{"id":750016,"date":"2026-08-26T06:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/750016\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T06:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:00:15","slug":"thomas-werner-creative-compass-lenscratch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/750016\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Werner: Creative Compass – LENSCRATCH"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"Werner<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo \u00a9William King, \u201cThe Fashion Image: A Conversation with Mario Sorrenti\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas Werner<\/a> is the author of The Business of Fine Art Photography<\/a>, Routledge, New York; The Fashion Image<\/a>, Bloomsbury Publishing, London; and Twenty One Summers<\/a>, co-authored with former Microsoft Search and AI team leader Derrick Connell. In addition, he is an editor at large for IRK magazine, a Paris-based print publication and website, and board member for the Santa Fe Center for Photographic Art. Originally introduced to his online talks about the medium of photography and market challenges and opportunities for artists and gallery owners, it has been a recent pleasure to meet within his capacity as curator, and reflexively ask about his own personal and professional development. In turns that seem to combine blind faith with a comprehension of true opportunity, Werner\u2019s achievements map how and where creative pathways may actually lead.<\/p>\n

Please tell us your name, where you are from, where you work, etc.<\/p>\n

Thomas Werner, Santa Fe, NM, owner of Thomas Werner Projects and Chasing Beauty Publishing.<\/p>\n

Around what medium or media do you focus your practice?<\/p>\n

My work is centered around photography and writing. I have also owned an art gallery in New York\u2019s Chelsea Art District and curated exhibitions internationally, so curating and consulting are also central to my work as well. At this point in my career it is impossible to separate the work in photography from writing or curating. Though there may be different goals or methodologies for each, they influence one another and all come from the same place creatively. It has taken a long time and a lot of work to get to this place in life.<\/p>\n

Describe your interests and when you got started.<\/p>\n

A friend and I loved motorcycles in college. He said that if we were going to go touring together, I had to learn to take pictures. An avid photographer and an art major, he taught me how to use a camera while on our trips, but I never imagined this practice as a career.<\/p>\n

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, I moved to Los Angeles and began to work in casting. That gave me access to a range of people to photograph. I loved taking pictures and naively quit my job, and started a business as a photographer. It was a challenge. Jobs came, but I needed to improve. So I went back to school at The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to get a second degree. This one was in photography with a minor in film.<\/p>\n

In what directions have your projects evolved over time?<\/p>\n

My initial jobs were commercial gigs with a little portraiture and fashion thrown in. I ran the business while attending Art Center. After graduation, the creative director of a local magazine asked if I was going to photograph fashion or portraiture. She explained that fashion photographers are hired to take portraits, but portrait photographers are rarely asked to create fashion images. It was time to decide what direction my career would take, but the fashion industry was a mystery to me. A few days after the conversation, I called a model from San Diego to get more insight, and the next week was in Paris trying to get tickets to shows at fashion week. It was an extraordinary learning experience. A few months later, I sublet a room in an apartment in New York and began traveling there for meetings. An editor at Conde Nast told me that I needed a studio, and that was the beginning of my move to New York, photographing fashion, owning an art gallery, getting an MFA, working with the US Department of State, and running the photography program at Parsons School for Design. Once in New York, one project led to another and the possibilities began to open up. I worked seven days a week but loved it.<\/p>\n

\"TheBusinessofFineArtPhoto_Cover_8.25<\/a><\/p>\n

The Business of Fine Art Photography, by Thomas Werner, Cover Photo by Xenia Nikolskaya<\/p>\n

In what fields, and by whom, are you influenced, directly and indirectly, and why?<\/p>\n

I had the pleasure of being a photography consultant for Reed Krakoff when he was the creative director at Coach. He is without question one of the most talented, curious, and well-referenced people I have ever met. His drive to learn and experience new things is boundless, which is one of the great pleasures of working with him. He didn\u2019t see boundaries, only opportunities, and when he took on a project he just expected it to succeed. That attitude alone was a great lesson. His attitude and approach to work changed the way I approach work and life.<\/p>\n

As a photographer, Peter Lindbergh<\/a> was a big influence. He was one of the first fashion photographers to focus on the person inside of the clothes, as opposed to just garments. His work was technically perfect, and his images were art. Irving Penn and Richard Avedon were also inspirations. Photographer Erwin Olaf<\/a> became a friend and was inspiring on so many levels. He took risks and was true to his own vision, personally and creatively. Erwin took the language of commercial photography and applied it to his fine art as well. This allowed him to explore the cracks in the facade we put forth to the world and engage in deeply conceptual work that was also visually engaging.<\/p>\n

I did not have an inspiration as a writer. My first editor at Bloomsbury in London helped me understand how to write a book and the importance of defining your audience, but allowed me to keep my own voice throughout the text. This was empowering and has stayed consistent throughout all of my writing.<\/p>\n

\"Werner<\/a><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Fasion Image, by Thomas Werner, Cover Photo by Therese and Joel<\/p>\n

What types of investigations, methods and subject matter are you drawn to?<\/p>\n

In addition to the above, as a curator or portfolio reviewer I like work that is intentional, takes risks, is technically sound, explores new perspectives visually and conceptually, and is not imitative or following the popular concept of the moment.<\/p>\n

What audiences do you have in mind when working on your projects?<\/p>\n

Commercially, I strive to make work that is true to my personal vision or style. That said, when someone is paying, you always have to keep the client and the client\u2019s audience in mind. Even editorial imagery demands an understanding of the audience that will be looking at the magazine or website.<\/p>\n

As a fine artist, I began by making work that I wanted to make. Once represented, that changed as a gallery would ask for a certain number of images for an exhibition by a certain date. At times, this included the size and price point for the work. I understood that art is a business, but that took much of the fun out of it for me. Now I just make the work that I want to make. Images that are personally satisfying in whatever genre that makes sense at the time.<\/p>\n

Whether writing a book or magazine article, you always need to be aware of your audience. It is essential to the success of the piece. Every word must have a reason to be there, no filler. The information provided has to be useful or move the text forward. I don\u2019t want to waste anyone\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

Does this shift once a series or body of work is completed?<\/p>\n

Once a body of work is completed, you don\u2019t have a choice. Whether writing, photography, or video, you have to let the work go out into the world and take on a life of its own. People will decide what they may about the work in terms of its meaning, and context. Some people will like it and some people won\u2019t. Some will understand it and others will misinterpret it, and that\u2019s OK. You can\u2019t control that. Whatever the response, you can\u2019t take it personally. You just need to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n

How long do your projects usually take?<\/p>\n

A book takes about two to two and a half years to write. A photography project may take a couple of months or years. I always have multiple projects going at the same time as it makes work easier. Focusing on one thing at a time makes the project too important and slows my ability to create. Multiple projects feed off each other, and often provide new insights that would not otherwise be possible.<\/p>\n

What level of visual literacy and art historical knowledge would you say is useful in understanding or appreciating what you do? What is your training and background?<\/p>\n

If the question is about audience, I don\u2019t think that someone viewing or reading my work needs a certain level of visual or cultural experience to engage with the work. I find that idea arrogant. The work is there for everyone to understand, interpret, and hopefully, enjoy as they will.<\/p>\n

The more informed someone is visually and culturally, the better off they are as a creative. This would include art history, film, theater, design, illustration, travel, and so much more.\u00a0My background includes an MFA in new media arts and performance, from Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York; a BA in photography, with an emphasis in film, from The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California; and a BS in communications, with an emphasis in theater and film, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.<\/p>\n

\"Werner<\/p>\n

\u201c100th Anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize in Photography\u201d<\/p>\n

I have noticed your online presence on panels as speaker and moderator, how did you enter this path? (For example, as a moderator of a November 2025 panel, \u201cFrom Personal Work to Museums, Galleries and Editorial at Center\u2019s Review Santa Fe<\/a>\u201d).<\/p>\n

I began hosting panel discussions as the president of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) New York, a then 800 member chapter. At the time there were not a lot of events like that happening in the city. The crowds were big and we were able to provide information and insight for a lot of people in the industry.\u00a0When putting together a panel for an event I quickly realized that people who would not meet with Thomas the photographer would meet with Thomas the president of ASMP, regarding a panel discussion. That gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people who I would not have met otherwise. Quite frankly, writing books or articles for IRK<\/a> magazine has provided the same kind of access, as has giving talks internationally.<\/p>\n

Panel discussions play a different role now. Over time I have been lucky to develop a group of friends and colleagues who are willing to give of their time and knowledge. When asked, they volunteer to be on panels like the one for Center Santa Fe. This provides the opportunity to give back to the profession and help others gain insight onto an ever-changing field, and avoid some of the mistakes that I have made. Organizations like Center provide access to panelists for these events as well. Doing book talks and signings, and public speaking for organizations internationally has been central to my career.<\/p>\n

Could you describe the Santa Fe Center for Photographic Arts?<\/p>\n

For the last two years I have been on the board of the Santa Fe Center for Photographic Arts. This is a Santa Fe-based not for profit that supports documentary and fine art lens-based artists through education, exhibition, grant funding, and collaborative partnerships.<\/p>\n

Each year we offer $16,000 in funding via a series of grants that are open to the general public. I encourage everyone in the photo community to apply. We also host Review Santa Fe, a yearly portfolio review. Submissions are reviewed and the eighty artists selected are invited to meet with over forty international museum curators, gallerists, assigning editors, directors, independent curators, and book publishers for portfolio reviews. Select artists also receive awards and are offered the opportunity to be part of a group exhibition. All of the participating artists are part of the portfolio walk, which includes presenting their work for purchase to over 1000 attendees.<\/p>\n

Can you talk about your activities as curator, past gallery owner and photography program director at Parsons?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The panel discussions for ASMP led to my being asked to teach a business class at Parsons School for Design, and then additional classes. My third semester there they created a new position for the director of the photography program and asked if I would do it on an interim basis. It was just after 9\/11 and work was slow, so I said yes. I honestly didn\u2019t know what Parsons was at the time, but I enjoyed teaching and the students. A year later I was interviewed for the full time position and as the only person with deep commercial and fine art experience, got the job.<\/p>\n

The lack of work after 9\/11 also led to the creation of Thomas Werner Gallery in Manhattan\u2019s Chelsea Art District as well. I had been an assistant curator for the Swiss Re collection in New York and enjoyed the process. My photo studio was in a gallery building, and as commercial work dried up, it was a chance to indulge myself in a dream job and to help others build their careers.\u00a0At the same time, I was an exhibiting artist and was reviewed in New Yorker Magazine. That, and working as a cultural representative and speaker funded by the US Department of State and other organizations, provided extraordinary insight into the photography art market, both commercial and not for profit.<\/p>\n

\"Werner<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9Thomas Werner, C-4<\/p>\n

\"Werner<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9Thomas Werner, B-2<\/p>\n

[Excepts from the New Yorker review: \u201cTHOMAS WERNER. In his discomfiting and at times harshly beautiful abstract photos, Werner forgoes traditional representational dictates to concentrate instead on color, depth, and light\u2014a challenge for the artist, of course, but also for the visitor, for whom viewing such photography represents a fresh, but also demanding, experience. Werner\u2019s painterly images\u2014which were created by exposing outdated film to strong heat, cold, or chemicals-yield colors of astonishing intensity and depth, including a yellow as rich and fatty as egg yolks and an algal shade that slides into a blue-green so bitter you can almost taste it\u2026\u201d]\n<\/p>\n

You recently relaunched the Thomas Werner Projects\/Twenty One Summers podcast. What topics will you be covering?<\/p>\n

The first three episodes will be interviews with gallerists from around the world. Joshua Pailet, founder and director of A Place for Fine Photography has already been posted. A Place for Fine Photography was one of the first photo galleries in the country. Josh has worked with all of the legends in our field and is a wealth of information. We will also look at the stories of leaders from across creative fields, technology, and life, who have crossed boundaries and built projects and careers that most only imagine\u2026 taking risks, failing, and finding ways to overcome adversity and succeed.<\/p>\n

Could you describe your path as editor and writer?<\/p>\n

The opportunity to write the book, The Fashion Image, was a complete surprise for me. I received an email from an editor at Bloomsbury Publishing in London saying that she was going to be visiting New York for a day. She was looking for someone to write a book on fashion photography and asked if I had any ideas or knew of anyone who could do so. I met her for coffee and pitched three book concepts to which she replied, \u201cInstead of writing three books you should write the book.\u201d That book became The Fashion Image. When I got to chapter five she said that the book needed a more international perspective, so I reached out to a friend who introduced me to the French photo collaborative French Cowboy. I interviewed them for the book and ended up working as an editor at large for their, at the time new publication, IRK magazine, a Paris-based fashion and culture print publication and website.<\/p>\n

About a year after The Fashion Image was launched, Bloomsbury asked me to propose a second book. The first was selling well so I proposed two additional fashion titles and The Business of Fine Art Photography. They went with the latter and were thinking about a series of books on different areas or genres of photography. Halfway through the writing process their book division was sold to Taylor Francis at Routledge. Bloomsbury kept the fashion title, but the fine art book was part of the sale.<\/p>\n

There were many lessons learned about the time, dedication, costs, and benefits of writing a book. One of the most important was told to me by a colleague who had taught at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She said that writing a book it isn\u2019t about the sales of the book itself, it is about the changes in your life and career that the book creates.<\/p>\n

She was right, those two books, and now Twenty One Summers, have built a credibility and visibility that would not have been possible otherwise. They have taken me around the world as a consultant, speaker, educator, and consultant, changing my life and career along the way. Twenty One Summers, co-authored with former Microsoft Search and AI team leader Derrick Connell, is the culmination of the professional and life experiences of both authors. At this point it is the capstone project of my career, soon to be manifested in workshops, retreats, workbooks, online communities, and other partnerships and projects. There is more to come.<\/p>\n

\"Werner<\/a><\/p>\n

Twenty One Summers, by Thomas Werner and Derrick Connell<\/p>\n

What developments have you noticed within photographic practices, the medium and markets for it, over the span of your career?<\/p>\n

Too many to describe. That alone is another book. I will say that you cannot stand in the way of social, technological, and cultural change. I have watched many image makers try to do so and their careers slowly end as the world passes them by. It is essential to evolve.<\/p>\n

Have there been surprises, and if so, has this affected your professional trajectory?<\/p>\n

The surprises have been endless, and I am thankful for that.<\/p>\n

Posts on Lenscratch may not be reproduced without the permission of the Lenscratch staff and the photographer.<\/p>\n