She is a force to be reckoned with. Passionately busy, Stephan works as a contributing photographer and author for the international publication Monster Children, a freelance photographer for Brixton, a contributing photographer and author for BB Dakota and a staff photographer for 213 Nightlife.
Her subject matter mainly consist of her friends and family; the people that she’s closest to. She is unique in that she loves being behind the lens as well as in front of it. Stephan has modeled for many other photographers including Kent Andreasen, Roman Koval, Kenny Hurtado and David Stoddard. Beautiful, smart and endlessly kind, Stephane made time in between her busy schedule to sit down with CULTURE and answer a few of our questions.
Where do you call home?
I am a transplant, and as proud as I am to be from the Midwest, I am home as long as I have nature and friendship on the daily. I work all over Los Angeles and live in San Pedro, California.
What is the importance of originality?
I think that when an idea comes to you in some pure and direct form, you can run with it a lot further. You can push to a greater boundary, you are the creator and the mother of the idea, you and your favorite idea. It’s like a friendship or relationship with that particular project, location or thought.
What or who got you interested in photography?
My dad bought me a Canon Rebel EOS 2000 for my 10th birthday and I would bring it on every family vacation. It was a way of being present with the group and also simultaneously on my own. That purpose is still very accurate to my identity.
What does photography do for you?
Photography allows me to care about people for a living.
How would you describe your style?
Composition is my favorite element to consider while making and analyzing photographs and think that this is apparent in my images. I don’t consider myself a street photographer, more of a professional people watcher, but American street photography from the ’50s and ’60s has always been some of my favorite pictures to look at. The timing of each shape flying through the frame is nothing short of magic.
What are your thoughts on medical cannabis?
My thoughts on medical marijuana are the same thoughts that I would apply to all seemingly controversial, yet ultimately personal, choices. It should evolve with the times and serve the people and their health, happiness and economy.
By definition, the word “esoteric” can be in reference to “inner traditions” which deal with a “universal spiritual dimension of reality.” How much of a role does esotericism play in your work?
I think my images are pretty accessible, but I would hope that their most spiritual quality may be read by any muse, subject, or artist who has really obsessed over the ritual of portraiture. My late mentor was a very generous and wise Malaysian man who taught me that being photographed is very honorary. That exchange has since been endlessly interesting to me.
Do you have any pictures not taken?
I know that there are some worth noting, but honestly most of them were these tiny little moments that just found to be terrifically cinematic. Sometimes I’ll try to take a “picture with my eyes” or live in that moment, but I do it all day long and run out of space for a few. The rest are pictures taken.
Besides beautiful, thought-provoking images, what do you feel your images bring to the world? What is your aim with your photography?
I think that there is always potential to witness the cinematic moments of daily life around us but photography is a tool to directly look into that, whether you are looking at a viewfinder or photograph. I do know that learning to be very observational has led me to experience things I would have missed otherwise, so you could say that my aim is to share some observational skills that have personally benefitted me.
What are some things you’re currently obsessed with?
Some current obsessions include the color powder blue, photographing cars at dusk, anything designed by Land Boys, and my recently rediscovered hobby of local politics. I’m mostly into cars right now. Almost every big change in my personal life has involved a car in some way. It’s a complicated relationship but it feels nice to photograph something that, unlike people, I don’t feel compelled to understand everything about. They are beautiful and very man-made.
