An Interview with Nico Daniels

i-D loudly declared in April that we should "remember the name!" Nico Daniels, and that advice seems appropriate. The fifteen year old photographer has already made waves in the art world for converting his bedroom into a studio and constructing some breathtakingly dreamy shots of his friend Nya Green. But Daniels' talent extends far beyond the series that has launched him into prominence. At an impressively young age, it would appear that Daniels has found a distinct voice that never comes at the detriment of scope. The images on his Instagram feed are diverse in milieu. The color palettes alone range from deep reds to pale pinks, primary colors to pastels. Yet they all retain an ambiguous similarity, an almost awareness of the futile nature of preservation, and the ironically everlasting transitoriness of life. Humble despite his recent celebrity, Daniels was kind enough to answer my questions.

How would you define creativity?

Creativity is everywhere and in everyone. What separates most people [from the rest] is their ability to believe in themselves and their own ideas in order to see a piece completely through.

Who do you think the most creative person alive is?

Donald Glover. His ability to thrive in every art field is inspiring. Even looking back at his old work, you can see his genius in all of it.

What do you think you'll miss about being young? How do you think your style in terms of photography will change as you get older?

The creative freedom I have when it comes to a project or simple decisions on set. I often see so many credits at the end of a film or photo piece it makes me question where the original idea went and what it looked like at its beginning.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I hope I can maintain that imagination and determination I have right now. Visually, I'd love to move into film and create things that inspire people the same way Frank Ocean's "Nike's" video inspired me.

Based on your interview with i-D, it seems like you aren't particularly fond of the suburbs (which I totally understand/relate to), but what's the best part about growing up in the suburbs?

Seeing how shifts in pop culture can trickle all the way down to my school. I love seeing the dynamic between the influencers of today and this group of impressionable kids.

Has there ever been a moment in your life that you wish you'd gotten a photo of but didn't?

A lot of my work is in a controlled studio so a lot of the moments are bred through the atmosphere of the set or the music that's playing. I do get a lot of inspiration for pictures from things that happen in my life, but I just keep them in my head. This is so when I think back on this moment they become more saturated and well-polished and I can draw from that and mold those memories into something even more beautiful in a studio.

What's a vision you have for a photo shoot that you don't yet have the resources to pull off?

If I ever have a concept for a photograph, I couldn't ever stop just because I don't have the resources. In a lot of my shoots, I manage to find the right pieces at the last minute.

If you weren't a photographer, what would your career goals be?

To live in Tokyo, full-time.

What do you think is your most distinct quality as a photographer?

My ability to capture diverse subject matter, crossing genres of photography.

What do you hope people feel when they look at your photos?

I hope my photos make people feel empowered to do what they want. I want people to trust themselves and their own visions enough to create their own life and not succumb to these imaginary boundaries we set for ourselves.

Photo credits: Nico Daniels

Polaroids

I am by no means a photographer, and I would never insinuate that the photos I have taken are in any way, by any conventions, good. But freshmen year I bought a pink, vintage Polaroid Cool Cam 600 and there was something intensely gratifying about having an immediate print of a shot you just took. Obviously, the lines between preservation and the present are blurred in the age of iPhone photography, but with a Polaroid you have tangible evidence of this intersection. You can be holding a moment, an event, as it is happening. I think that's such a strange and addictive feeling.

Here is a selection of Polaroids that I have taken and that have been taken of me over the years. Even though most of these are recent, like I said the medium lends a sort of instant nostalgia to the work.

An Interview with Bao Ngo

Bao Ngo's work is incredibly diverse (from glam neon lights to hazy motel shoots) but it is all unified by the uncanny ability to transport the viewer into visionary realms. Bao is ludicrously talented. It's evident that she's not a one-trick-pony. Her body of work is a library, and each photo in it is a genre unto itself. With every new project she introduces, I'm captivated. I was able to talk to Bao about her inspirations and upcoming projects, and I'm honestly still over-the-moon that she responded to me.

What work are you most proud of?
There are actually a couple other works I'm super proud of, none of which have been released. I apparently take forever to finish projects I deeply care about. Two of them are set to come out later this year (late summer/early fall maybe?) actually. We'll find out then!

What's the best piece of storytelling you've ever encountered?
Hospice by The Antlers is probably one of the best pieces of storytelling I've encountered; it's the first one that comes to mind. I draw a lot of inspiration from music, especially concept albums. My mother is a musician, and I was a musician before I became a visual artist as well. Hospice really tears me apart completely.

Who do you think the most creative person alive is?
This is such a difficult question to answer! Especially because I think creativity is mostly in our heads. I know that most of my most creative ideas never make it out of my head because they would be so difficult to execute realistically. Maybe someday if someone ever gives me a budget it'll happen.

Can you describe your favorite outfit?
Yes! It's definitely this one (on the right) worn by Agnetha Faltskog during ABBA's 1974 Eurovision performance.

Image via

What's the weirdest dream you've ever had?
Most of my dreams involve me stealing and crashing cars or helicopters. I don't drive either, so I guess all of them are pretty weird to me. This goes as far back as I can remember! I think these dreams are part of the reason why I was scared of driving and failed the test to get my license three times when I was in high school.

Who has been your favorite person to shoot?
I love almost everyone I shoot to death, but probably my favorite is Annika White-- she's a model, filmmaker, photographer, and stylist. She's amazing at everything she does. She's also my best friend. I don't have any other collaborators who understand me as much as she does.

What has been your favorite location to shoot at?
This is such a cliche answer but Iceland! Specifically Reykjadalur, this valley about 40 minutes outside of Reykjavik. It's a little hike but totally worth it. There's a river and it's full of fog and mist and bright green grass.

If you weren't a photographer, what would you be doing?
Before I wanted to be a photographer, I wanted to be a lawyer, which seems totally ridiculous now but I was so serious about it. When I was in high school, I even interned for a lawyer! I thought it was going to be my life.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Stop comparing yourself to others so much. Everyone is different and no one has the exact same path in life as another person, so comparing yourself to others is totally useless.

If you were to compare your entire body of work to a type of flower, what flower would it be and why?
I don't know anything about flowers, so I'm not sure if I could compare my entire body of work to one. I love bluebonnets though. They're a very nostalgic flower for me since they're the state flower of my home state, Texas. They are super special to me, since Texas inspires my work so much to this day.

Has their been an album or a song that has had a significant influence on your work?
Not on my entire body of work! But some of my individual photos were inspired by albums, depending on what I'm into at the time.

Has your style (in terms of photography) changed over time?
It has changed a lot. I think it's always evolving. Two years ago I opted to switch to digital from shooting film, and in the last year, I've been exploring darker themes and palettes. I used to want to be a fashion photographer but now I have very little interest in fashion. For a long time, I think my work was about femininity and now I'm not feeling work about femininity anymore. Lately I've been loving neutral colors as well, although I used to love really bold colors!


Photo credits: Bao Ngo
You can follow Bao on Instagram: @baohngo