Alumni Erik Almas Makes Headlines in PhotoMedia Magazine

Erik Almas, a School of Photography alum, headlined the cover of the spring 2010 issue of PhotoMedia Magazine. Outlined in a 10-page spread entitled "Erik Almas: Unlimited Horizons," is the progression of Erik's dream-come-true career, showcasing notable work by the photographer, as well as his journey to success.
The Norwegian native now calls San Francisco home and is currently learning to scuba dive in Hawaii for an underwater shoot. "I'm living my dream," he tells the magazine. "This is amazing."
When first deciding to pursue a career in photography, he tells PhotoMedia, Erik considered a local community college in Norway, but advice from Geir Terje Nergaard, a fellow photographer, changed Erik's life. Nergaard told him, "You can't study photography in Norway," and that if Erik were serious about it, he would have to go to the United States. According to the article, three months later, Erik was flying back to the United States to start classes at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, the largest private art and design school in the country.

Starting school in another country had its challenges and advantages for Erik, the article explains. "I had fewer distractions than most people because I didn't have all that many friends," he tells PhotoMedia. "So I went to school full force."
During his time at school, Erik reconsidered being a small-town sports photographer. The article explains how his teachers inspired him to think bigger and question his expectations of life. "Art school was an amazing experience," he tells the magazine. "I came from this small town, 150,000 people, where you're not really exposed to any sort of philosophical questions about who you are and where you're going. I came to art school in San Francisco, and there were so many questions about philosophy and life and culture. I was soaking it all up."

Erik graduated from Academy of Art University in 1999, winning the Best Portfolio award in the annual Spring Show. He then went to work as an assistant for Jim Erickson, a successful commercial photographer in San Francisco, the article reports. His three years with Erickson gave him a crash course in how to succeed in the photography business.
"Jim Erickson was a great, great mentor for me," Erik told the magazine. The article describes how Erickson frequently taught by example. Erik learned from him that "marketing and how you conduct your business really counts. Never let yourself be taken advantage of. And as far as the images go, try your hardest to please the client and create pictures they are happy with and not just satisfy yourself." Of all the lessons he learned from Erickson, one stood out: "He never stops taking pictures." From his experience with Erickson, Erik told the magazine he realized that photography could be a way of life.
These days, Erik's awards and accolades continue to grow, with more than 20 Addy Awards and numerous features in Photo District News, Communication Arts, Luerzer's Archive, American Photography, and Graphis. His client list has also grown to include such big names as Nike, Puma, Pfizer, Neutrogena, Hyatt, Citibank, Toyota, Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft, to name a few.
"People ask me all the time, 'What do I do to become a photographer, or how do I find my style?'" Erik tells PhotoMedia. "It's not just finding your style; it's about figuring out who you are, what you're attracted to, and what makes you tick."
When asked what advice he would offer to aspiring photographers, Erik tells the magazine, "Always be taking pictures and then start marketing those right away. The intimidation of not being good enough should be ignored, and you should start putting your pictures out there for people to see. And that applies to fine arts or photojournalism."
In a time of mass production, Erik embraces and recognizes the worth of his own point of view. "Sometimes I look at other people's pictures and get inspired," he tells PhotoMedia. "But no matter what I do, it always ends up looking like me. I can't really fight it."
In Erik Almas' view, he tells the magazine, no matter how far from home he travels or where he sets up his camera, he always has the most important tool at hand, more essential than any hardware or software: himself.