Women Talk is a monthly conversation between a member of Women Photograph and Kerry Manders. This month is Rozette Rago — a Filipino-American photographer based in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Bio. Offer us a short, snappy (not-copied-from-your-website or any publication), fun biography. Who are you?
I am a Filipino-American visual journalist based in Los Angeles. I started as a music photographer and there was a time when I went to a show every night of the week to photograph bands no one’s ever heard of. I was obsessed with getting better at what I was doing and I was young. After years of getting bumped, shoved, and hit in the head with telephoto lenses, I decided I was ready to pursue what I really wanted to do long-term: portraiture. These days, I also try to pursue documentary projects when I am able to. I contribute primarily to The New York Times and also work full-time as a Photo Editor for Wirecutter.
Becoming. Can you identify when you first started calling yourself a photographer—when you felt comfortable naming yourself as such? How did you morph from someone who takes pictures to “photographer”?
I was quite overconfident when I was starting out and pretty much considered myself a photographer the first time I was handed a press pass for a show. I think I forced that confidence to counteract just how truly shy and terrified I was. I had just moved to the United States and had crippling social anxiety. Holding a camera in a packed club gave me a sense of purpose for a while. The moment I truly felt like a real, honest-to-god photographer was when I landed my very first New York Times assignment in 2015. I flew to New York with a book—as in a physical, hardcover-bound book—full of concert photography and a few portraits I threw in there because that was the direction I wanted to go. I was so clueless at the time: when I was asked to “bring my book,” I took it entirely literally.
Lulu Wang, Zhao Shuzhen and Awkwafina of "The Farewell" photographed for The New York Times.
Being. What are you working on now? Where? How? Why?
I’m continuing to recreate stills from my favorite movies using my Asian friends to depict the characters. Since this piece was published in The New York Times, I’ve had so many thoughtful conversations about it with so many people that I feel inspired to keep working on it long-term and see what I have at the end of it. Seeing the faces of my friends in the newspaper was moving and emotional: it gave deeper meaning to the project.
I’m also beginning to make portraits of Asian grandmothers, beginning with my friends’ and, eventually, my own. This is a project that I decided to take on after I photographed Zhao Shuzhen from Lulu Wang’s The Farewell; a few friends who saw it in the NYT reached out to ask me to photograph their grandmothers.
As I get older, I find myself gravitating more towards personal stories. When I was starting out, I remember just wanting to work on a project—any project. Now I see the importance of focusing on what actually resonates with me personally.
Blown-away. Show us the last image that completely took your breath away (contemporary or historical—depending on where you’ve been looking). What do you love about it?
Alec Soth is one of my favorite photographers. I was immediately struck when I saw this photograph years ago: I promptly saved it to my “Inspiration” folder. I admire how so many of his portraits feel like private, intimate moments. His portraits have a way of really drawing you in, inviting you to look at every detail.
Jane I (2007) by Alec Soth
Burden. What are some of the difficulties or challenges of being a woman who photographs?
Sometimes, to be a woman photographer is to be condescended to and doubted. I have experienced different levels of humiliation since I started and I’ve always been proud of the fact that I’ve maintained my composure and my dignity in those situations; however, these days, I look back on some profoundly distressing memories and wish I’d had the backbone to defend myself. I’ve always been about keeping my head down and doing the work. But I wish I had spoken up when an established male photographer told me, in front of peers, that I knew nothing about photography—just because I wasn’t familiar with five dead white male photographers he named. Of course he didn’t bother to ask me whose work I followed and respected. I wish I had a better response to the powerful male figure who questioned why I was the one sent to photograph him for a national paper. We all hope we never have to justify our presence to anyone, but it’s necessary at times.
Howin Wong and Abe Yoon as Oliver and Elio of “Call Me By Your Name”
Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney for The New York Times.
Better. How do you work towards continuous improvement, on honing your craft?
I look up to many of my colleagues and friends who continue to push their own boundaries, to be amazing at what they do, and are still wonderful human beings. I’m so lucky to know some supremely talented folks who also have boundless generosity towards others. I want to be as good as they are—as a photographer and as a person. I also try to stay busy and have something to work on at all times. When I hit a dead end, I try to stay away from anything photography-related for a bit and maybe read a book. Or take a walk. Sometimes I just need that space to reset my brain.
Business. Can you talk a bit about the business versus the art of photography?
I think there should be some form of mandatory training to help folks understand the very complicated business side of photography. I don’t want to undercut anyone by quoting a ridiculous rate; I try to be as informed as possible, but there’s really no easy way to ensure we’re all on the same page. These days, people are more willing to be transparent about rates they’ve been paid by various publications to make sure no one is being taken advantage of—that’s been really helpful. It’s good to learn early on about business expenses and taxes—how to track and file and etc. I’m still trying to understand it all.
Kanye West performing Sunday Service at Coachella photographed for The New York Times.
Balance. When you are not photographing, what are you doing that keeps you grounded? What (else) do you do for fun?
I’m not a gamer, but I’ve been obsessed with The Sims since I was in high school and I’ve installed it on every computer I’ve owned. I play The Sims 4 whenever I need not to think about my own life for a bit. I usually spend hours building houses and decorating the individual rooms. It’s my own weird form of meditation. I also like to watch costume dramas; I’m currently re-watching Ovation’s Versailles.
Best. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever heard? (It doesn’t need to have been given to you personally or be about photography specifically).
These are little bits of advice I’ve heard over the years from multiple people that I’ve taken to heart: Set money aside for taxes. Don’t pitch to multiple outlets at once. Always have extra charged batteries for everything. Back up twice! I lost years of work to a hard drive crash once. Please back up twice!
Former news anchor Gretchen Carlson photographed for The New York Times.
Beyond. Tell us about a future project or challenge that you hope to tackle. (Feel free to answer this question literally or figuratively).
I would love to find a way to do a project back home in the Philippines, about my hometown of Marilao or something even more personal and family-oriented. I haven’t gotten to the specifics yet, but I’m definitely thinking about it. I also want to work on a book next year that expands on the idea of my movies project.
Rozette Rago: rozette.org // @hellorozette
Kerry Manders: kerrymanders.com // @kerrymmanders