I’ve been featured and interviewed on Foxy Asia Magazine. LOVE the intro, really well written and it makes me feel good about myself:
G’day indeed.
Hailing from down under, photographer Justin Fox is one of the hottest in the game, with his drool-inducing Insta babes and a knack for framing some of the sultriest camera angles possible.
Preferring to shoot in natural light than in meticulously lit studios, Justin’s works stand out for their sunlit glow and laid-back atmosphere. “I used to shoot only on weekends, so I really tried to capture that lazy Sunday vibe in my shots,” he explains. This is evident in the images he produces, which convey an intimacy borne of organic moments shared between photographer and model, a refreshing change from the often artificial, overly designed images so common these days.
Justin’s shots provide glimpses into moments of truth and reality, a fitting artistic vision for someone who’s so candid and real about his life as a photographer in this exclusive interview with Foxy Asia Magazine.
Oh, and he also shoots nudes.
Justin, first of all thank you for spending some time with Foxy Asia Magazine.
How did you get into photography?
Hey guys, thanks for the opportunity! When I was in design school my mum handed me her vintage Canon SLR. I was in a 3-piece rock band at the time. I wore heels, leggings, had long hair braids… I just tried to look as weird as possible! I had truly amazingly strange friends and I’d often shoot them with the SLR, and shoot myself on timer (selfies before the term “selfie” was even around!). I dated a girl who let me shoot her nude and I’ve shot with pretty much all my girlfriends ever since.
What were your biggest challenges when starting out?
Learning how to use the camera! When I started out I didn’t have much of an idea of what I was doing with the SLR, but I loved it and took it everywhere with me. I used Ilford film and I’d get the rolls done at the 1hr lab for whack results. 20 years later I still find the camera, and all it’s functions, challenging as I’m not the most technically adept photographer (I just shoot in aperture priority mode at 1.4 and that’s it!).
How would you describe your style of photography? How did you go about creating your own style?
I used to shoot only on weekends, so I really tried to capture that lazy Sunday vibe in my shots. Tonnes of natural light, soft environments (my couch or my bed). I like shooting into the light, which makes for “blown out” shots which has become a part of my style. I shoot at 1.4 and so I’m always focusing on the one thing, this makes me get right in the mix and close to my models, what comes out are intimate shots where you feel like you’re in the shots, rather than looking at a girl from afar. Above all I’m a professional designer by trade so I really know how to frame a shot well.
Who was your first photo shoot with? How did it go?
I’ve had many previous intimate nude shoots with ex-girlfriends but my first shoot that started a whole lot more shoots was with a girl who we shot for ZEN Garage. At the time I was only shooting behind the scenes material, but I found that the pro photographers we used were way too slow in getting their images to us, so one day I thought fuck it. I’m going to shoot the girls myself, and that stuck.
You had your old IG account (@justinfoxau) for a long time and had a large number of followers. Why did you delete that account and leave IG?
Yeah I had 13k followers which isn’t so bad for a guy, but last year I really hit rock bottom. I felt like I had no reason to live, so on a whim I thought fuck Instagram and just hit the delete button. Finally my mother dragged me into my family GP, who diagnosed me with depression. I got on the meds, saw a psychiatrist and psychologists. I still see a psychiatrist today but I’ve cut down on the medication a lot from when I first started them early January this year.
Can you tell us more about your battle with depression. How long have you suffered from it and what do you think brought it on? How have you coped with it?
Drugs. I love drugs. I love being wasted. I’ve been smoking weed since I was in high school (I’m 44 this month). Last year I was smoking an ounce of weed a week. I’d wake up at 4:20AM and smoke bongs until midnight. I didn’t sleep in my bed and just crashed on the couch. I gamed hard and watched every single documentary on serial killers I could. I never showered, sometimes I’d pee in empty soft drink bottles instead of walking to the toilet. In the end I think a whole year of not sleeping properly was what really fucked me up. I used to ask “why” people managed to do crazy shit (mass murders, etc), but now I realised the real question was “how” and the answer is usually not sleeping for days at a a time. That’s sure as fuck to drive anyone crazy! The therapy hasn’t really helped, what did help was having a close friend move in and support me for 2 whole weeks. Early January I smashed my bong and I’ve not smoked weed since (but now I drink, a LOT!).
Why did you decide to come back to IG now?
I started a new design studio this year, and have been doing some really crap corporate logo design work for the past few months. It’s been killing me, and I’ve had to sack a few clients as I just can’t do shit work anymore. I love photography. I love the 1-on-1 nature of how I shoot, and I especially love the positive feedback girls give me after they’ve shot with me and seen the results. Just last week I’ve decided to drop graphic design for good (unless it’s genuinely working on a project which excites me) and focus on photography as a full time profession.
What would you like to be remembered for?
For being real.
Before we let you go, any final words you’d like to say to your fans and followers? Anyone in particular you’d like to send a shout out to?
Just thanks. I’m not an easy guy to back, and I’m an even harder to hang with. I put my friends through the wringer time and time again, but I have amazing friends and fans who have supported me in more ways than they realise. So, gratitude, and a sincere thanks to all those who get me and continue to give me energy.
Visit: https://foxyasiamagazine.com/check-out-the-erotic-nsfw-work-of-australian-photographer-justin-fox/
