Linnea Bullion
Q What do you do?
“I’m a commercial photographer––I make sure brands (and individuals!) have playful, colorful images to entice and delight customers. ”
Sometimes that means still life images, sometimes that means portraits/lifestyle, sometimes stop motion animation, and rarely: all three together!
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I'm predominantly a self-taught photographer, but I also photo assisted, where I developed a hands-on approach for how to light and direct. All the odd jobs and classes I’ve taken over the years have molded me. Graphic design courses at UCLA and Art Center taught me how to confidently explain my creative concepts, and I’ve got a knack for memorizing random facts, aided by the year I sold cacti at a specialty succulent store. I’ve stayed up late installing balloon art alongside a team of incredible women, and worked through the challenges of freelancing through mentorship programs. Originally from Minnesota, I’ve spent the past decade in Los Angeles working alongside wonderful creatives who support me, and I them! I’m always looking for new collaborators. I love meeting new people.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My playfulness. I approach images through the lens of "What would make little kid me happy?" I take my work seriously, but I’m sure to have fun while making it. My sets are welcoming and joyful. Shoot days can be stressful, but I have a great team at the ready, all of whom are incredible in their own right. Together, we create magic!
Q What are you working on right now?
A series of photographs of people and their collections. I'm also working on my ever-expanding series of self-portraits.
Q What’s your style?
Narrative playfulness! I approach everything I shoot from a storytelling perspective (even if it's a still life image). My self-portraits are the goofiest representation of this.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Writing alongside photos! I’ve written a few pieces to accompany photos (www.linneabullion.com/silver-screen, www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/08/25/copenhagen-open-skateboarding), but I’d love to do it more often. I’d also love to incorporate still life photos/stop motion animation/narrative portraiture all together into campaigns more often.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Direct outreach. I have the work, but few people know I exist. It's scary to cold-email people. I’m constantly working on improving my outreach. With that being said, say hi to me if you’re reading this! I love a friendly greeting.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Cook for me. It can be easy to hunker down on a task and overlook basic necessities.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I spent too much of my life focused on the “What if’s.” I like to think more in terms of, "What now?" It’s easy to get bogged down by comparison and cruel expectations. I am constantly reminding myself, "It will take as long as it takes." There is no top of the mountain––there's always another ridge. So it's best to keep moving, no matter how small a step I’m taking.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
This is unrelated directly to my profession, but I’d love to learn more about puppetry. Fabrication, puppeteering, and beyond.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Photography campaigns. Medium to higher-budget work (ad campaigns, etc). I'd like to make work that lives beyond social media. Over the years, I’ve built a killer roster of collaborators––wardrobe stylists, prop stylists, set decorators, MUA, etc. I like to bring on my own crew as often as possible, and also work well with new folks.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love when I get to help shape the creative of a shoot. My favorite clients are those who have a rough idea of what they want to make, and who can effectively communicate it. Then we work together to refine that idea, and bring it to life!
Q What is your rate?
My rate starts at $2500, and ramps up from there depending on the number of images, complexity of the shoot, retouching, licensing, etc. I'm looking for shoots with all-in budgets $20k+ (but am open to hearing about ones with smaller budgets, particularly for ongoing work, or people willing to have FUN with their images).
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Send me an email! hello@linneabullion.com I love a quick intro and a general scope of the shoot.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Making often – florals, sets, self-portraits, crafts.
This member profile was originally published in April 2024