Randi Lynn Beach : Documentary Filmmaker, Photographer & Author | Interview

''Music is my biggest source of inspiration. I can go years without stepping into a museum or gallery but I can’t go a day without music!''

Randi Lynn Beach is an award-winning photographer, author and filmmaker. If you take a look at her work, you will quickly realise that she can capture a scene like no one else can. She truly is one of the best photographers out there.

Her talent doesn`t stop at photography. Her documentary series ‘‘PixChannel’’ explore the masters of photography, such as Arnold Newman, Duane Michals and Ruth Bernhard. Whilst, her book ‘‘Westlands: A Water Story’’ (2017) explores the danger drought and water policies regarding farming & ecosystems. Her work has been published in Rolling Stone, Seventeen, Huffington Post, Washington Post and The New York Times!

You can follow her on Instagram and Medium ! Check out her photography projects like ‘The Black Panthers to Black Lives Mater’, ‘Hospital D’Antoni’ and ‘Peace Village, Hanoi’’. They are AMAZING!

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Is music an important part of your life? What are some of your favourite songs? Is there a particular song that holds a special memory or meaning to you?

RLB: Music is my biggest source of inspiration. I can go years without stepping into a museum or gallery but I can’t go a day without music! It both calms my soul and makes me more creative. If I have writer’s block, I'll listen to music. If I’m depressed, I'll listen to music. If I have to make a ten-hour drive in my car to a photo shoot, I’ll listen to music. My taste is eclectic. For the long road trips, I use music instead of caffeine. So I listen to The Jam, Verve, Beirut. Always Bowie. His live concerts are the best.

My favorite songs change. Right now I’m listening to Bowie’s, “Word on a Wing.” He lays his soul bare in that song. I love when an artist shows their vulnerability. That’s what strikes an emotional cord and resonates with people. It moves me. Also, every song on the album Station to Station is epic. 

Recently my teenage son turned me onto the genius of Roxy Music. I did a deep dive into their archive and moved away from their hits. I became obsessed with the song “Mother of Pearl.” I think Bryan Ferry is the Shakespeare of rock-n-roll. And that voice! Silky smooth. His songs are like poetic lullabies.

What is a project that you are currently working on? Or is there a project that you are super excited about on your to-do list?

RLB: I always have several projects brewing at once. My friend jokes that I always have a lot of cakes in the oven. I’m working on another environmental book based in Maui. Like most places, water is precious especially on the islands where a firestorm destroyed a historic town killing 100 people. Water was my focus in my previous book, “Westlands, a Water Story.” I’m also very interested in food — the culture and history of certain types of cuisine. To raise awareness on topics like the origin of food, I wanted to use art to start a dialogue and get people curious about where their food comes from. 

After a recent trip to Hanoi, I’m interested in doing a cookbook where I profile a dozen or so chefs and examine why they have perfected a specific dish. So far, research and development has proven to be really delicious. I’m going back for seconds!

I just got off the phone with an Aboriginal dancer from Australia. I will be photographing her in Oz a few weeks from now. I am super excited about that! Her culture is ancient and misunderstood and I want to illustrate how that figures into her art.

When capturing a photo, do you pre-visualise your images? How important is imagination in photography?

RLB: I do pre-visualize my images. However, that almost never works. I just feel it’s like writing a book review before reading the book. Everything changes in person. Once I arrive, I chose a point to jump off from and then I’m rolling. Even if my research is futile, it’s always better to be prepared. Everything goes into the performance when you have your camera in hand. Thinking fast on your feet is critical. It’s like an improv session. 

Imagination is the most important aspect of photography. Nobody is interested in a cliché. I have images in my head that I don’t know how to execute. But I keep trying. That’s the fun and frustrating part of the journey. Ideas for images swirl my head all day long. Sometimes I scribble thoughts on my notepad in the middle of the night. Mostly I build on ideas I had twenty years ago. I’m more mature now and, hopefully, so is my vision of the world and of art and the things I photograph. But I try to get better at expressing those ideas. You can’t substitute time. It’s a lot like rehearsing. 

From all your photos and photography sessions, which would you not want to repeat ever again and why?

RLB: I have had thousands of photo sessions. I’ve always had a policy of don’t kiss and tell. I respect the subject’s privacy. After a disastrous photo shoot, I just move on. There have been many. I do my best to learn from them. And not burn any bridges.

Is there a particular photography genre, time-period or photographer that you think should be learned more about in schools and universities?

RLB: I’m not sure about which genre I would promote. I just really like Bill Brandt and Wynn Bullock. They’re old-school. They were brilliant at their craft but also conveyed a mood and message.

If you had to choose one photograph from your portfolio to symbolise you and your work, which one would it be?

RLB: If I had to choose one photograph from my huge archive, it would be Starlings. That image has had a universal and unanimous response. But I’m not a one-hit wonder :-) 

© Randi Lynn Beach

Which song would you never ever want to hear again?

RLB: There are so many songs I would never want to hear again. It has nothing to do with talent. But I wouldn’t want to hear [Cher] “Believe” again.

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Just like music, reading daily exercises the brain, improves sleep and reduces stress, so why not read some more?! Check this out:

N.Vaivads from Auļi: ''Representatives of the national right-wing parties have been interested in our music... But we are not the brand or logo of any party.'' Pt.I