Well before my photography career started in college I had always been hugely influenced by design. I had a thing for huge formats. I fancied big, loud, and strong images. I craved controversy. Steven Klein and David LaChapelle were my role models.
As most of my social media followings already know, I took on fashion photography while in college and built a very strong base on it with modeling agencies and clientel from all over the United States.
However, for some reason I felt stuck with photography. Maybe it was the cheap Dallas market for photographers or maybe I was simply drained? I don’t know. But I felt stuck. I felt like my talent was being limited to the labels and confine of a “photographer” and a “retoucher”. Not that it is necessarily a bad thing.
I wanted to stay competitive.
Photography wasn’t my only outlet to express what I deem as art. Photography in essence created my love for advertising. Starting with my first photograph I always had the desire to create something that would sell. I was never the landscape photographer or the flower photographer. I photographed models. Models that will go on to different agencies and try to sell themselves based on the images I created of them. I sold their character and soul through a single image to potential agencies.
I thought to myself If I could accomplish creating a branding image of a model through a photograph, how can I translate that into other mediums using the skills I have developed over the years? With that concept in mind, I hereby introduce the birth of Critical Launch.
And to answer everyone’s question — yes, I am still heavily doing fashion and beauty photography.
I hope you all continue to follow my journey in turning this baby into a real gigantic awesome business. Wish me luck!
– Tracy Nanthavongsa
