Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isabelle Winardi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isabelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My favorite project thus far has been taking my childhood friend’s engagement photos. We met in high school as part of our school’s badminton club (which eventually became the school’s first badminton team) and remained friends after graduation. Although we didn’t spend as much time together during our adult days compared to when we were kids, we still kept in touch throughout the years. One day, she messaged me saying that she had gotten engaged, and that she would be delighted if I could take her engagement photos. I was not only extremely happy for my friend, I was also extremely honored that she would ask me to be her photographer!

We went to Malibu for the engagement photoshoot, where I took pictures of my friend and her fiancé as they walked along the beach, sat together on the sand and looked out at the ocean, and explored small sea caves and unique rock formations. It felt rewarding being able to capture this special moment for the happy couple, and it also felt very special knowing that our friendship had culminated in this beautiful moment after so many years.

Being the one to take the couple’s engagement photos on the Malibu shores made their Santa Barbara beach wedding feel all the more special to me when the time came. My friend and her husband are still happily married to this day. They live in an RV with their two cats, traveling from park to park and enjoying everything that life has to offer.

Isabelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born in Orange County, grew up in San Bernardino County, and currently live in Los Angeles County. Southern California is my home, and no matter where in the world I travel, my favorite photographs are all from here as I feel like they are the most genuine representation of who I am as a photographer and as a person.

My first experience with a DSLR was when my parents gifted me a Nikon D3200 that I would bring on family vacations, although I didn’t start taking photography more seriously until I got to college. I joined UCLA’s photography club while completing my undergraduate studies there, and eventually became the club’s graphic designer. From there, I began selling my own prints and even several magazines.

Nowadays, I no longer sell preprinted pictures in bulk as I used to before, opting instead for commission based work where clients can reach out to me directly for specific photos that they’re interested in.

I specialize in photos of cars, plants, animals, landscapes, cityscapes, signs, and architecture with a side of vintage Americana, roadside attractions, and desert oddities, but what ultimately sets me apart from others is my editing style. My photos showcase a pastel world that feels simultaneously joyful yet melancholy, modern yet nostalgic, mostly free of human subjects yet somehow still full of life. My early career focused on selling my own prints and magazines, which gave me enough confidence to enter my first photography contest, where I won an award—I’m proud to have made it this far, as this was a big step forward after most of my exposure came from being featured in group exhibitions. I hope to publish more magazines in the future and enter more competitions!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One fun fact about me is that my dream car is the Porsche 930, and I’m happy to have a fiancé who loves cars just as much as I do!

Porsche is my favorite automobile manufacturer of all time, as their cars combine beautiful design with timeless engineering. Although it might sound like a pipe dream, my dream photography gig would be to shoot for Porsche, whether as the official manufacturer photographer or as a freelance artist for their Type 7 magazine.

In order to pursue that goal, I will continue my creative journey through print commissions and exhibition sales until I can one day afford an air-cooled Porsche, which will serve not just as a vehicle but also as an artistic medium for me to express my creative vision. Whether in the desert or in the city, by the beach or by the mountains, there is nothing quite like automotive photography of classic cars. For now, I make do by taking photos of other people’s Porsches, but I long for the day when I can have one of my own.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The little moments create the biggest impacts. It’s not the big awards or the big exhibitions that make my day, it’s the simple “thank you” when someone is happy with one of my products.

When someone tells me that they’ve received my work in the mail, when someone sends me a picture of my framed prints inside their kitchen or living room or bedroom, when someone says that they bought an extra copy of my magazine because they want to give one to their friend as a gift—these are the moments that make me smile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.idraniwinardi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idraniwinardi/
• Other: https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/209612673/idraniwinardi

Image Credits

Personal Photo: Dang Nguyen
Additional Photos: Isabelle Winardi