Interview : Patrick Hoelck

Images Are Copyright Of Patrick Hoelck

Patrick Hoelck is a Los Angeles & New York based photographer. He has photographed multiple celebrities in his own unique style. His fashion work is sumptuous, his black and white very bold and his colour and lighting technique is so good it makes me want to put my camera down and give up. He was very gracious in his busy lifestyle to take some time out and answer some questions for me. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Patrick :

1st Thing’s 1st. How do you pronounce your surname? I’m not counting this as a question :-)
Like the painter Jackson Pollock, or think of a drunk alcoholic.





Where did you learn your skill? Are you a self taught photographer?
I picked it up self taught.


You have photographed many stars over the years. I am a sucker for a rags to riches story and it's always nice to know the journey someone has taken, as a photographer starting out. Please tell us when you 1st started you had no money and lived off baked beans & toast, shot weddings and babies and as me and my partner joke about, boudoir images. Here's a link so you know what I’m talking about...



I was a successful music video director in NYC before I went on a long drug vacation. When I came out of rehab I had no money, but there was a photo lab in los angles called Fleshtone that processed my learning experience on shear love and commitment. The owner’s name is Paul and without him I might not have become a shooter.


You have a very interesting style. To me it's the mix of vintage fashion, contemporary fashion with an edgy dark undertone. Would you say you fell into your image style or is this something you always set out to achieve & where do you get your influences?
I would say I am just trying to express my point of view.
I was born in 68 and always loved the 60s and 70s fashion film and design elements, I look to painters for inspiration.


I stumbled across a portfolio by Erik Almas before and after he assisted a commercial photographer. What we fail to see these days are as I mentioned above, is where a photographer came from and his progression. Websites depict the best images over a period of years. When you 1st picked up a camera, how good were your images and would you like to share one of your earlier ones with us, if you have one at hand.
Attached is an early image. Also, I started with tri x covering street gangs in LA.





If you had (maybe you do) completely free reign with your commercial work what type of images do you think you would be producing?
I have been lucky with photography to do work I want to do. If I don’t like the job I simply pass on it. I always shoot personal work as well. I’ve been working on a new book project for 5 years and am excited that it’s almost done.





As a successful photographer, how do you challenge yourself within that field? Surely the challenges come from trying to be successful?
I think the challenge is to always change the work, ever so subtle or sometimes making more dramatic shifts with images. I really enjoy photography so every shoot excites me in one-way or another. Trying to be successful would be a bad journey. You’d just wake up in a big body of work shrug and go back to work.


Now. Patrick, Baby... It's me, Darius. How much post PS work do you really use and do you do this yourself?
I work with about 5 different retouchers for post. When I started out I didn’t use post for the first half of my career so I would say I do my best not to lean on heavy post for final images. I think we use what we have to in the commercial celebrity world to work another day.





If I wanted to be the next Patrick Hoelck, What is the best piece of advice you could give to attaining that goal?
Sleep very little, work very late, wake very early, and love and respect everyone and everything. Do great things for strangers, give more than you receive, be true to yourself and never want to be anyone else, always find the positive in life, and learn meditation it really helps you find your true voice.


A final quick question. Which contemporary photographer(s) work do you enjoy?
I really look at painters more than photographers for inspiration maybe I should pay more attention to the contemporary shooters.


A BIG thank you once again to Patrick for taking the time out..
Patrick Hoelck Portfolio Can Be Found Here Patrick Hoelck

Darius