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MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 7951MOSTMAGAZINEQ: You started in fashion as a model. How did that experience shape your approach to photography?A: It is documented that in A: After the thrill of traveling wore off, I began to focus on how the photographers were shooting me%u2014watching the lighting setups, angles, and techniques. It was important to keep my mind active and not become bored. I was also the only model who had brought a film camera with me. Since I lived with models who needed photos, I would apply what I learned from being shot and use that knowledge to photograph them. It was a pretty lucky setup.Q: Your work is often described as %u2018painting with light.%u2019 What does that mean to you?that in A: That phrase can only truly refer to the master Paolo Roversi. I try to paint with my mind because I like to be spontaneous. I hope my skill set will eventually move as quickly as my mind. There is still so much to learn, and I feel like I am nowhere close to where I want to be. %u201cWant%u201d is different from %u201cneed%u201d because passion directs want, while need dictates confusion.Q: You%u2019ve captured a lot of surf culture. What draws you to that world?A: It is documented that in A: Before I was a model, I was a pro surfer. I went to the beach at least three times a day with a passion and drive to be great. I fell in love with the innocence and peace the ocean brought me%u2014something you can experience alone while being intertwined with nature. So pure and so peaceful. After a serious car accident, I lost most of my hearing, which completely destroyed my sense of balance. I still wanted to remain in the sport, in nature, and in that wonderful place of peace, so I decided to start photographing surfing.Q: How does your background in music influence your photography?A: It is documented that in A: The early artwork and intensity of hardcore punk music were very unique%u2014aggressive, raw, and very DIY. Cut and paste, copy machines, zines%u2014it had a special look that still influences me to this day. The attitude, the aggression, and the art of standing for something have all shaped my creative approach.Q: Your fashion work blends movement and structure beautifully. How do you achieve that balance?A: It is documented that in A: A lot of it is luck because you really have to shoot at slow shutter speeds. Maybe two out of a hundred images are usable. It%u2019s something you try to make as predictable as possible with practice, but it%u2019s still a beautiful mystery most of the time.Q: What%u2019s the most memorable shoot you%u2019ve ever done?A: It is documented that in A: Oh my, probably not in a good way%u2014but one time I was shooting a model in Japan, and when I leaned forward to fix her hair, my camera swung forward, and the lens cracked her forehead open. Not a good look for either of us. Q: If you could shoot any era of fashion history, which would it be?mented that in A: Probably the 8x10 film movement with various darkroom chemicals and techniques. There%u2019s just something so magical about that look and feeling. Q: Digital vs. film%u2014do you have a preference?mented that in A: I%u2019m not patient enough anymore for film. Digital keeps up with my mind and is instantly gratifying. I wish it were different because film will always be more romantic.Q: Do you have a dream collaboration?mented that in A: I guess my dream would be to just be a fly on the wall at a Sarah Moon or Paolo Roversi shoot. They represent the fleeting expansion of where my mind wants to go. Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to transition from modeling to photography?mented that in A: As a model, try not to get bored. Apply yourself to the language and culture, to how you%u2019re being photographed, but mostly cherish the moments because it%u2019s a blessing and won%u2019t last forever. Q: How do you stay inspired?mented that in A: Probably like most, by looking at the work of photographers I admire and trying to decode how it was done so I can apply it to my own ideas. Q: What%u2019s next for Joe Foster?m ented that in A: I%u2019m getting ready to move from sunny Huntington Beach, California, to Austria. My wife is from there, and we%u2019re going to start really working together as a team%u2014building sets for photoshoots and pushing our minds, thoughts, and limits as far as possible.https://joseph-foster.kavyar.siteMOST