We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Epli Pastorfield-li. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Epli below.
Epli, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
it’s hard to pick a particular project, it’s cliche – but they ARE my babies… the first project that truly felt like *mine will always have a deep and special place in my heart. in 2013, in west oakland, california i helped create a project called “here.before. art from a contested space.” that project centered the experience of gentrification for 5 traditional members of the community; a historically significant Black neighborhood that was rapidly becoming unaffordable and unsustainable as a place to call home. these 5 residents and i explored deconstructing the storytelling power of photography by handing over the camera (and all the narrative control that comes with it) to the subject of the image. this approach was in part inspired by wendly ewald (one of my photography heroes) and was rooted in the understanding that if i were to learn anything about the experience of gentrification, as a gentrifier myself, i had to access the stories without bringing in my inherit privilege and perspective.
the photography i am drawn to is wildly vulnerable. maybe on it’s face, that’s what i love about it so much. and i felt that throughout this project. like all of my work, “here.before.” was rooted in questions of human experience, and because i knew i had to connect with people to get the answers – i was going to have make myself vulnerable to form those connections. i made a big vinyl banner describing the project, and sat out on the corner hoping that people would engage. that is how i found the 5 participants, through direct contact on the corner, word of mouth with folks who came by that make shift booth, and flyering around the neighborhood. i am not a vulnerability pro by any means, it felt really intimidating to be out there, constantly questioning myself and my art, feeling intimidated to talk to strangers over and over, watching many just walk by. there was something there that compelled me though, something that just felt bigger than ego or fear and with every connection formed, the critical voices had less headspace to claim.
photography to me is about creating connection. whether i am photographing clients, or in a project like “here.before.” there is so much that is exchanged across these little light boxes. the connections i made with those 5 residents was about ((big)) trust for both parties; neither of us had ever done anything like this before. in lieu of photographing, i created a curriculum of self-portrait projects that i assisted each resident in creating, for example “create a portrait of yourself that embodies how you feel gentrifiers see you, then one of how you feel your community sees you, then one of how you see yourself.”
“here.before.” concluded in a gallery showing and panel discussion with the 5 residents. we invited gentrifiers and traditional residents alike to look at the work, listen, and ask questions. with over 250 people in attendance the evening was one i will never forget. the power of people coming together to truly listen and to see another person’s truth is something i feel we are moving further and further away from. that evening/this project has continued to serve as a tangible reminder that these connections are possible, and the power of photography to be the medium that enables that.
Epli, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
in a documentary project i was working on once, a participants said “epli, you are not a photographer – you are a photo researcher. you are looking for clues.” i loved that. i feel that. i do think i am using my camera to look for clues of connection. i work for myself, and am proud to make my living with my camera. doing so means i wear a lot of hats, and do a variety of work. i have a bi-coastal family photography business (primarily based in the bay area and new england), i am a traveling staff photographer for an organization called “living in the light” that does advocacy work for people living with rare diseases, and i am deep in my personal documentary project “home//made” celebrating and centering trans, gender non-conforming and butch parents. while all of this work varies in many respects, it all comes back to the central thread of making art from the study of connection. that is where i feel my work is different than many other more traditional photographers. i am a fine photographer, but there are many more technically skilled, what i offer is the way i connect with people based on truly being interested in them and their stories; i believe it is from that place that i make my best work. in my family photo work, i have worked with clients for a decade now, sometimes we even tear up when we reunite(!), there are true bonds and ease there, and that is what comes through my lens.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
i know there must be an easier and faster way, i just know it. (laughs awkwardly) but it took me about 8 years of working coffee shops and doing childcare (two jobs i also really enjoy) and slowly but surely my clientele built and word of mouth spread. there was no “capital” to speak of, it has been an inch by inch journey. and even know, as i have moved to the east coast, bought a house and am settling in here, i am in some respects back in time, rebuilding here in ways i had forgotten about. (things as simple as flyering libraries and coffee shops.) all the while flying back to the west coast frequently to work with all of the amazing clients i have worked with for years, and new ones, as word of mouth continues to spread.
i wish i had a more succinct answer to this question, and i look forward to reading other artist’s answers to the same question. this is why i appreciate this canvasrebel, because we artists need to have more conversations and skill trades as we are so often making up our role in the financial world from scratch. it is such an incredible privilege to be an artist, and the further along i get, the more i see the need for support of “first generation artists” because when you grow up without an example of how to do it all sustainably, so much of your energy is wasted on just surviving rather than supporting your work in its thriving.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
it sounds so obvious, but is simply the truth – moving one step at a time, tending to each job, each interaction with heart and full attention. i feel like that is the only way to build a strong foundation, and people feel the difference. with each thoughtful interchange, grows the possibility of someone sharing your name with a friend, or on a social media post.
in terms of very beginning steps, flyering is old fashioned – and effective! get out there. it feels good (and scary) and it makes a difference.
research your market. i remember many years back seeing a “top 5 family photographers in the bay area” list and i thought “one day, that will be me…. ” i held onto that notion, and sure enough i began making the list just a few years later – and of course it had an enormous impact on my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.epliphotography.com
- Instagram: @epliphotography