Today I'm speaking to RJ Hartbeck, who is working on some amazing projects- notably his environmental portraiture series of female ironworkers. RJ is a commercial photographer living in St. Louis Missouri, and we caught up about the project and the thinking behind it.

I’d love to hear more about the genesis of this project. How did this project come about?

I started this project in 2018 right I was starting in new studio space. Whenever I change environments, I like to imagine an idea for a new project in that space. I always start with really loose parameters around what I want the work to be, and then I take a step back and look for a good story. This can take a lot of time and some projects never manifest. I think a photographers ability to find good stories and new perspectives is one of our best skills, so from a creative standpoint this was that practice.

It wasn’t until I met a few of these amazing women hanging out at my favorite local bar, The Whiskey Ring, that I got the idea to build the project around these women and the unique work they do. After some brainstorming together we got a bunch of the ladies to the studio for a session after their shift. We also did a day at their training facility so we could get shots of them using their tools and showcasing a few of the skills you learn when you start your journey as an ironworker.

It was interesting to learn that only about 2% of ironworkers are female. That accounts for roughly 2000 workers nationwide in this particular trade. The ladies explained that they had started getting together outside of work. They described it as "creating a sisterhood amongst this brotherhood” of laborers. They called themselves the Iron Maidens. This camaraderie is what ignited the idea of doing the shoot and got us all excited to begin.

That’s a beautiful, serendipitous, origin story for the project, perhaps that is why the images hold such power. The choice of black and white also adds to this power. What made you decide to shoot these in monochrome?

We setup this shoot at the studio right after the ladies got off work. It was important to try and capture the dirt and small traces of a hard day so I felt like monochrome was the best way to bring that out. I was also thinking a lot about how I wanted to print the photos. I was doing a lot of prints on pearl at the time and I really love how the black and white shimmers on that paper.

Well put. Portraiture is so much about the relationship between the artist and the subject. How did your familiarity with the subjects themselves inform the way you shot the images? We’re you able to get a more authentic window into their world because you had prior proximity to them?

Yeah, I think the most important aspect with that was to just to listen and be sure I was telling the story they wanted to tell. Each one of these women had a different experience. Some joined the ironworkers because their whole family had been in the trade, some were artist looking to find a career change, others had been ironworkers in other states and came to specialize. One thing was clear, they all wanted to encourage more diversity and inclusion within the trades.

They all were passionate about inspiring the next generation of women who dared to do this job. It reminded me of Rosie the Riveter. Rosie is an 85 year old illustrated icon. These images, and the emotion and feeling these ladies brought to the shoot, helped inform the idea that we could update an icon like Rosie with real faces.

That’s a beautiful sentiment. When did your journey with photography begin?

I started photographing right after I finished my business degree in St. Louis. I was working at a startup, the startup went under and I picked up a my camera and started trying to get gigs to supplement my income. Shooting constantly was important. I’ve always had a creative outlet so photography came pretty naturally.

Like a lot of folks, photography started for me as a way to meet people through social media and in 2014 I spent a year traveling and got a few opportunities to work for bigger brands. I came back to St. Louis and was eager to setup my business and try being my own boss.

You’ve raised an interesting pint about social media. I feel like so many of my greatest creative friendships were enabled by social media, but also social media has a lot of pitfalls. What are some pros and cons of being an online creative?

I don’t know if I’d say that I can point to specific list of pros and cons about starting a creative career online, or using it to your advantage, the pros and cons are always changing online. I think social media is a powerful resource, especially for creatives. It’s a great place to connect with your peers, market yourself, and share your perspective... but it won’t teach you how to build a business around your creativity. For me, building my business takes constant learning and lots of resolve for when you have to face challenges.

Big thanks to RJ Hartbeck for sumbitting this work to our community and being so open with his knowledge. Make sure to connect with him via Instagram and check out his website for even more work.