Boys Like Flowers Too.™ For NYC-based photographer and filmmaker Kat Page, her latest photo series challenges traditional paradigms of masculinity in contrast with delicate nature. For Page, provocative photo series are just one way to impact a collective. Across her portfolio, you will find a consistent pattern of intimate human stories that challenge the status quo in the entertainment and beauty industries.
Equal parts photographer and filmmaker, Page applies both disciplines across most of her projects, valuing their nuances and ability to tell stories in different ways. Page has created videos and stills for editorial outlets such as InStyle Magazine, Teen Vogue, and 1883 Magazine, and commercial clients including Amazon, Walgreens, Rodial Beauty, and Cotton On.
No stranger to photographing A-list talent, in 2019, Page produced and directed the CFDA Fashion Awards’ backstage interviews, featuring Bella Hadid, Hasan Minhaj, and Jason Wu. She also photographed winners, including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, at the 2020 SAG Awards.
You can check out more of Kat Page’s work here on Creatively and @hellocreatively on Instagram.
What is the first creative project you remember?
When I was in college, I had an advertising professor who was also a commercial photographer. I asked if I could assist him in exchange for time in his studio, and he said yes! I reached out to local model agencies, and did test shoots weekly with amazing makeup artists and stylists. It was my first taste of creative collaboration and conceptualizing an editorial story from start to finish. My first paid project was concert photography at the arena I interned at. My boss—an amazing woman and friend still to this day—saw I loved photography and needed photos for Facebook (the new marketing tool at the time). She said they would pay me $50 per show and give me creative freedom and full access to the front and backstage. I was able to photograph artists like Wiz Khalifa, Drake, and Mac Miller.
Describe your aesthetic in three words.
Humanistic, playful, sincere.
What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?
I have a lot thankfully, but a few that are top of mind. Recently, I got to travel to Jamaica. Not only was it a career marker for me, as I was directing my first branded short film, but the client and team I worked with were just amazing and so talented. The best feeling on a project is when the client trusts you 100% and it is pure collaboration.
What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?
Over the years, I have learned that I am not a fashion photographer, as hard as I tried. Even though I can admire the beauty of fashion and the art of it, I just want to see the truth of the person wearing it. I want the fashion to enhance the human spirit. I could not care less if the human is able to enhance the fashion they are wearing. This frustrates stylists as I tend to not focus on the clothes. (Sorry!) But I want anyone who steps in front of my lens to feel seen and beautiful. If that is my only superpower, I’ll use it at every chance I get.
Do you think creativity is something you’re born with or something you’re taught?
Born with it, 100%. Creativity is about wanting to make something from your point of view for the world to see. I believe we all have that as kids. Think about how you wanted to show your parents every time you made something, from a painting to a custom living room Hot Wheels track. What makes one believe they are creative as an adult is having someone who sees their talent more than they do and told them so, permitting them to be creative out loud. So, if you are reading this, just know you are so gorgeously creative, and I can’t wait to see what you make!
What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your career?
I didn’t go to art school, so I went into the industry with a business mindset and the need to prove myself to clients and peers. I wish I had known the value of surrounding myself with photographers and other creatives. I’ve learned it is crucial to have peers and mentors to bounce ideas off of, to play out ideas with, to vent when needed, and to ask for advice.
How do you cultivate strong relationships with clients?
By being honest, kind, and transparent about needs and expectations, from first conversations to post-production. It makes everybody’s job easier if we can trust each other to take feedback, pivot when needed, and make the vision come to life. I have been on the client side, and it’s best if you can all align, speak openly, and have fun!
One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?
An artist who captures the true essence of a person at that moment in their life. It may not always be trendy or chic, but it is always honest.
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