Shit Happens

mullitover:

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

SPENCER JAMES HARDING: Ideally the prospect of rolling out of my sleeping bag, making some oatmeal and brown sugar and packing up my life for the day’s journey.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

SJH: Swampy, Santiago Mostyn, Mike Brodie have been really inspiring as far as adventuring goes. My friend Elizabeth Browne has always got some wonderful moments captured. And from my BFA posse Mike McKinnon, Jonathan Takahashi, and Justin Rightsell. Oh and anyone who participates in Jai Tanju’s film por vida exchange.

JC: What is your current project all about?

SJH: Its about the triangular relationship between myself, the subject, and our environment during periods of travel. I’m trying to examine and document these (sometimes) brief encounters and the gravity they carry.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

SJH: Two summers ago I took a five week bicycle trip down the west coast of the USA, due to space and weight concerns I had to choose between my camera or a tent. I choose the camera of course. When I got home and looked at the rolls I had maybe five photos that were not portraits. It sounds cliche but its what I was naturally drawn to when I had no intentions or assignments.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

SJH: I dont have a lot of trouble with this. I dont really do much commercial work, I work as a bike mechanic most of the time to supplement the cost of my personal work. If I do commercial work it tends to be for an event or something that I am completely detached from.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

SJH: Honestly I would recommend nothing more than throwing your camera in a backpack (I’d bring a tent as well, live and learn) and hitting the road. Via road trip, train, bike, hitching, flying, whatever really. Just go and don’t make plans, let the road provide everything you might need. The job market sucks, go run around the world for awhile, being an “adult” can wait.

JC: Favourite tree?

SJH: Coastal redwood, I’ve encountered few places in my travels that have affected me more emotionally than the redwood forests of Northern California.

Thanks to jonathan cherry for a rad interview!