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Interview

Ian Findley

Photographer · Houston

A Houston photographer who plans every frame before he leaves the house and makes pictures to process what he grew up with.

Ian Findley in black-framed glasses and a black T-shirt, chin resting on his hands, tattooed forearms, in black and white

  1. 01 · On home

    Where are you from?

    I’m a Houstonian born and raised, though “raised” is doing a lot of heavy lifting considering my childhood!

  2. 02 · On creativity

    What does “being creative” mean to you?

    It means creating. I have a specific perspective that sees things in a way unique to me—not better or worse than anyone else’s, just my own. Being creative is the act of taking that vision and bringing it to life.

  3. 03 · On becoming

    Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do?

    In 3rd grade, I realized I was finishing my assignments faster than everyone else. I started drawing, sketching, and doodling to fill the time because I can't stand boredom.

  4. “ Don’t worry about being more creative—just go create. ”

  5. 04 · On rituals

    What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?

    I like to pre-plan my shoots, including the routes I’ll take with a model. This includes selecting the right lenses, filters, and lighting, as well as choosing the right bag. I pre-visualize the entire shoot in my head before heading out.

  6. 05 · On favorites

    What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever created?

    It’s a toss-up between a black-and-white photo of my wife’s hand and a downtown shoot with a model where we pushed through several obstacles to get incredible results.

  7. 06 · On meaning

    What are you trying to communicate with your art?

    It depends on the project. When working with a model, I help communicate their message. For my personal work, I generally explore themes of isolation, frustration, and fear—emotions I grew up with—and photography helps me process that trauma.

  8. 07 · On what's next

    Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?

    I’d love to get into large-format sheet photography and develop my own film again. I would also like to direct a film someday.

  9. 08 · On advice

    What’s the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative?

    Don’t worry about being more creative—just go create.

The work · 6

Black-and-white photo of a lone figure framed by a weathered wooden doorway in a cracked stone wall, facing away
A woman with white hair and sugar-skull face paint in a red dress and a gold sunburst crown with red roses, against a brick wall
A woman with long dark curls in a flowing white buttoned dress walking between two red-brick walls
A woman with red lips looks out from the back seat of a car, the gold-patterned soles of her boots raised toward the camera
A woman in a grey New York T-shirt lounging in a patterned armchair under a red robe, a carousel horse and a lamp behind her
Black-and-white photo of a man in sunglasses and a suit jacket with a bolo tie holding up a bottle of sparkling wine under an open sky

Find Ian Findley

Published October 20, 2026

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