I'm the photographer and director of the Reddit Portrait Project and the upcoming Ladies of Reddit Calendar. AMA + Giveaway!

Can you do a "commenters of /r/gonewild" calendar as well? I'm talking the people that seem to think complimenting a girl on her dildo's expressive shade of lilac will finally get them laid. That would just be perfect.

Oh my god. I love that! Maybe...I can ask each lady to provide their favorite comment ever for inclusion on the calendar. Just a caption underneath the image.

Oh god yes.

Just for you!

Just for all of us!

Indeed

So my comment was top... Do I win? :)

Yes you do. Feel free to email me at [email protected] for more info on how to redeem everything.

Have you/Will you do(ne) a Men of Reddit Calendar?

Would I? Sure. Would I personally photograph it? Probably not. I don't have a passion for men like I do for women but I would work with an interested photographer to put that together. Ladies deserve something awesome they can hang up on their walls.

Neckbeards of reddit calendar.

That seems... Sort of weird. Saying you have a passion for women like that really makes it sound unprofessional.

His unwillingness to do a men's calendar seems unprofessional and I doubt having a women of reddit calendar is really going to.improve any negative opinions of the site. When I talk about reddit to people that know the site but dislike it the biggest complaint I get is they feel it's full of sexism. This seems like something to makenit worse.

The fact that he isn't interested in shooting men is a huge red flag for me.

Maybe /u/twentyfemalesinabath is right. Perhaps I did use poor phrasing. I'll admit to that. I don't mean to say that I wouldn't shoot a nude male. I've certainly drawn many as a traditional artist. I wouldn't know the first thing when it comes to shooting men in a somewhat provocative manner. When I use the word passion I don't mean that I see women as objects of desire and that men are icky and gross. I truly and deeply apologize if this phrasing upset you. I assure you that I do keep things professional and there are always other professionals on hand to vouch for this. I'm not a fly by night photographer. I plan to be in this business for many years to come.

Once again, I offer my deepest apologies.

You've just gone from artist to creepy pervert in a matter of minutes.

I don't think so. I just want to do justice to whatever I photograph. I would hate to produce work that people are unhappy with. I can't do everything alone, I'm just one guy.

[deleted]

HOW DID YOU GET A PICTURE OF MY COUCH!!!???

Would you ever consider photographing redditors in their element? For example, /u/awildsketchappeared sketching, /u/poem_for_your_sprog writing, or /u/Unidan doing whatever it is that Unidan does? Or is is strictly portraits?

I would love to do more environmental portraits, and do have a lot of these sorts of things planned for my West Coast tour. I have been invited to photograph people at their places of work which include places such as Microsoft, Sony Pictures, Amazon, Nike and Imgur.

I've not reached out to the other 2 redditors but I have reached out to /u/Unidan previously and we were talking about getting some photos of him doing Unidan things. They sound pretty amazing actually and may or may not involve birds of prey.

If we had a king, I'm pretty sure it would be Unidan.

Believe me...I know. We are but loyal subjects.

1. How much are you paying the models for the Ladies of Reddit calendar? Will they be getting a cut of the proceeds? If you're not paying them, why not?

2. Do you think making a Ladies of Reddit calendar and not also including a Men of Reddit calender will contribute to the idea that women on Reddit are the minority, only welcome when taking nudes for the NSFW subreddits?

Yes, I will be paying the models for the Ladies of Reddit calendar. Ideally I would love to pay them $1,000 each but there is room for negotiation. This, unfortunately, also depends on pre-orders for the calendar. They will also get a cut of the proceeds. Some ladies have chosen to do it for free.

I would gladly do a SFW version of the calendar though my calendar is not planned to be particularly NSFW, it's more along the lines of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and not exactly Playboy. If I, as one person, could work on several calendars while working on this project I would. I don't know that it's in the cards this year. Someone asked about a Men of reddit calendar, I think that would be cool to produce as well. The ladies of reddit calendar is a slippery slope, honestly. I don't want it to come off as something vulgar.

Great to hear this, thanks. :) Looking at your fundraising page and the answers on here it sounds like you're a pretty cool dude. I was worried that a Ladies of Reddit calendar would be just objectifying and gross but I think you've got it worked out OK. It's especially great to hear you're paying the models.

If you do end up doing a Men of Reddit calendar I would totally donate, especially if they were re-creating the shots in the Ladies of Reddit calendar. :3

Thank you! I want to be good and fair and honest. I have a reputation to uphold and I don't want to go anywhere anytime soon. I'm not a creeper and want to keep things professional.

Haha! If you want to help put together a men of reddit calendar...we'll make it happen.

Wait, there are people on here?!

It's mostly bots but there are occasional people on here.

should add a picture of wikilinkbot's source code as a joke!

I freakin love this idea so much!

You have met a lot of redditors what similarities do you see between them that we as online would not normally see?

That's a tough question. I think the thing that surprises me the most everytime I meet a new redditor is just how nice everyone is. It's easy to forget that when you pop in a thread and all you see is "OP IS A FAG." I have not met a single redditor who I thought was an asshole. They definitely tend to be a little nerdier though, which is fine by me.

My guess is there's a different crowd of people that say mean things on reddit and those that volunteer to be a part of this project.

How do you get these people to let you take a picture of them? Do you just PM them something like "hey, can we meet up sometime and let me take pictures of you?"

Also how do you select who to take pictures of?

Your username either worries me or comforts me to a high degree...I can't decide which.

I usually post an open casting call on local subreddits that's titled something like "Hey guys, I'm coming to town...who wants a free photo session?" Then I talk about the project and answer questions. I have them all sign a form on my website and I input every single person into a huge excel file.

I don't make any "selection" of redditors, it's basically a first come, first serve kind of thing. I just want to photograph redditors, I don't want to complicate things.

How have you evolved as a person/ artist since you began this project?

I hate to talk about vulnerability because there's such a negative connotation that comes with it but when I started this project I was probably at my worst mentally and emotionally and I'm in such a better place now.

I lived in NYC for 5 years and it all changed one day while I was on vacation. I was laid off from my job and after fighting to stay afloat in NYC in my early 20's I just knew I couldn't do it anymore. I sucked it up and moved back home. The week I was laid off, my girlfriend also broke up with me and I had to leave the city I loved for good. I was pretty down emotionally but I decided that I should get out there and do what makes me happy, which is photography. I reached out to the /r/washingtondc subreddit and asked if anyone wanted a free photo session. I got 126 emails overnight. I worked my way through a lot of those shoots and decided to take it a step further with this project.

This project means a lot to me. It got me out of a bad mental space but it also allows me to give back to the community and I'm overjoyed when people tell me they love the photos I took of them. I do it for free because I love it. If I had charged every one of those people a session fee I would've made boatloads of money but that's not what it's about for me.

Hope this answers your question.

we're talking 250,000+ karma for one girl alone

I think I know who he is referring to...and that makes me very sad. I need to go get a life. Goodbye, Reddit.

^{see you tomorrow.....}

So just confirming your order for (2) calendars...

Are you going to travel to try to get the international flavor of reddit?

I would love to. I've already got people signed up in Canada, the UK, Denmark, India and Sweden. One day...one day!

Glad to hear it! That makes me more excited about the project. Good luck.

Thank you! Good luck with your...redditing.

I didn't know attractive people browsed reddit.

That's probably the most common reaction I get to this project and the photo gallery. It is surprising to me too but true. They're all also the nicest people ever which is a contradiction to popular belief. Crazy, eh?

/r/WashingtonDC is HOT!

haha. Yeah, they are. But gotta give credit where credit is due...there are other states mingled in there.

OP you're a genius. Free naked people and free publicity.

Well I'm no /u/PM-ME-YOUR-TITS but I try.

Hi marvin! What made you want to become a photographer? What school did you attend? What is your "masterpiece" what picture would do you show that makes you proudest? Thanks for doing this ama!

Well, I've been a traditional artist for as long as I can remember. I used to draw portraits of people out of magazines when I was a kid. I've always been fond of portraits and what they say about the subject. Here's a portrait I drew last week: http://imgur.com/GjRPrGI

I went to the Art Institute of Washington several years ago and my major was 3D animation. I haven't really touched animation since I left. I moved to NYC almost immediately because I thought that's where I had to be as an artist. My absolute favorite picture ever is this one: http://imgur.com/OachOoN - taken at Coney Island in Brooklyn. It was actually a photo I took very early on in my photography career but I still love it because there's so much narrative behind the image. For this project, I have so many favorite images...I think I've been doing well so far.

Thanks so much for your great questions!

Hey Marvin! What inspired you at first to take this up putting other things such as your career on hold as you mentioned? Was it tad frightening? What keeps you going?

Hope to see you around the world with this one day. :)

I can't lie, it's extremely frightening. I've literally had nightmares about this project. I've woken up in the middle of the night thinking "What if this doesn't work out?" I knew this AMA was going to happen today so last night I dreamt about it. I literally dreamt about being at my computer typing replies. So crazy.

What keeps me going? I have no idea. I just think it's an important thing to document. I am putting my career on hold, which is tough because I could easily go about shooting weddings or going back to product photography but I love portraits. I love interacting with people and hearing their story. It's the most fulfilling thing for me, and reddit has changed my life so these two things go hand in hand. I'm too far into this now to give up. I have a reputation to uphold.

I would rather fail while daring greatly than fail for not having dared.

What surprised you the most about this project, in terms of learning about your subjects?

That everyone is much smarter and more successful than me. Seriously, many of the people I've photographed are engineers or consultants of some sort. I guess that's what come to those that apply themselves?

I also learned that everyone I photographed, no matter how many people here think they look amazing, has some insecurities and they're quick to tell you about them when they're in front of a camera. People are just people at the end of the day and none of us have it all figured out, no matter what we try to show on social media.

Can you do a men of reddit calendar?

I volunteer.

Someone help us find 11 other men and we'll see what we can do.

I volunteer as tribute.

Guess we just need 10 more!

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A lot of buttholes? Stop looking in the mirror, good sir.

Like I said...i'm keeping this thing classy. No buttholes for miles. Hah.

I would love to help contribute! If you're ever in the central Florida area, I would be glad to meet up and see if I'm what you're looking for in terms of your 'Ladies of Reddit' calendar! How exciting!!

Thank you! Feel free to sign up if you'd like. I'd be happy to shoot with you. No pressure at all for Ladies of Reddit calendar.

Dang it. I wasn't on reddit six months ago. I would have loved to be one of the ladies of reddit. Darn. Maybe next year.

Not 6 months ago. 3 months ago! You can still be a lady of reddit! Email me! [email protected]

You should do a meme calendar. Original photos of the people in the popular memes for the previous year

That one is super interesting! One step at a time though.

I'm reluctant to write a question or just an entry, in the general fear of being forgotten in the pits of AMA-despair.

I wouldn't forget about you.

[deleted]

I recognize your username! Can't wait to meet you! :)

I'd love to have been in that calendar

You can still be if you'd like.

Thanks for all the hard work you have put in to represent us! Best of luck to you and all your endeavors. As for the question,

Would you rather change gender every time you sneeze, or not be able to tell the difference between a muffin and a baby?

Damn, man...I would eat SO many babies...

What do you think of the culture of photography, portraits, and selfies currently?

Not a fan of the selfies especially with the duckface but I think there's generally just as much good work as there ever was. But digital cameras make it easy for anyone to take pictures so there's just a bit more to wade through. Does that make sense?

Is this going to be similar to the 2010 charity calendar? http://www.redditblog.com/2009/10/i-love-i-love-i-love-my-reddit-calendar.html

Oh wow. I didn't know this was ever a thing. I don't know. I'd love to check it out.

For the Ladies of reddit project, is it a requirement that you take the photos? I'd like to join in but I live halfway across the world. I'd probably take the pictures myself in my photostudio (Since I'm a photographer too or make sure to have a deal with the photographer).
Edit: Haven't been part of /r/gonewild since my pictures are a bit less amateur-y than most there

We could probably make that work, yes.

meta relevance did you ask any of your models to take nude photos before hiring them for this calender photo shoot?

Edit: Link

Are you asking if I asked people to send me nude photos? I did not, no.

What motivated you to continue your career as a photographer and passionately pursue this unique project?

I just don't do traditional jobs well. Also, this sort of things really pisses off my family so it was a no-brainer!

No real questions. Just wanted to say that I think this is a fablous idea! Can't wait to see who get the last slots in the calendar. Also a men of reddit calendar would be much appreciated by us ladies. ; )

So I hear. If ladies want to find some men to populate that calendar I'll try and make it happen.

Can you give some tips to burgeoning photographers? I got a dslr a few months ago but my actual day job prevents me from spending the time that I would like to really improve.

I'll tell you what...how about I become your photography mentor? Email me at [email protected] and we can go over all sorts of things.

Great idea! I think the only bigger way you could represent Reddit is to make a cat/cute critters calendar but since you're allergic that might not be such a great idea...

Anyways... For my question. You're putting your career on hold for this? What exactly do you do for your day job? I'm assuming it's photography or maybe traditional art like painting or something. Got any cool galleries that we can check out (besides the one that you linked)? Good luck and have a blast taking pics of naked ladies!

I might have to take one for the team. I'll find a way to get a cute critter or two in the project somehow.

Currently I don't have a dayjob. I devote every waking hour to this project. Occasionally I get paid to take photos, and that has been my full time job in the past. I've also sold cameras for a large photography dealer in NYC.

Here's a random gallery of dogs I did for my sister. She owns a dog grooming shop: http://imgur.com/a/J6SoC

I nearly died that day.

Why are the photos all so different in lighting and style?

It's kind of a test to me to try different things but I also try to be artistic in the way I highlight different people. Some people lend themselves to artsier looks. With some, it could be a time or space issue. I try to create great pictures no matter where I am.

Ever considered getting into the 3D printing of the people you photograph? There is a simple process to make the files printable and I can do the prints for you in full color that can be a part of your indiegogo campaign maybe? Check out @theobshop on twitter, I just posted a 3D print of a couple who had themselves photographed and then made to a 3D model :)

If I can help let me know!

Dude! This is amazing! I would love to somehow offer this to people on Indiegogo. I would love your help w/ this sort of thing.

Is there an overall constant between the redditors who wish to be photographed by you?

I think they tend to be a little more social than some may expect, besides that not really. Everyone I've met so far has been super nice!

Is user exilevilify_ going to be involved in this shoot?

Not that I'm aware of but I have a lot of emails to get to so possibly?

Can you look at this toenail that's been giving me problems?

Take off that sock and let's have a look-see

In all seriousness though, have you ever thought about doing an even bigger project? The idea of getting as many user pictures from reddit as possible and using them to create a picture of some sort comes to mind.

Oh, you mean like some sort of huge mosaic thing made up of all small pictures that form a gigantic Snoo? Actually...I love that idea. I'll try and get that as the book cover.

Normally, I think those mosaic things are too gimmicky. But in this case, reddit is made up entirely of users, and with the exception of a subset of GW posters, nobody knows what anyone else looks like. I think it is entirely appropriate, and look forward to seeing the book.

I agree, it is pretty gimmicky but I think it's appropriate for this project. Thank you for your support! You're like a bra you're so supportive.

I choose Ladies of Reddit Calendar.

Just the calendar? Wouldn't you want the limited edition Ladies of Reddit magazine, featuring the images too hot for a calendar?

Would you rather fight one calendar sized duck, or 100 duck sized calendars?

I would want to fight both at the same time because I ain't no bitch!

Have you slept with any of the models? Have you ever been offered?

No for both.