“Photography isn’t about convincing anyone of anything […] It’s about invoking something in them, and if it is a political thing, or if it is an emotional societal message that I’m trying to convey, then I’m just trying to make a connection with them with hopes to just move the movement along towards a world that I would feel better living in.”

By Valeria Vera-Crespo

In Episode 41 of Unsugarcoated with Aalia, host Aalia Lanius sits down with Josh Fogel, a professional photographer based in Los Angeles, and discusses how we can use the arts to both propel and capture social movements within our communities. His work spans from street photography, portraiture, travel photography, and social commentary; but, whether he’s photographing celebrities or attending social justice protests, he always does his part in sharing the fight towards justice through his images. Ironically, on the day of taping, the events of January 6th, 2021 were unfolding at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and this interview captures their authentic reactions and commentary from their own perspectives.

As all art forms are, photography is extremely powerful and can invoke a surplus of emotions within someone with just one still image. Fogel recognized this and decided to master the craft of photography. However, his journey was not easy. Fogel explains photography is more than just pointing and shooting a camera, “it’s really about the opportunity and capturing, identifying, and anticipating moments.” He realized this after traveling to Russia to document B’nai Mitzvah for the Joint Distribution Committee for the past seven years. With what started out as a hobby, he stuck with his passion and created a reputable brand for himself. Now, Fogel is sought after for photoshoots by A-list celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Usher and is constantly working on exciting new projects. 

Although Fogel tends to do street and portrait photography, he also uses his talent to document moments that are a bit more intimate in his personal life. He merged photography into the more intimate parts of his life when there was a new addition to his family. His child was born in the middle of a peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as a result of the strict visitation restrictions in hospitals, Fogel had to get creative in order to get pictures of the entire family with their newborn baby. He had a friend take the image looking into their room window from the parking lot of the hospital in order to get the perfect family portrait. Fogel’s creativity was able to find and capture a moment of togetherness during a time of isolation.

Many photographers, including Fogel, realize one of the purposes of art is to hold a mirror up to society. This mindset allows him to capture what he believes should be documented. Fogel doesn’t restrict what he photographs based on his personal views; He attends protests he firmly believes in, but, also attends protests that he doesn’t necessarily support in hopes to help showcase different perspectives. Fogel proclaims “I think understanding other people’s perspectives on issues is incredibly important. I think empathy is one of the things that we have really lost sight of. And, most people don’t know the difference between empathy and sympathy but I think the difference is excruciatingly important.” 

Lanius asks Fogel what he thinks the role of a photographer is, specifically tying it back to the Black Lives Matter movement and protests that occurred over the summer. In reference to the photographers at protests, he states “the democracy of photography is important in that more voices are being heard in a conversation, especially the diversity of those voices.” He encourages all to dive deep into their passion and strive towards a compassionate world. Be sure to check out the whole episode to hear more from Aalia Lanius and Josh Fogel, where they keep the conversation about creating change through media Unsugarcoated!

Connect with Josh Fogel on IG: @Josh_Fogel or via his Website: http://www.joshfogel.com/

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