Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Fulton.
Robin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I received my first manual camera when I was 10 years old, shortly after that we went on a family trip to Rome. I voraciously photographed every inch of that city. Every stone, every arch, every cat, every fountain… unfortunately, I left my Minolta and film in the trolley at the airport because we had to run and catch our flight.
It’s been almost 40 years and it still bothers me.
During the 1980s, I went to boarding school in England. The school was a big limestone castle which housed about 500 girls. The English countryside is very beautiful, however, when you are cooped up in a drafty old castle with 500 other girls, finding respite in the Photography darkroom became my safe place.
After high school, I bounced between my mother in New York and my father in Breckenridge Colorado. I found the New York lifestyle dark and terrifying, despite the fact that my younger sister was well connected to the 90s club kid scene. I preferred my time in Colorado and found myself leaving town less often.
In 1996, I was hired as a mountain photographer, which entailed me being part photographer, part tour guide and part ski bum. The great thing about that position was that I was able to shoot thousands and thousands of rolls of film and work with countless people, without paying for my own equipment or overhead.
I managed to talk my boss into allowing me to create a program where we photographed weddings in the summertime so that I wasn’t out of a job half of the year. Within one summer, I made enough to expand the program to other locations around the country and I begin training other photographers.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I had my first child in 2001, the company wasn’t as excited about it as I was. It didn’t take very long before they told me that my “priorities were no longer in order”, and my assistant took over my position. Suddenly unemployed, I found my home phone ringing off the hook from vendors, asking if I would cover events for them. Within a month, I was running my own business.
I don’t even know how many weddings I have photographed. I can’t tell you how many families I’ve worked with, or how many important moments I’ve captured for strangers. I know I loved it. I know it never got boring and I’ve met some of the most amazing people.
I relocated to Denver about five years ago. At the time, I was completely shattered from a divorce and there wasn’t an ounce of the artist left inside my heart to pick up my camera. One of my long-time friends invited me to Denver Fashion Week as she is a designer. She told me to bring my camera, that it was something I wouldn’t want to miss, and she couldn’t have been more right.
Watching the models with fantastic makeup, couture, and the most extravagant hairstyles I had ever seen, I felt like I was on some kind of drug. It was like I had fallen through the looking glass and found myself inspired by every angle. I was addicted.
I was invited backstage, and my friend Deb Henrickson who designs Equilibrium clothing, introduced me to local Denver designers: Gino Velardi, Mona Lucero, Deedee Vicory, Steve Trujillo, and Mondo Guerra from Project Runway. Driving home that night my heart felt full, I had found my people.
Within days, I was doing fashion shoots with incredibly talented artists. Every time I clicked my shutter, I was learning, growing and feeling more in my element than I ever had before.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What am I known for as an artist?
Even though all of my transformations, it’s been one thing: The best compliment I ever received was that my photos “breathe.”
I know that I see things differently than most people. I had a roommate jokingly tell me that “people pay good money to be like (me) all the time.“
My theory is that people don’t notice the beauty and simple things, because they’re so overwhelmed. It’s my job to separate that beauty so that it can be more easily understood.
The word Gestalt means that the whole of something is only created by the sum of its parts. I look for those parts, whether it’s a moment in time, an expression, texture, light or shape. By anticipating that moment before it happens and recognizing the beauty in simple things, I can visually explain them. I can help people see what I see.
When I photograph a portrait, it’s not just a snap with a face. I need to show who that person is, (or who they want you to believe they are). I want people to experience my images and feel intrigued as if they know something secret about the subject. It’s not simply Photography. It’s inviting my subjects to collaborate in my art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.robins-photography.com
- Email: robin@robins.photography
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/robins.photography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/robinsphotographydenver
Image Credit:
Models: Madelaine Jaine, Janelle Tejan, Nathan Straub, Carolyn Nowak, Phoenix Alden, Allie Fam, Paige Joelson, HMUA: Divinity Ray, Aaryn McPhetres, Kj Murphy, Beauty Underground, Wardrobe: CR Lee Designs, Julia Rhoden, Megan Summerville
Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
