I'm constantly in awe of the talent that exists in such abundance in our online spaces. One stunning example is the work of William J Simpson, a California based photographer. We caught up about all sorts of ideas in this interview. For context, please visit him on Instagram and check out his website. Now let's dive in!

To begin, can you introduce yourself to our readers? Your name, where you are based, and what kind of work you make?

My name is William J Simpson, the J is for “Jack” or in case I need an alias in a pinch :D I am based in Napa California, I am a street photographer and full time wedding and portrait photographer.

Your street photography is an absolute joy to encounter. Throughout it all, there is a cleverness, an almost playful look at the intricate overlaps of our world. You create these beautiful visual puzzles that are embedded with their own solution. What do you look for when you are out and about making this work?

Thank you very much for that, it is much appreciated! That’s a very tough question because it really relies heavily on inspiration in the moment, some days it’s firing on all cylinders and I come home with some keepers other times I’ll go for days at a time without anything. I would say what I’m looking for these days is simplicity, reducing the scene to a few elements, not quite minimalism but something that could easily be painted or drawn.

With that said, sometimes I go in the complete opposite direction and try to cram a scene with lots to look at, a photograph that someone could spend some time with - that for me is a harder style to tackle.

Great answer. There are so many elements at play in these scenes, geometry, color, subject, juxtapositions. It's really wonderful. Personally, I kind of treat street photography like "working out" or "practice" since it keeps me on my toes, and keeps me constantly scanning for opportunities. Do the things you learn on the street make their way into your wedding and portrait work as well?

Yes it does and the great thing about weddings vs. the street is that you can pause the action during most of the day and nudge elements and tweak light- which is why I enjoy it so much. Street photography is a little more restrictive and has unsaid rules, such as not influencing the scene, no staging, and things of that sort.

The Bill Cosby photograph I shared was quite literally me setting up in an alley with a strobe, seeing what would happen in that particular location, so yes I influenced that scene, but the action was totally unscripted. It’s always been a question whether I should market my wedding photography and street photography together I would say most brides want that light and airy look not contrasty juxtapositions, but there have been a few and those weddings were special because it’s total creative freedom.

Street photography is interesting in that way, there are these core tenets which you listed, which define the edges of what's "allowed" but after that it feels like there is so much room to push into new areas and find new ways to observe our surroundings. There are so many ways to make something "work."

I totally agree. If everyone is running around with their analog leicas trying to be Cartier-Bresson the artform will surely stagnate and suffer. Pushing boundaries is very enjoyable and greatly expands what you can create.

And moves the boundaries for everyone! It reminds me of like world of warcraft when you start, the map is all "fog" And when you push into it it reveals new territories.

I love that fog analogy. I’ve often asked myself are creative photographs just not there or is that I’m just not seeing them?

Oh yeah, I feel like it's the dance between those two things really. There's always things there but they almost only exist once observed. If you aren't in the right space to observe, notice, and record them then they don't really show themselves to you. Its fascinating.

So when did you first encounter photography? And what was your personal path into making it a career for yourself?

I got into photography by first taking close-up sneaky pictures of strangers in the street with my iPhone4 mostly to see what funny material I could capture (the streets of San Francisco are ripe with characters).

As I built a small following on Instagram with these images some people loved them and just as many others hated them because they were voyeuristic and largely had no artistic merit I quickly grew tired of catching flack for taking compromising images and wanted to “up my game” so I purchased a mirrorless camera and this force me to not take such compromising photos because it’s hard to hide a handheld camera from your subject.

Concurrently I was working as a paramedic in San Francisco and was hired by the fire department... A mishap during my Fire Academy training put an end to that career path and I really became depressed and desperate looking for what was to be my next move.

I would venture out with my camera to clear my head and it just sort of clicked that I would try my hand at event photography. Fast forward almost 5 years later and I am now a working wedding photographer.

Amazing path to it, I love how everyone has such a different journey with this craft. Did the experience of being a paramedic make its way into your understanding of street photography? I imagine it took you to strange places.

My paramedic supervisor at the time was extremely supportive and gave me the opportunity to go out as a photographer and document crews working in the field. It was an awesome opportunity, though short-lived, because as you can imagine there is quite a bit of liability involved.

Being a paramedic never really influenced my street photography but riding around in an ambulance all day throughout the city I would make note of cool locations and spots that I needed to revisit. I even had a little notepad on my phone and I would make note of shadows at certain times of day...

But whether my boss knew it or not I was always carrying my camera in my bag it’s hard to see a car in flames and reach for a medical bag and not a camera (true story).

So I started ALLSHIPS as kind of a push back against the fact that with apps like instagram, we are kind of building up these houses on land we don't own, so to speak. We can build up a following and a platform but we have no say in how that ecosystem is run, and no guarantee that it will last or stay viable. Like anything it feels like a double edged sword- what are some of the pros and cons you've experienced in the social media landscape?

I love the story of how your site started! I’ll start with the cons because they are numerous. An app like Instagram probably influenced my photography the most... my goal was to be bold, easily understandable in a few milliseconds of scrolling, simple... I usually know what is going to get a reaction with a large portion of my followers and it is usually predictably because of bright bold colors and things that stand out in a miniaturized format. That’s about the most unsexy thing I could say on how I arrived at taking the photographs that I do but it’s the truth.

The biggest con is that it’s a drain on your mental health. If you post something and it doesn’t get a reaction it’s like being rejected by a girl at the bar- you feel deflated, you question your ability and self-worth, and it’s this cycle every time you post.I used to post once or twice a day and now I post once every two weeks at most.

One pro is that I’m speaking with you for instance! We’ve never met in person but there’s a creative connection, a common bond, and when and if we ever do meet in person oddly enough it will feel like we are old friends I’m pretty sure. So there is a human side to all of this which can’t be overlooked. I have met so many people from Instagram who have become friends, colleagues... and I keep using social media because I feel these pros far outweigh the cons.

Social media also demands constant quality output and for obsessive compulsive people like me it’s really hard to maintain a cohesive story while giving an audience something of value every day.

That old friends line is totally true. Happens again and again. And I’m so grateful for this conversation because I feel like I know a lot more about you! Thanks so much for taking the time.

As a reminder, you can connect with William J Simpson via these links: visit him on Instagram and check out his website.