Kyla Estoya

Artist Profile K 16 | TO ES A YL YA NEW READER MAGAZINE Arts and Culture | USA Ashley Obregon NEW READER MAGAZINE | 17 Artist Profile Natalie Jeanean Things can go wrong. E ven though we’re unique in our own little ways, there’s always one undeniable thing every human being has in common: we can’t stop worrying about what lies before us and we keep feeling guilty about what we left behind. One of the vital practices the great Stoics have passed on from generation to generation is learning to accept the course of things we can’t control. Right now the world seems to be paranoid over a lot of things, and debates about what’s right and who’s wrong are unending. People demand the same thing: the greater good for mankind. Yet here we are still in chaos. Although, behind this mayhem there are other little things happening, like joy or solidarity, or even love. Sometimes we forget these things exist because we get caught up in our problems. When we feel like the world is falling apart, our wild imagination overpowers what we’re supposed to do in the present moment. Photographer Justin Rosenberg reminded me of this little dilemma we face every day. In his works of portraits and landscapes, he instills, in his words, the hope in the struggle. From misty backdrops to lonely corners of a room—each photograph depicts how we can feel a multitude of positive and negative emotions at the same time. Kay Smythe 18 | NEW READER MAGAZINE Arts and Culture | USA Annelisa NEW READER MAGAZINE | 19 Artist Profile Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Diane Arbus and Ansel Adams—these are some of the photographers that inspired Justin’s eye. His love for photography goes way back to when he was young. Apart from the people mentioned, the real heroes would be his dad and his uncles. They were the ones who exposed Justin to the wonders of cameras. From there, he had an on/off relationship with taking photos. As soon as he got his first DSLR, things went headlong from puppy love to a deep and unbreakable relationship with photography. Like any other artist, his style and intentions kept evolving and progressing through his experiences. When two massive events happened in Justin’s life, namely him getting sober, and having his large intestines removed due to the complications of Crohn’s Disease, his perspective towards the world shifted. Alexis Turner 20 | NEW READER MAGAZINE Arts and Culture | USA Elizabeth Jordan Justin’s photos demand you to be in the moment and to be hopeful in a present struggle. He mentions, “My work serves as a form of cathartic or comforting emotional escapism—for both the subjects and the viewers.” His photographs reflect his innermost thoughts that when hard times cease, we will always have to put up a constant fight with life—which isn’t bad news at all. This viewpoint isn’t just displayed in his works but also present in how he composes his photos. “I’m not much into mood boards and concepts. There’s something I love about the challenge of not knowing what exactly I’m doing,” he emphasized. “It could be less about creativity and more about keeping my brain active in the attempt to prevent Alzheimer’s down the road. Or maybe it’s just me rebelling against all the check-off-shot-lists of the corporate world.” While finding fresh angles, exploring new places, or working with different models thrill him, Justin expects things to eventually go wrong but knows quite well that panicking is never an option. Since a lot of his portrait work is unplanned and unscripted, being in the scene for a while taught him that having backup equipment and knowing how to troubleshoot is a must. NEW READER MAGAZINE | 21 Artist Profile My work serves as a form of cathartic or comforting emotional escapism— for both the subjects and the viewers. Johanna Cool 22 | NEW READER MAGAZINE Arts and Culture | USA Cherish Waters For a while, he was an official photographer for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Los Angeles. It was one of his proudest moments: “I lost count of how many times I’d meet the family members of residents. Parents would thank me for taking positive photos of their family, and as a member of the sober community, that really meant the world to me. Plus, it’s also the rehab I went to get sober so they’ll always have a special place in my heart.” A subject exposed to a remote or melancholic environment is the common genetic makeup of Justin’s photographs. We could think of endless theories about its narrative, but nothing would come as close to explaining why we are drawn to his photos. Maybe there is something in his works that subtly takes us to a far and rare moment where our emotions are uncertain yet comforting. And in this moment, Justin lets us be the best versions of ourselves: vulnerable and captivating. Astraia Esprit NEW READER MAGAZINE | 23