Luna Sweetheart: Billie Black

Feb 15

☆ By FRANCES SCOTT ☆

Billie by Emily Krouse, all photos provided by Billie Black

CAPTURING VIBRANCY AND INDIVIDUALITY – Billie Black shines a light on diverse beauty. Through their many portraits, a bridge between aesthetic and personality is drawn, making every photograph its own. From vivid to minimalistic shots, Black’s photos invite viewers into a realm full of richness, color and even more. This makes for an absolutely stunning collection of work that summons attention and demands more than just a quick look.

Although the pandemic has shifted how many creatives navigate their careers, it hasn’t stopped Black from creating beautiful work. Emphasizing the “create” in creation, Black believes producing projects to be at the center of their ambitions. Naturally, they are en route to developing even more art and magic.

Keep reading to discover more about what inspires them, upcoming projects, brand and musician experience and more.

LUNA: What’s your self-care look like these days?

BLACK: Self-care these days seems to be a lot of meditation, light stretching and the acceptance of down time. I’m the type of person that if I’m not being productive during all hours of the day, I get extremely anxious. Especially during the pandemic, it’s been hard to manage my anxiety, so learning to be okay with down time and managing my stress through meditation and moving my body has been a tremendous help!

LUNA: Your portraits are stunning and always have such a beautiful, radiant feel to them. How did you find your style?

BLACK: Thank you so much! I think I’m always finding my style. I think if I do have a “style,” it’s just me creating art that is authentic to me and my interests. I don’t like to create things that don’t resonate with me fully. Being a self-taught photographer, I have to just trust my own judgement and what I think looks good based on my own experiences.

LUNA: Your “about” site section claims you’re driven by creation. Who and what are your inspirations?

BLACK: Creation is THE most important thing in my life. Allowing myself to be an artist has been the most liberating decision I’ve ever made! My inspirations stem from everything around me, but I’m mostly inspired by music. Music has always allowed me to visualize things on a deeper emotional level, which is why I prefer to listen to my favorite music alone - so I can truly experience my own thoughts. Music videos also play a big role in my inspiration process. If I’m chilling at home, I’m usually binge-watching music videos.

Mychael Jamal & Brandy Michaud , Styling: Kaitlyn Vitug & Kaamilah Thomas — Mychael Jamal & Brandy Michaud , Styling: Kaitlyn Vitug &
Kaamilah Thomas

LUNA: How have your shoots changed over the last year into 2021?

BLACK: Everything has changed! Before the pandemic, I was an extremely timid photographer. Once the pandemic hit and I wanted to invest in my career, something really switched in my head, and I allowed myself to really dive deep into creation. I feel like my shoots now flow so much easier, I have so much more confidence, and I also have learned my worth as a creative.

LUNA: What’s a career goal for this year and moving forward?

BLACK: Well, like I mentioned before, I’m an avid music video watcher, so a natural step for me is to get into directing. That’s definitely a long-term goal, but something I want to dip my toes into year! Otherwise, for photography, I’d love to shoot more artwork/press for musicians I love!

LUNA: Despite the difficult times, you’ve been able to safely create some beautiful work. Do you have a favorite project you’ve done this year?

BLACK: I’ve gotta say everything I’ve been able to create with my good friend, Sophia Baltz. She stepped into my life when I was extremely low on confidence, and together we’ve been able to lift each other up and ultimately create things that we are both SO proud of. That’s really all that matters to me during a time when things are so tough for so many people. I can say I was able to work with amazing friends and create beautiful art!

LUNA: What’s been your experiences working with brands such a Polaroid and musicians as well? Do you approach these processes differently?

BLACK: I absolutely love that Polaroid has been so welcoming and supportive of me as a small artist! They truly do stand to support artists of all sizes instead of focusing on just artists with a lot of followers. I definitely prefer to work with musicians rather than brands, only due to loving the collaborative process that I get to take part in with musicians! Being able to start with something like a song, and – together – figure out what the visuals will look like is such a special process and excites me to keep working!

LUNA: What has life taught you about being creative?

BLACK: Life has taught me that we have to work a lot harder for respect in the world. We have to fight daily to not only get noticed, but to even be respected in the industry. It gets me down sometimes, but the act of creation is so much more important to me than seeking validation. I try not to focus on the negative aspects of the industry and focus on allowing my work to speak for itself.

LUNA: What can we expect from you in the near future? What are you excited about?

BLACK: I’m excited to finally be a full time creative!!! You can expect more meaningful work with people I love, bigger projects, and real time growth! I always want to be super transparent about the fact that I’m always learning and growing, and I feel like my work really proves that (at least I’d like to think). You’ll probably see a music video directed by me, and you might even see a zine from me this year… ;)

CONNECT WITH BILLIE BLACK

INSTAGRAM

WEBSITE

Listen

INSTAGRAM

Transporting you to a moment of carefree energy with a feel-good soundtrack, Abby Bella May gives us the best elements of dream pop with her latest video “Wish We Could Be Friends” 🌈 With one watch of the video you’ll be dancing along with Abby & you’ll find the chorus stuck in your head all day. 📹Check out the premiere of the video on the site now alongside an interview with Abby about the video, upcoming projects & more 🌟

Radiating a strong sense of grace & authenticity, Zachary Murdock creates a space for his listeners to feel at peace through his music 🌾Though fresh off the release of his ‘Ghost to Ghost Vol. 1’ project, Murdock has kept busy & has been working on the second volume + will be performing at the Fresh Layers Festival next week ✨ 🌟 Murdock is able to channel his creative talents into a multitude of projects while always bringing a positive energy - read our full feature with Murdock on our site now! (📸: #35mm by @amnesiapoetry )

⭐️THE YEAR OF YOU PANEL ⭐️ We’re teaming up with our favs at Unpublished to create a special panel to kick off 2021! Tune in for some chats with amazing industry professionals & FREE workshops on various creative fields ✨Make this your best year by investing some time in yourself & learn more about your craft. We’re sooooo stoked about this event & can’t wait to see you there 💫 🌈Swipe to see this stacked line up (like wow?!) & register for the panels you want to attend via the link in our bio!