Episode 92: Justin Rosenberg / Fine Art & Experimental Portrait Photographer

Feb 1, 2019

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Fine art and experimental portrait photographer Justin Rosenberg joins the podcast to trace how his journey went from chasing a masters degree in evolutionary psychology, to living in a rehab center in LA, to falling in love with photography and using it to reconnect with his new sober self. Although Justin was born in New York, he spent most of his life in Florida and we talk about what it was like growing up there and his early love for music, the counter culture scene, and eventually drugs. There were several factors that would contribute to the path Justin took in life, but one that would continue to sometimes push him into a darker place was his battle with Crohn's Disease and the complications that would often arise because of it. In spite of those circumstances, Justin excelled in his undergraduate psychology studies and pursed what appeared would be an inevitable career in the world of evolutionary psychology. When financial strain over all the medical expenses that were adding up caused him to have to quit his masters pursuit, he found himself working a job he never imagined and sinking further and further into the world of drug abuse. In 2011 two things would change the course of his life forever. He had to have his large intestine removed, and he checked himself into a rehab in Los Angeles where his sister lived. It would be in that rehab center that he would be given an opportunity to work with an "in house" ad agency and began to reconnect with photography that he had once had a passion for in his younger years. During our conversation we talk about the evolution from shooting commercial projects to the subject matter and aesthetic he is known for today, how he manages to convince models to get nude in the snow, how he found out so much about himself through the photos he shoots, and the advice he gives to others that might be dealing with addiction or just trying to carve out their own place in the world of photography.