Rob Woodcox’s unique conceptual talent paired with in-camera and post-production techniques bring harmony and originality to his photographic creations.
Mexico City, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Series: Interconnectivity
Rob’s goal is to capture the imaginative and eccentric scenes that reflect the dreams and real experiences he encounters throughout his life. He combines stunning body poses, nature, beautiful architecture, and vivid colours to create breathtaking imagery representative of conceptual, fine art, and fashion photography.
"When I see that something is created with true passion, I recognize the beauty in it. Rawness, dedication, sincerity - that is beauty for me."
Capturing Vulnerability through Photography with Rob Woodcox - Presented by betr Media:
Reflection from the Series: Conceptual
Time Travel and The Wave from the Series: Conceptual
Human Tetris from the Series: Conceptual
Portals and Pods from the Series: Conceptual
Human Arc and Tree of Life from the Series: Conceptual
NY State of Mind from the Series: Conceptual
Rob received an Associates Degree in photography from Michigan’s Washtenaw College in 2013. Since then, he has organized and instructed numerous workshops around the globe to share his dedication and passion for photography with aspiring and established photographers by providing the skills and resources necessary for creative and professional development.
Rob Woodcox on how he began photography:
“At 19, when I began photography in college, I was shooting about 4-5 times a week experimentally, just for the sheer love of the craft. I’d never found an outlet to express my dreams and emotions quite like capturing portraits. I spent two and a half years getting an Associates degree in photography, but after school, at artist meet-ups, and during travels is where I really put my skills to the test.”
“I’ve always seen life through an imaginative lens, so when I discovered photography it became the most rewarding method of turning my dreams into reality.”
He creates visual stories as a way to connect with people and strives to capture imagery that reflects fragments of his imagination and life experiences, merging the realms between dreams, memory, and reality.
“My soul longs for discovery and adventure, and thus my photographs tend to reflect that spirit.”
“Each photo idea is a declaration of my experience and strives to tell a meaningful story to each person that views it. Beyond telling a story, it is principal that my photography art contains a purpose to further positive change in humanity. As I continue to create, I am passionate about furthering awareness of people in need and would love to collaborate with other creators to make a positive difference in the world!”
“Life is an incredible journey, one filled with endless beauty and magic if we open our eyes to it. I hope my photo manipulations open your eyes to the freedom and strength within yourself.”
Abundance from the Series: Conceptual
NY State of Mind 2 from the Series: Conceptual
El Espíritu Asciende 2 from the Series: Conceptual
From the Series: We Are Particles
Heat Wave and The Tower From the Series: Conceptual
“I believe we are all responsible for spreading truth and hope, however we can. Artists hold a special power in this way because they rely on more than just words or personal connections—they can tap into universal languages that have potential to reach vast audiences.”
“I believe all artists should make a statement for change with their creativity, whether it's simply an expression of beauty or a direct exclamation to change based on a specific cause.”
Rob’s philosophy is to create art that has an impactful and positive change. He does this by establishing a “unique perspective that puts human connectivity and beauty on the forefront while discussing the current state of the world.”
“The world is full of pain and suffering, yet it’s also a beautiful oasis waiting to be shared and explored. I like to focus on the sharing and exploring aspects, to bring light to the communities around me that need encouragement and support.”
“My purpose in photographing is to share my deepest truths, my most authentic self with the world. Being an artist is like a political act against common culture and doing what is expected; I have grown tired of our corrupt society and politics and I think sharing a brighter version of how life could be through my art is the best way to respond without contributing to the negative culture.”
From the Series: We Are Particles
Fluid Love
From the Series: We Are Particles
As an established photographer for a number of years, Rob has developed the skills and mentality necessary to succeed and fulfill a career as a full-time independent photographer; in addition to being a mentor for young creatives while practicing allyship and raising awareness for members of various communities. Since the start of his photographic journey in 2009, Rob has learned a great deal about himself and others through this craft. Below he shares some tips for current and budding photographers.
“As we travel and teach various different students, I want to pass on the idea that any individual can pursue the path they desire no matter how large or small those ambitions may seem to the people or culture around them. Many of our students are young, just starting in photography or they may be veterans looking to regain inspiration. Many people lack the courage of just taking a leap towards what they wish to do. Don’t give up on your dreams and desires for your career.”
“As you progress as an artist, only share with others the things you really enjoy doing and want to do more of. If you want to shoot engagements and not senior portraits, share engagement photographs. If you want to do fine art, share fine art and not engagements. From the very start, you are establishing an identity for yourself, and as you progress people will latch onto the vision they’ve formed of you from the beginning. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and create from within, and by doing so I believe you’ll lead the most fulfilled life possible.”
He also shared 3 best-practices for aspiring Fine Art Photographers:
1. Try new concepts on yourself; doing self portraits is a good way to understand posing which will translate into better instructing models how to get the looks you want. It also helps you express personal things through your art.
2. Give yourself an ongoing project that will push you to create consistently, ensuring you learn and grow. Examples would be a 52 week project or 365 project, taking a themed photo every week or every day; other examples would be a color based project, using the alphabet to choose props for 26 unique photos, or picking your favorite songs and poems and creating imagery based on those.
3. Document all your ideas even if you can't currently create them; I have a journal of over 200 ideas that I want to create eventually- it saves my brain space when I need to think of ideas!
“Every opportunity to pick up a camera is an opportunity to practice and learn as well — the learning never stops with this craft. Never stop believing in your own vision, don’t be afraid to do exactly what it is that you love. There is a place for everybody and every passion. Our society often tells us to focus on money or predictable outcomes, but anything is truly possible if you have the focus and the drive to keep doing what you love. So many people told me I’d never make it as an artist, but I’m living my dreams. Art allows us to create ideas that can inform science and design, it works hand in hand with other important pillars of our society. The opportunities are endless, the only person who chooses your future is you.”
Fashion photoshoot featuring Tim Schumack
Fashion photoshoot featuring Miss Fame
Fashion photoshoot featuring Miss Fame
Fashion photoshoot featuring Miss Fame
Fashion photoshoot featuring Eenah Sanair and Rainy Milo wearing Michelle Hébert
Nike x Arena Martinez // Mexican Designer Showcase
Nike x Arena Martinez // Fashion photoshoot featuring Gerrell Hankton
Fashion photoshoot featuring Gerrell Hankton
Fashion photoshoot featuring Robert Green
Fashion photoshoot featuring Robert Green
“My goal is to support those whose voices are not heard. Through my photos I promote raw beauty and elevate the community.”
Rob is an advocate for the queer community and for other marginalized communities who are in need. Through his work, lifestyle, and moral practices he aims to create a more inclusive society, one where anybody of any identity can come together and live in harmony regardless of their gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, or any of the defining characteristics that make us beautifully unique. He actively practices self-love and encourages others to do the same by accepting themselves and accepting others for who they truly are.
“Following my personal coming out experience, I created a series of images to portray the deep emotions I felt while coping with my newly discovered sense of identity. At first it felt like I was isolated in a vast and unforgiving world but I quickly realized being true to the core is the most freeing thing I can do to start truly witnessing beauty.”
“I want to share my story with others to help them realize that all our unique identities are valid, important, and worthy of affection and acceptance in the world. When we are truer to ourselves, we become truer and closer to others and the world doesn’t seem so isolated anymore.I have discovered how to love myself and I look forward to creating a second series once I discover what it means to embrace love more fully.”
Through his travels across the continents, Rob has encountered a variety of people from around the world. After reflection on his experiences with a diverse group of people, he’s come to realize that we’re all connected in some way, even if we have aspects of ourselves that are different. He hopes that more people will come to realize this and prevent the spread of hatred to and from one another, especially to those who are in communities that have been historically misrepresented and discriminated against.
“I believe we are all connected and share similar experiences, no matter what our backgrounds. Everyone needs resources to survive or thrive, and we all want love in some form. I’ve been so fortunate to experience the beauty of humanity in [all 50] US states and [many] countries thus far, and everywhere I am greeted in different ways, yet with the same longing for inclusion and recognition. Social justice is common sense – everyone deserves to be treated equally and with respect. The fact that people are segregated based on race, religion, gender, sexual preference, nationality, is a crime heavily thanks to corrupt governments and societies not supporting their diverse communities.”
“I think if most people were asked to directly hurt someone, they wouldn’t, but being disconnected through distance, voting systems, and the internet makes it easier for people to harm others with their words and political actions. My photos are a small way for me to share my ideas and try to bridge the gap between different communities; I’ve built such a large and diverse community behind my work, and perhaps sharing aspects of one community will help a different community better understand their differences and similarities, and will hopefully inspire others to accept each other regardless.”
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: Interconnectivity
Inspiration for Rob’s visual compositions often comes from his vivid and imaginative dreams. He regularly logs his ideas into a journal to develop the concept thoroughly and push his ideas further. Once he’s satisfied with a concept, it’s time to put it all together with the help of his team members.
“Many of my ideas stem from real life experiences and actual dreams. Sometimes I’ll just pull out a journal when I have allotted creative time and I’ll start writing the words and ideas that my experiences evoke. Through a series of word mapping I’ll string together different ideas to paint a picture—the words I write may involve colors, location, characters, mood, symbols, etc—all pieces that I weave into a successful story. Before I’ve even scouted the first location or contacted a model, I have a vivid image developing in my imagination.”
“It’s fun to think about what people haven’t even seen yet. I have visions that are so much bigger even than anything I’ve done so far. That’s an exciting thing as an artist. I don’t think I’m ever going to run out of fuel. There’s so much that I want to do.”
In addition to the characters portrayed in Rob’s visuals, the location plays a huge role in developing the scene. When looking at Rob’s work, it’s not just how the characters are posed, but also where they are posed. The locations Rob chooses to capture his images aren’t chosen randomly but are often the product of days to weeks of location scouting and careful reflection on how the prospective scene will aid his concept.
“My process for coming up with ideas varies. Sometimes I’m in a beautiful, dark or, abstract environment and I’ll imagine a visual happening on the spot. When that happens, I’ll shoot a concept right then and there.”
“More often, however, I location scout and keep those places in mind to develop ideas later. I’ll often just take some time to listen to music or walk through the woods, and as I let my mind drift it will envision scenes taking place in a variety of environments. That space and time alone to think allows my mind to piece ideas together. Once I have ideas, I do tend to journal them and keep a large list of concepts for future reference. I like giving my favorite concepts time to expand and grow in my mind, which also gives me time to gather resources when needed! I choose locations based on the style that fits the ideas in my head; I tend to enjoy unique natural settings with strong colors.”
From the Series: We Are Particles
From the Series: We Are Particles
From the Series: Interconnectivity
From the Series: We Are Particles
More recently, Rob has incorporated dancers into his conceptual projects. He brings his creative visions to life by posing dancers in stunning areas then captures a sequence of images on location and pieces them together using post-production editing programs, and the outcome is breathtaking. It is important to note, all images are taken on-site!
“Over the last two years, I've been finding the most interesting and bizarre locations to create surreal structures using dancers. With the world being in a state of chaos, I wanted to show the beauty and harmony being created simultaneously in communities where people choose to focus on love over negativity and hate.
I spend hours searching for locations, models, and posing inspiration, and then I create my images using a combination of camera techniques and post-processing. Every image is photographed on location with all of the dancers posing in various positions to get the desired image.
The result is a beautiful world that's never been seen before - the world I imagine in my mind that pairs humans beautifully with nature and urban environments, where our limits and boundaries have been removed. I hope my images brighten your day and inspire thoughts of what we're capable of when we overcome our fears.”
The Mountain and Sky Climb from the Series: Conceptual
Unity and Spontaneous Creation from the Series: Conceptual
NY State of Mind 3 from the Series: Conceptual
In 2020, Rob released his first book titled “Bodies of Light” which features a wide array of work from his collection of projects. His inspiration behind the title stems from his belief of human interconnectivity, appreciation of nature and the natural state, and his efforts to continuously radiate positive, welcoming energy.
“We are all Bodies of Light. We emanate energy that can take the form of light when we choose to share positive actions and experiences with others. There is power in a smile, or a helping hand, or a listening ear. The more we prioritize the well-being of the people around us, the more we ourselves succeed. When I create my surreal images, I celebrate the life we are fortunate to have on this planet, featuring both human bodies and bodies of nature (bodies of water, land, etc). My hope is that we learn to take better care of all of these bodies, creating a more sustainable environment for all.”
“My book encompasses all my most surreal work to date, a few of the images even date back to 2011. A whole decade of my life’s work, it’s hard to believe! I shot exclusive new work for the book on a road trip through the desert, and all my dance work is included as well. It’s 180 pages of vibrant, conscious photographs and writing from my travels. It’s mostly visual but there are 10 short form writing pieces that follow the thematic journey as viewers flip through the pages. This will be a beautiful coffee table style book with some metallic detailing on the cover, which features my first viral image “The Tree Of Life'' in a gorgeous wrap-around cover courtesy of the design team at Thought Catalog. Anyone interested in ordering their own copy can find it here.”
From the Series: We Are Particles
From the Series: Interconnectivity // OUT Magazine fashion photoshoot
The Veil from the Series: Conceptual
Through a variety of international workshops, Rob has taught thousands of students in 6 continents, 15 countries, and 34 cities worldwide. In 2018, Rob united his experiences and knowledge to produce an online Masterclass currently featured on Udemy, titled the “Ultimate Fashion Photography Masterclass”.
His work has been featured in dozens of renowned publications such as GQ, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair, Vice, OUT, and Daily Mail, and has been exhibited in galleries across the USA, England, France, China, Austria, Serbia, Russia, and will be coming to Canada in 2022. He has also worked commercially for notable clients such as Universal Pictures and Capitol Records.
Shop prints of Rob’s work below and check out his amazing portfolio, masterclass, and new book Bodies of Light!
Prints for purchase: http://robwoodcox.com/shop
Website: www.robwoodcox.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/robwoodcoxphoto
Udemy Masterclass: https://www.udemy.com/course/rob-woodcox-fashion-masterclass/
Bodies of Light for purchase: https://shopcatalog.com/product/bodies-of-light/
Researched & Written by Chelsea Nyomi
This article was made possible with the permission of Rob Woodcox, with interview responses sourced from prior articles, and photographic work sourced from Rob’s official website and Instagram page.