Happy Friday, guys! Remember earlier in the month, when I said one of my New Year’s goals is to take more photos? Well, so many of you replied that you’re also trying to improve your photography skills and capture more memories in 2025. So, for this issue, I thought it would be fun and beneficial for all of us to bring on my dear friend and the most brilliant photographer, Kat Temkin.
Kat and I go way back. We first connected in 2017 when she animated promo social assets for the release of “Let Me Go.” I was immediately drawn to her style. When I discovered she was also a photographer, we tried shooting together and had so much fun that we kept rolling. Over the past few years, Kat has photographed almost every big life moment: birthdays, work trips from London to Hong Kong, red carpets, and our Beau Society launch party. Thank God (and Josh) that Kat was there on the day I got engaged. No one could have captured that moment like she did, and I’ll cherish her photos forever.
What’s crazy though? Kat almost talked herself out of becoming a photographer because she didn’t “fit the mold.” Here, she tells us that story, how she learned to trust herself and her vision, and her best advice for anyone looking to take better, more intentional photos. After talking to Kat, I’m excited to get behind my camera. I think you’ll feel the same.
Hailee Steinfeld: Okay, I want to start at the beginning. How did you first get into all of this, photography and everything?
Kat Temkin: I went to NYU for photography, but hated it. To be a photographer at NYU, I felt like I had to fit into this mold and I didn’t. I'm very introverted and shy — especially back then. Out of fear, I shut it down. I was like, I'm not gonna be a photographer, that's too scary. I'll be an animator or a retoucher.
HS: Did you enjoy animating and retouching?
KT: I hated retouching. But then I started doing little animations for an internship at Paper [Magazine]. That was the first time I'd done animation for music and I was like, this is what I want to do. I started cold emailing people and our friend Julie responded. She was like, “Come work with some of my artists.” You were one of them. At that point, I was doing a bunch of digital animation work. I was still scared to be a photographer, but then I started picking up the camera again. We had a bond from the animated stuff, so it felt easier to shoot with you. It wasn’t so scary.
HS: Are there certain photographers or photography styles that inspire you and influence your work?
KT: There was this photographer that I was obsessed with in college, Gregory Crewdson. He makes these beautiful, surreal images. That heavily inspired me to learn Photoshop. Even to this day, Surrealism and fantasy inspire me. For example, I shot Ari's Eternal Sunshine album cover where she's leaning on herself —I love things that are a little bit out of our reality.
HS: So cool. Now you're traveling the world creating the most amazing work. What’s keeping you inspired and motivated at this stage of your life?
KT: That's such a good question. Capturing a person at a point in their life is inspiring. Like when you and I started, that was so long ago, and now getting to capture you in a new light and this era of your life, that’s so inspiring. As a kid, I would go on Tumblr and see how people captured and collected Polaroids. I remember thinking it was cool that people kept Polaroids for so many years and could reflect on them. It's kind of the same with artists I have worked with for a long time: This was them then, this is them now. They evolve, and my work evolves with them.
HS: I love to hear that. What advice would you give someone — i.e. me — who is looking to take photos more intentionally and understand what they're looking at or how to capture a certain moment? Where should I start?
KT: I would ask yourself, what’s the goal? Explore what kind of photos you want to capture. Then work backward. When I started to get back into photography, I reached out to modeling agencies and asked to set up test shoots to play — play with light, set up a mood board, and see what I could capture. I would walk around with some friends from NYU and take photos by the neon signs in Chinatown just to play. As you go, you'll learn things you wouldn't know without trying.
HS: The last film I worked on, I came out of feeling so artistically inspired by the cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw. I'm excited to have my hands on a camera. I'm sure it's slightly nerve-wracking to shoot someone for the first time. Do you have anything that helps you and the person you're photographing feel more comfortable?
KT: For me, I like to meditate and gather myself beforehand. But it's really about trying to be someone's friend. A photoshoot is kinda like a friend date. It's picking up on energies and finding the right moments when the subject feels their best. I try to be super aware of vibes. Some photographers are so hype, some aren’t. I’m not really super hype — I have my moments! Keeping it casual has been helpful. But I would love to hear your side!
HS: It's funny. Sometimes, if I'm doing a shoot where the clothes are structural and I'm almost confined in movement, I'm like, “Please guide me or throw out suggestions.” But on the other end of the spectrum, there's such a thing as too much hype, and I’m thrown off. It's a fine line. But I love music for helping set the tone. Do you have a playlist you always use?
KT: I was on a shoot like two years ago, and someone had this 2000s pop playlist and I stole it. The 2000s always hits. Then also Victoria Monét, our go-to girl.
HS: Final question before quick-fire, is there someone you haven't collaborated with but would love to?
KT: Chappell Roan. I'm obsessed. I think she is a genius.
HS: Agreed! I could totally see that. That's going to happen. 2025.
Describe your photography style in three words. Fuck, I hate this question. A lot of people say glossy, which I relate to. Also glowy. And pop.
Best time of day to take photos? I like right before the sun sets because you get sun and also a gorgeous soft shadow moment.
Snack you bring to a shoot day? Hot Cheetos.
Coolest place you've ever traveled for a shoot? You and I, Hong Kong.
Favorite camera? The Canon R5, and I'm obsessed. I also love the Contax T2. It’s a film camera, but it's really small, so it's fun, and it has a flash.
Instagram dump or private share? I'm offended because I wanted to do a 2024 dump and I can only post 10 photos and everyone else can post 20. I think there's a glitch in my Instagram. I'm bummed but I do love an Instagram dump.
Best photo editing app? Photoshop.
Something you can't live without? Quinn (my dog).
Place you go for inspiration? Pinterest.
Best photo tip? Just shoot. You'll hate some but take them all anyway.
Black and white or color? I struggle with this all the time, but I think color.
Best piece of advice you've ever received? You don't know what you don't know.
Facts. I love Kat’s advice and perspective. Take it day by day and you’ll learn something you didn’t know yesterday. A final note, you don’t have to have a high-end camera to take great pictures. You can always find a used camera in good condition (eBay is great for that) or a disposable! If you know me, you know those are my favorite. And of course, we always have our phones!
Also, I’m so glad you loved last week’s short list of things I love. I might make it a regular thing.
TO WATCH: Ayo Edebiri in A24’s Opus.
TO READ: How to create “cozier, more meaningful, more spontaneous” friendships.
TO EAT: A hearty, tomatoey tortellini soup.
TO PLAY: This EP.
TO THROW ON: A Je T’aime LA hat.
TO CONSIDER: Throw exactly two *casual* parties this year.
TO TAKE WITH YOU: “Simple is beautiful.”
Love,
Hailee (Beau)
Highlighting your comments on the previous week’s issue. Today, we hear Cait’s response to Shining a light on YOU.
“My Nanna, our 93-year-old family matriarch is in the ICU. I woke up today feeling like I was struggling to breathe, but then I put on the Natalie Bergman song you wrote about and felt immediately soothed and able to reset and face the day. Music is such magic, and I can’t thank you enough for that recommendation.” -Cait
