Get to know Eliza Logan, Photographer and Editor in Chief of Hooligans Magazine in this week’s Chit Chat Tuesday interview.
JI: Where are you from? When did you first realise you were a photographer?
EL: I live in Los Angeles. I’ve been living here for the past seventeen years (with a couple of years spent in NY in between). I moved to LA from Poland and was looking for an adventure and some sunshine! I found much more than that! I found inspiration, wide open spaces for my mind to wander and a new found passion for fashion photography.
I come from a very artistic family and grew up surrounded by art books, painters and photographers and this has really helped shaped who I am today.
I grew up with parents who were photography enthusiasts. I remember falling asleep in the darkroom countless times, while they were developing pictures. I started shooting and developing my own pictures very early in life. I shot using film at first but my first digital camera changed the game for me! That’s when I really dived into photography. I loved that you can see the image instantly. I started experimenting, taking as many classes as I could and shooting up a storm every free moment I had. So I guess you can say that I just naturally grew into being a photographer. I constantly expand my education, learn new techniques, experiment- the learning process never ends!
JI: Tell us a bit about Hooligans magazine—what prompted you to dive in and start your own print publication in the age of digital media?
EL: While I was exploring children’s photography over the years and I fell in love with innovative artists who break boundaries and push the genre forward. While I loved looking at their work I felt that there aren’t enough avenues for those artists to showcase their work. That’s when I reached out to my friend Tina Banaitis Cote and we decided to start a new magazine together! More amazing girls joined our team soon after and now we are a strong team of six, comprising of Roxanne Passarella, Marina Ansaldo, Carole Hutchinson, Sylvia Brown, Tina Cote and myself.
With Hooligans Magazine, we want to provide a platform for artists to show their craft and to be seen. We wanted to work with them and for them. The team have a great appreciation for talent and it makes us truly happy to be able to spread the word about their creations. The magazine is edgy, raw and progressive and shows a modern face of children’s fashion. Hooligans feature the most amazing artists from all over the world and each one of them knows, that their work will be in great company in our magazine. We feel that each issue is like an art book and that is why we decided to offer print in addition to the digital version. The feeling of looking through the pages of a beautiful print publication and seeing your work is pretty amazing!
Images from Hooligans Magazine Blog shot by Eliza Logan. Evija Eriksen (left) and Maeve, Below Kaitlyn and Lily.
JI: What magazines do you read regularly?
EL: I love National Geographic and read every issue cover to cover! I subscribe to Vogue and Harpers Bazaar to stay on top of trends. I love other children’s fashion magazines as well and really enjoy Milk and Papier Mache.
JI: Who are your photographer heroes?
EL: Tim Walker is one. I love his madness! The sets and photographic stories he creates are a constant source of inspiration for me. As my style evolves my photographer heroes change.
JI: If you could travel in time what era would you return to?
EL: Sometimes I feel that in my previous life I lived in a medieval castle! If I could travel in time though I’d go back to the Renaissance era. I feel it would have been amazing to witness the cultural revolution that was going on back then! I would really, really love to go into the future though……To see where we will be in a thousand years would be a dream come true for me!
Brookelin for Hooligans Magazine shot by Eliza Logan.
JI: Tell us about Hooligans Clique. What makes it so unique amongst kids boutiques? How long has it been in the works?
EL: The Hooligans team has been talking about opening the store for a very long time. We wanted to expand the brand and connect with our readers more. We started the store to support the designers who have been working with us through the magazine. The idea is to give the love back! We decided to feature small, emerging brands from all over the world alongside the well known and established ones. This is what makes us truly unique.
We offer brands nobody has heard of yet but we stand by the quality and we want everyone to discover them! We pick our store offering based on the modern, progressive brand image we established for the Hooligans brand. We want people to be able to buy their favourite brands while taking a chance on the brand new ones. This is why we offer free shipping and a good return policy. To make it even easier and more fun we offer Flash Deals on our Instagram @hooligansclique! Amazing items, at crazy low prices!
We have more plans in the works so stay tuned!
JI: Can you tell us about some of your favourite campaign shoots?
EL: Working with brands on their seasonal campaigns is my favourite aspect of being a photographer. I love the spirit of collaboration in bringing the brand’s vision to life. It’s always such an honour to be asked to shoot a series of images that will represent their business.
I love the creative, innovative fashion shoots that make the brand stand out. I usually work with my amazing team in LA, which comprises of Veronica Alvericci, Martin Lane Christopher and Greg Harper. Every shoot we plan is a true collaboration.
Behind the Scenes Images.
Tutu Du Monde is one of our most beloved clients. They go above and beyond to make the shoots truly spectacular. Every shoot is so different but there’s always an atmosphere of fun and kindness which the whole crew loves.
Tutu Du Monde by Eliza Logan.
We shot a Fall/Winter 17 campaign for Nikolia recently- it was one of my favourite shoots. The brand and our team collaborated on the concept and we dug deep into our personal lives and emotions to create something truly different. It was a heavy, emotionally charged shoot and the story behind it makes you stop and think. Every model, every crew member felt that we are creating art that day.
Nikolia Kidswear.
Another one of my recent favourites was a shoot for Halo Luxe. We set out to shoot white on white images with the kids styled as little magical creatures, little elves. There was a marshmallow wall, live ladybugs and dragonfly wings. I feel the images we created are very poetic and really showcase the amazing Halo Luxe accessories.
Halo Luxe by Eliza Logan featuring Maya Nochs and Evija Eriksen.
JI: New York or LA? I know you’re biased, but….
EL: I lived in NY for over two years. What a wild, amazing city! I love the old parts of NY, the history, the art.
Los Angeles and the West Coast, in general, is where I feel most at home though. I crave the open spaces. I love the desert, the canyons, the heat. My mind needs a good dose of “the wild” every few days. Our little family loves being adventurous and exploring the wild west. Hiking, canoeing, visiting national parks or just escaping to the desert- that’s what we love to do. My husband is an avid mountain biker and my 7-year-old daughter Zoey definitely inherited my adventurous spirit.
JI: Favourite social media platform? And top three accounts that inspire you.
EL: I love Instagram as it makes it so easy for me to connect with people. This is where I can showcase my work and explore the work of other artists. I also love seeing what my little models are up to and what my friends back in Poland are doing.
I use Facebook mostly for cool articles and for keeping up with my friends and family endeavours. I love Futurism on Facebook- great place to get your technology news! I follow many interior design accounts as well and one of my faves is @HighFashionHome.
@HooligansMagazine Instagram is my favourite. Carefully curated by Marina Ansaldo this feed is my home base for discovering new artists, brands, models. It’s an amazing starting point and beautiful to look at.
JI: What are your plans for the coming months?
EL: My daughter and I will be travelling to Europe in June. We will be visiting my family in Poland and then will take a trip across Europe too. I’m planning 4-5 campaign shoots during my stay there. I’m very excited to work with the Pink Wings team in Poland. New models, new locations, I’m really looking forward to it! I will be visiting one of my favourite places on Earth- the Netherlands for one of the shoots. Then we’re off to Paris and Warsaw!
Follow Eliza Logan on Instagram @elizaloganphotography or view more of Eliza’s work on her website.
To purchase a copy of Issue 13 ‘Dream the Impossible Dream,’ the June issue of Hooligans Magazine, click here.
View some of Eliza’s recent work for Haus of Jr on the Junior Style Blog here.
Behind the Scenes Images – Image one features Eliza Logan (far right) stylist Veronica Alvericci (middle), Hair and Make artist Martin Lane Christopher and Assistant stylist, Greg Harper (far left).
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Images courtesy of Eliza Logan Photography and Hooligans Magazine.
