Peden + Munk (Photographers) Interviewed by Ashley Freeby
conducted through email
Please tell me about your educational background. Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I first attended Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara and then transferred to Art Center College of Design where I met Taylor. We both graduated with a BA in Photography
Is there something from school that continues to help you today?
Everything! Mainly our connections and friendships are what continue to support and encourage our work. The technical lighting as well as business skills we learned are a crucial aspect of our day to day.
How long have you two been working together?
Since 2007. So 6 years.
What does a typical day consist of?
Depends on if we are shooting, working in the office, or traveling. Being freelance, there is really no “typical day”. I will say that everyday starts with a flood of emails.
What do you enjoy most about your job? What do you find most challenging?
It is extremely rewarding working with a team and having your vision turned into reality. The most challenging is finding enough time in the day to balance work and life. There are not enough hours in the day.
Was there a particular assignment that has become a favorite?
We photographed a BBQ story for Garden & Gun magazine. We spent 3 days traveling around Memphis meeting and photographing some amazing people and incredible BBQ. There was no editor or client on the job and we got to make our own schedule. This meant that we could spend more time with the subjects that really inspired us and really dive deep into their process.
Do the two of you work on shoots together or independently or both?
It depends. We typically both have cameras and are shooting. We are storytellers and our main goal is to capture all aspects of a story. So we jump in and capture independently and then construct the story in the edit. On slower moving Advertising jobs we often work with one camera a bit slower of a pace. This is because on these shoots client approvals take time.
How much direction are you given from Photo Editors/Art Directors (or the individuals you are doing work for)?
Again, it really depends. I would say we typically get a brief at the beginning of the project and then people let us do our thing. Advertising shoots are much different as the art direction is typically much more concise.
How did you get to where you are today? What experiences did you have, what actions did you take, what connections did you make, that enabled you to reach the position that you have today?
I am extremely proactive and fearless when it comes to reaching out to people that we want to work for. We are also ALWAYS working. (self proclaimed workaholics.) Its all about taking meetings and showing work. Once we graduated Art Center we flew to NY and took meetings with any and everyone we could. In this we learned so much about ourselves and our work.
What advice would you give to the young artist who is interested in pursuing the career you’re in? How could they get started?
If there were one piece of advice I could give it would be to work HARD and also don’t be afraid to put your work out there even if the presentation isn’t absolutely perfect it is great to be out there. You have to have thick skin. As an commercial artist you are constantly rejected and this needs to inspire you… not hold you back. It happens to all of us.
Can you suggest any particular internships or opportunities that I might want to look into?
I suggest interning for a few photographers who really inspire you. Seeing the day to day is a crucial and will help immensely.
Would it be okay for my professor or other students to follow up with you later on if they have any questions? If so, what is the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Of course. Email is best: us@pedenmunk.com and we can be available to talk on the phone but please schedule through email first.
Website: http://www.pedenmunk.com/
