Meet Joseph Szymanski | Photographer, Artist, Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joseph Szymanski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joseph, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I suppose it was never really a choice. Making photographs and creating art are all I’ve ever wanted to pursue if I’m being honest. The idea of getting a job and making someone else money, shuffling paper, selling paperclips, whatever… just seems too depressing and unfulfilling. I’d like to think I have something to contribute, I’d like to think I’m leaving something behind, I’d imagine that remains to be seen. In any event, I’m no good at math and I’m a lousy salesman, so I chose an aesthetic life. Maybe it chose me. It’s worked out remarkably well so far, I’m one of the lucky ones for sure.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an old street photographer that dabbles in portraiture and fine art… entirely analog based, still printing in the darkroom, essentially a dinosaur. I came up at a strange time, when I was in school everything was starting to shift pretty hard to digital capture. I did the digital thing for awhile but really felt like I’d lost a lot of what drew me to the medium to begin with, working with film, making prints by hand, the tactile nature of an actual photograph you can pick up and turn over and give to someone. So I gave up and went back to analog. I realize film has turned into this hip thing now, but it’s how I learned, it’s the aesthetic I’m after, and it’s what I love about photography. I see it more as the difference between oil painting and water color. Same discipline, different medium.

How I got here is an entirely strange and convoluted story. I freelanced for a bit, tried to grind it out, was pretty broke and miserable the entire time. I eventually took a part time staff position at the Academy of Art University that quickly turned full time and eventually led me to start teaching, almost completely by accident. I found that I really enjoyed it and have been trying to find ways to do more of it ever since. Teaching is what has allowed me to fund my own work over the years and has been equally fulfilling.

The wild card is when I met my wife. We moved in together, got a duplex, my mother in law lives upstairs. We had a son in 2018 which of course changed everything. My wife works for the City in the Department of Public Health, which translates to she makes way more money than I do and the City benefits are amazing. So I left my full time position at the Academy and became a stay at home dad, teaching part time and pursuing my own work when time allows.

All this certainly changed my relationship to the camera, and my own work of course. It radically altered my idea of what success looks like and why I make photographs. Obviously I’m in a unique situation and incredibly fortunate to be where I am, almost through shear dumb luck. I’m not one for doling out advice, but I think you have to do this sort of thing for yourself and no one else. Making art is hard, and one of those funny things that everyone loves and no one wants to pay for. So you have to find a way to carve out a space for yourself and your little creations that allows you to continue that work. I found a really supportive partner, I’ve surrounded myself with family, I continue to teach as much as I can, and I make photographs everyday, it works for me. Do I live off my art? Absolutely not. If I did, I don’t think it would feel like mine. It was a long road, and not where I thought I’d end up, but what’s the fun in knowing the ending?

When I’m long gone maybe someone will find my work in a book or on a wall somewhere, and it’ll resonate with them in some way. That’s enough for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a home body, but my neighborhood in the Castro is by far one of my favorite spots… Good food every 25 feet, lot’s of weirdos hanging about, always a good time. Check out Poesia on 18th for a great meal, the duck is amazing. Blush wine bar on Castro street has Gypsy Jazz on Wednesday nights. Moby Dick bar on Hartford and 18th Street is great people watching and serves a stiff frozen margarita. Oyster Tuesdays at Woodhouse Fish Co. on Market is mandatory. Takara Sushi, Mama Ji’s Dim Sum, I could go on and on…

Dolores Park just up the street is the place to see and be seen on the weekend. But I think my favorite thing in the City right now is riding my bike through Golden Gate Park on JFK Drive. They closed the road to traffic during the pandemic, and just recently made the closure permanent. You can bike all the way to the beach without seeing a car, and there is a ton of public art along the way. Great fun if you can brave the fog…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could make a long list of people that have helped along the way, and while it may seem cliche, I really do owe a lot to my wife and family. They’ve always been supportive, in no uncertain terms. We’re incredibly fortunate to live in a multi-generational household, and that’s been a huge help with raising our son. That has allowed me the time and space to pursue my own work and continue teaching. The community I have around me right now is pretty incredible to say the least.

Website: http://josephszymanski.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joseph.szymanski/

Image Credits
All images Copyright Joseph Szymanski