JAKE ROSENBERG
Occupation: Photographer and co-founder of The Coveteur | Hometown: Toronto
Q How do you prepare for a photo shoot of this size?
A For this campaign we are featuring local influencers and going into their spaces or their places of work. It’s kind of the same thing that I do every day — I go and I learn about the person. I meet them, spend a little time with them and get a feel for their space. Most people are pretty comfortable in their own environment, so it’s about working with them in the environment that they have built around themselves and capturing moments around that.
Q You have a distinct portrait style. How do you merge that esthetic with those of a brand such as Nordstrom when you’re working on a shoot?
A I kind of do my own thing. I think I’m lucky in that I have kind of developed a certain style of shooting that people like — I hope. But for the most part, I try to shoot the way that I shoot and create the images and the moments that I capture. I don’t change my style very much. I look at the brief and go through the creative with the team, and we create all the images, but I always have my little twist to it.
Q Were you given much direction on this project, or is it up for your interpretation?
A With this shoot, we are featuring local influencers so we are going to their spaces. So it’s lucky we are not creating new spaces from scratch: all these places that we are shooting at were already here or were created by the people that we are featuring.
Q What inspires you when you’re working? A A lot inspires me: people, nature. I pull a lot of inspiration from the people that I shoot, their accomplishments, their little quirks or trying to push them a little bit further than they are used to being pushed. And then I take inspiration from photographers and design. My background is in design. I come from an industrial design background, a heavy branding background, and I love to create branded images and tell stories.
Q Working with such a highprofile model such as Coco Rocha, do you look back at their work or create your own vision?
A I think it’s a bit of both. When I work with models I definitely look through their portfolios. When I get to shoot portraits of larger celebrities or influential people, I’m definitely looking at them ahead of time. But I think, for me, I love to meet people for the first time. I love to show up, say, ‘Hey, what’s up? This is me, you’re you ... let’s hang out a little bit and create some images.’ The way that I shoot is it’s a constant conversation, capturing the little moments in between that conversation. It’s kind of a reflection of our time together.
Q Did you ever imagine that your work on The Coveteur, one of Canada’s biggest fashion websites, would transition into so many other opportunities?
A No, I didn’t. When we created The Coveteur, it was for fun. I met my business partners on set and the next day we started it. I knew nothing about fashion. I came from branding, design and photography. I have learned more about fashion in the past four years than I ever could have imagined. But we started The Coveteur for fun, and the day we launched, it crashed, and in the past four years, the things that we have got to do, the places we’ve been able to go and the people we have been able to meet have been more eye-opening and inspiring than I could have ever imagined.