The Afrobeats scene has not only been a sound or music genre but also deeply inspired by photography and filmmaking – one of the most notable ever.

Even further, the typical Afrobeat fan can be notoriously protective of not only the artiste they support but their appearance in photos during shows, music videos, at the tiny desks, cover arts and tours as a whole.

APM World, a Ghanaian-American Creative Director, says he wants to achieve with his role of documenting the Afrobeats scene is so apt for globalizing the sound to the rest of the world.

“The stories are in the eyes of the Artistes. They can’t forget it and therefore as a creative, I can’t hide it,” he explains.

“There is a lot to capture in the heat of the Afrobeat shows and moments,” states APM World, and even looks out for capturing moments which lends credence to his previous experiences.

“An artiste will always leave a story on stage. I have a storyboard of each artiste I work with. And so, before I shoot an artiste, I’m looking at their interviews, their previous shows, and even sometimes, I go through my previous shoots to see what I missed and what I need to amend.”

“My work is not just about picking a camera and being around these celebrities because I’ve put myself in places that strategically got me here,” he clarifies.

All of which is to say that APM World always possessed a high tolerance for branding, positioning and marketing.

More importantly, he puts a tremendous amount of money where his mouth is to ensure his USPs (i.e. storytelling, colours and angles) shine through his output for artists causing fans to constantly swipe left.

Since 2015, APM World has been the brain behind some of the spectacular photographs and film of Afrobeat superstars. His recent work was the cover image of Burnaboy’s “ItoldThem” Album and Mag.

His photography hobby transitioned into an international brand when he started directing creative works for African superstars, including Burnaboy, Davido, Asake, Bnxn (fka. Buju), Stonebwoy, Wizkid, Black Sherif, Ruger, Kwesi Arthur, Gyakie, Show Dem Camp, M.anifest, Firebwoy among others, during their American/European tours especially in New York since 2015.

Basking in all the glory on a personal level during a media round in Accra in January 2024, APM World said he feels great to see his creative works around the world.

“We don’t get to capture ourselves as photographers, but I try to capture myself once in a while — there’s an APM Docu-series in the pipeline and that will be mind-blowing,” he says, with a straight grin.

“And in fact, Ghanaians are the most pivotal people when it comes to creative works around the world and having this conversation alone shows that I’m making a point,” he added.

The international creative underscored the need to document Afrobeats and iconic moments through his analogy of Neil Armstrong who walked on the moon. “…there was a camera deployed to film it with someone behind it”, he states, expressing the relevance of photography and an emptiness about failing to document the heydays of our Ghanaian Musicians which of course he was part of: “that would have been a huge amount of money to rake in on Netflix alone”.

APM World won for himself the notable Ernie Paniccioli Award for Best Photographer by the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) in 2023.

The international filmmaker and photographer has been involved in creative projects for Festivals & Concerts such as Rolling Loud, I told Them Tour, Twice As Tall Tour, Coachella, Flytime Festival, Afro Punk, Afro Future, Afro Nation, Yemi Alade Concerts, 5th Dimension Tour, Governor’s Ball, Hip Hop @50, Canadian and South American tours, NBA, NHL and many others.

Unlike many creative directors who have been around artistes, capturing the right moments beyond limits is not always a given. APM World actually has a different view on the creative freedom issues of creators like him face.

The APM photo-mark according to him is invisible but strike chords — “storytelling, colours and angles,” he couched.

APM World approves of the fair use of work by creators but adds an instructive note: “I don’t photomark my pictures. But I have an invisible photomark and people actually call to confirm and clear with me. My work is about storytelling, colours and angles. More importantly, I don’t get worried about other creators stealing my work because once there’s money involved, they are going to find me because you can be sued,” he explains.

APM World does not put himself in a box as a photographer because he is a creative director and a videographer too. “I tell stories, create NFTs and Presets. I take courses in the field to learn new trends”.

APM World has a pipe dream of hosting a gallery show and unveiling an already finished documentary. “There’s a documentary about my first project titled “Hopes and Dreams”, I filmed from 2015 — December 2019 which tells a compelling story about Kids in Jamestown” he revealed, while intentionally keeping a little more under the radar – for now at least.

“This year, we are shooting 500 horses”, states APM World, and even when he is poked a little harder, he still keeps some of the inner workings close to his chest: “I would rather people follow me on this journey and not let out too many details”.

Around the time of the interview, Safo Newman, a new highlife sensation, was making waves on socials with a single, dubbed “Akokoa”, attracting media attention and top hit-lists on Apple Music. APM World expressed satisfaction with his sound and his openness to work with him and upcoming hip-hop star, “Xlimkid”.

As to whether the Music inspired many of his shots, APM World referenced Burna boy, Stonebwoy, Yemi Alade, Black sherif, Bnxn among others.

On Recent Work: Burna Boy’s “I told Them” Album & Mag Cover

APM World paints an insightful picture of the making of the Iconic “I told them” Image. “The actual picture for this album was under the LES Coman Park between Brooklyn and Manhattan…so that was supposed to be the album cover for me. Cause I was told every picture from this scene was going to be an album cover, and that was the video shoot for Big 7,” he reveals.

He added: “It was the video shoot for Big 7 so that was another scene. So, in the music video, you can actually see these moments in there.”

Teamwork
APM World underscored the need to have a team as a creative. “I have a small team but great minds. I invest in my team and treat them on a family level. I relate with my team on a personal level. I don’t turn down any phone call, once the call is referred to me, I do justice to it.”

Beyond an internal team, he also describes himself as a home team person. “I support Ghanaian artiste whenever they come to the states”.

APM World believes that there is more for us to learn. The more you live, the more you learn. APM pays for LUTs, Presets and as well design presets. He is willing to give out presets for free because he agrees that he been in that situation back in the day in Nima.

Advice to Creatives in the Field
Quite apart from literally interning and learning the ropes of photography with his dad, APM took extra steps to hone his skill in the art hence helping him diversify and become entrepreneurial.

“I don’t put myself in a box as a photographer cause I’m a creative director and a videographer too. I tell stories, create NFTs and Presets. I take courses in the field to learn new trends” he disclosed.

In some advice to young creators looking to breakthrough with the creative side of things, APM emphasized the need for a quality work ethic — don’t go hard, go the hardest.

So, how should young creators use social media? Well, APM believes reaching out to people on socials became a head-start for him. On a second advice to creatives, the international filmmaker, intimated that young creator “can just dive deep into whatever they want to do, identify a niche doing that and study and from them.”

APM dedicates himself to lifelong learning. “There’s no day I’m not learning. Came here, looked around and said to myself I wanna have this someday. I am constantly looking at other photographers, storytellers and the likes of Jeremy Snail. Instead of chasing trends and doing stuff that would make you trend for a day and a half, search and study about the creative field”.

“Know where you come from. I’m from Nima, I grew up around a lot of artistes, I’ve been around them… We were designing for R2Bees, Sarkodie, and actually had a hand in the R2bees logo design. I learnt and built off those early exposures”.

As regards finding the balance between being behind the lens and the business administration side of things since they are mutually exclusive, APM uses a vivid analogy to explain how he overcomes that: “It starts from looking at the market women in Makola. Whether it’s raining or shining, they’ve got things in order. I took relevant cues from my mom running a shop and constantly listening to other people who have done the business helped me a lot”.

For the journey of a young photographer, the international creative director suggested starting with your phone. “We started shooting basketball freestyles on an old “Sony camera and a Samsung Phone back in the day”. You don’t need a 2,000-dollar camera, you can start with the phone.”

“You don’t do this business to chase clout and say the girls would like me Bro. I wanna live a legacy, Bro. I wanna die a legend.”

From Fashion, Basketball to Photography

APM’s dream of becoming a world class NBA Star transitioned into photography when he got denied an American visa after securing a scholarship in the United States.

“I was like let’s do Central University now and when the American time came, everything aligned, and one thing led to another. My dream was to play in the NBA. Me and my brother wanted to play in the NBA so bad, but it didn’t happen. So, what do you fall back on — talent.”

Things changed for APM when he quit his 9-5 job moving him to a different stage. “… this is the guy I met, he was a stylist with PDD and he’s called Kwasi Kessie. He styled Rick Ross, Fergie and, Remy Ma all the way up and that connection changed everything for me.”

APM World first had a stint for fashion where he used to design a clothing line he dubbed “Stolen from the Gold Coast”. APM is not disowning his past as he is collaborating with a long time friend and mentor in the fashion space called “Kulaperry”, to create what they call a “Fear No Man Virtual Merch Exhibition”.

“APM World took some pictures that had depths. So we collaborated to have a paid Merch exhibition experience that will have a scan area taking viewers on a whole storyline. This collabo will be properly announced in due time,” said Kulaperry, in an interview in Accra.

As to whether he has any connection with Virgil and whether his connection has impacted his work: APM admitted “I didn’t have a personal relationship with Virgil, but I was inspired by him from a mile away. Virgil inspires some of my works — visiting the Brooklyn Museum. I am a student in the game. Your work must not be perfect, just be you, tell a story from where you were born…”

Major Downtimes & Personal Life
As all may look rosy, the international photographer and filmmaker, recounts some major downtimes where he lost hard drives, missed out on some major shows, laptop crashes etc. He added: “Depression is real, check your mental health. I understand the Artist when they turn down a request for photo opportunities with fans sometimes. I deal with myself, how great I wanna become, and keep the fighting spirit up for myself.” On a personal level, I like to do a lot of restaurants in Brooklyn and making unintended time for chilling. APM recalls shooting photos during COVID in empty streets, walking across the bridges, and shooting a Casanova holding the plague which become one of his most viral shots in spite of the chaos.

APM taps into so much whenever he is in Ghana. He visits the regular beaches, bustling streets of Accra and marketplaces because there is too much to capture, he argued. Meanwhile, he is careful of the crowds because he feels “one doesn’t know the energy they tap into. If I was in Ghana for the next few months, I will capture more of the market women. On his view on tapping into the local creative economy, APM asserts that “when one is closer to something they don’t see the beauty in it until they go further away from it.”

When asked about how he met some of his all-time favorite artistes he currently works with in no particular order: “APM World recounts great moments of meeting Stonebwoy, for example, through a brief call on Facebook back in the day, with one thing leading to another. He also speaks highly of the many backstage conversations leading to working with big stars like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Benson, Yemi Alade among others which put him in high-profile events and rooms he would not have been.

“Last year was 2023, I was telling everybody in 2022 that was a Jordan Year for me, and we were going to be balling like Jordan. I’m a Capricorn and 29th December is my birthday and so we all saw the great things the year presented,” says APM.

“This year is the Mamba Year, we are going be on Kobe Bryant things,” he alluded, slightly hinting at setting new records, breaking old ones, appearing at places etc.

Among the earliest photographers who left a significant mark on Malta’s photographic history, Michele Zahra stands tall. His story is intertwined with the evolution of photography in Malta, beginning with his first studio in Cottonera in 1860. Zahra’s studio, located at 2 Strada Cospicua on Sta Margherita Hill, was one of the first of its kind in Malta, embodying the pioneering spirit of the time.

Photography Boom and Zahra’s Move to Valletta

During the 1860s, the Three Cities area, where Cottonera is located, was experiencing an economic boom due to activities around the Grand Harbour. Zahra’s studio was right at the heart of this growth. As demand for photography swelled around 1865, Zahra aimed to relocate to Valletta. However, he was preceded by James Conroy, who had already set up a studio in the capital in 1863.

Zahra’s initial attempt to establish a foothold in Valletta involved a partnership with a commercial outlet. This innovative idea of operating a photography studio within a fashion outlet showed promise, but it didn’t last.

Collaborations and Ventures

Zahra then collaborated with the Salvatore Schembri firm from 1866 to 1868, a partnership reflected in the ‘Schembri et Zahra’ nomenclature on some Carte de Visite (CDVs). Unfortunately, this partnership also came to an end.

By 1868, Zahra had set up a studio at 125 Strada Britannica in Valletta, operating in tandem with his original Cospicua studio. The new location was at 278 Strada Reale, a site that would later become synonymous with the Richard Ellis family’s photographic dynasty.

The Legacy of Michele Zahra

The Cospicua studio, passed down to Zahra’s sons, was rebranded as Michele Zahra Sons Light Truth Studio. Renowned for its ornate cabinet card versos featuring a mythological figure, the studio stood out. Despite facing competition and eventually closing its doors in the 1930s, the legacy of Zahra’s studio has endured.

Today, Michele Zahra’s contribution to Maltese photographic history, his pioneering spirit, and the studios he established are remembered with admiration and respect.

More than 25 years after Pixar’s groundbreaking feature film A Bug’s Life first hit theaters, Disney has returned to the incredible world of insects for inspiration. A new docu-series, A Real Bug’s Life, delivers a breathtaking adventure into nine different micro bug worlds.

From a photographic perspective, there is a lot to get excited about. A Real Bug’s Life features incredible technological achievements in micro photography.

Motion control gear enables exceptionally smooth and precise shots on the scale of a tiny insect. With computer control, complex shots can be planned and precisely executed.

New photogrammetry technology and improved focus stacking techniques allow creators to render the microscopic world in remarkably sharp detail — much better than using a single shot from just one lens.

PetaPixel has seen the advent of macro probe lenses in recent years, and these are used in full force in A Real Bug’s Life, too, allowing wide-angle perspectives with extremely close-up performance.

PetaPixel chatted with one of the show’s directors of photography, Nathan Small, who shot a large portion of the episodes, “The Big City” and “The Busy Farm.” These two episodes feature jumping spiders, American cockroaches, Chinese mantises, bumblebees, and doodlebugs, among others.

For All Types of Wildlife Work, Knowledge is Power

When planning complex shots of moving animals and especially when working at macro photography distances, understanding the subject matters.

“We are very fortunate that we are able to work with some of the world’s leading entomologists and scientists across this series,” Small explains to PetaPixel

“So a lot of the time, we would try and figure out the stories that we wanted to tell for an episode. A lot of the time, they were very relatable stories. We’re telling narratives about motherhood or finding a home or universal stories that hopefully people can relate to.”

“And then working alongside these entomologists, trying to figure out what it is that we can show that’s representative of that story and how we might be able to film that in a way that makes it relatable to people.”

The Importance of Technology

“This has been a very technology-driven show,” Small says. “There’s been a new wave of lenses that have been brought to market over the last few years that have enabled us to film things in ways that I don’t think have ever been filmed before.

“One of them is, they’re called probe lenses. These are long, thin, strange-looking tube lenses that let you get very, very close to very, very small things.”

Since these probe lenses often have wide-angle focal lengths, like 25mm, they offer a very different perspective than a more traditional 60mm, 105mm, or 200mm macro lens. Those lenses offer a tight perspective at 1:1 magnification. In contrast, a wide-angle macro probe lens can get very close to tiny subjects and show the context or environment, which is a fresh perspective.

“The other thing we’ve been using a lot across this series is motion control. You’ve probably seen the classic picture of a wildlife filmmaker with a big tripod and a super long lens, but we’ve been doing it totally different.”

Small explains that for A Real Bug’s Life, he and the team have been using robots and sliders and controlling the camera remotely using a PlayStation controller.

“That lets us do very precise, very controlled, and smooth movements on a very tiny scale. And hopefully, by doing that, we’re able to provide the viewer with a much more immersive and cinematic experience with the types of gimbal moves, and dolly moves that people are used to seeing on higher productions, like television dramas and things.”

It may seem like an exaggeration to say that recent developments in technology enabled the creation of A Real Bug’s Life, but in a very real way, the show would have been entirely different if not for advances in macro lens design and motion control. Seeing insects in nature documentaries is not new in and of itself, but A Real Bug’s Life delivers many novel scenes.

Nathan Small’s Interesting Photographic History: From Advertising to Bugs

“So I used to be an advertising photographer years ago, so that was my background. I’m much more the art side than the science side,” Small tells PetaPixel.

“I wanted a bit of a career change when I hit my early thirties, so I went and did a master’s degree at the National Film and Television School. It’s a two-year master’s program with the very specific subject of history documentaries.”

“I did that for two years, and then while I was doing my courses, my mentor said, ‘When you finish, I’m going to give you a job,’ and he came through for me, and I got a job on a show called Tiny World, which was for Apple.”

That was Small’s first job in television, and then he went on to do another show for his mentor, Planet Insect for Curiosity Stream. At the end of that production, Small was approached to work on A Real Bug’s Life.

“That was sort of three small things shows back-to-back, and then with each one a bit of a step up from research to assistant producer to producer and shooting along the way for various people and various episodes,” Small explains. “And that brings us to now. A Real Bug’s Life is my first producer credit as well. This show is a big deal for me, that’s why I’m so keen for people to see it.”

Crafting a Narrative Versus Responding to Nature as it Happens

Compared to filming a scripted television drama or comedy series, when creating a nature documentary, even the best plans and preparation can be disrupted by nature. Insects don’t take direction, after all. However, to make a compelling nature show, there still needs to be an overarching narrative. Viewers need to be able to connect with the story.

“With a show like this, you very much plan it out first. I have an idea what the behavior is or what the story is that we’re trying to tell. And then we are shooting to a script, which obviously changes constantly when the reality of the actual shoot takes place,” Small explains.

“You go there with an idea and a plan of what you want, and then you need to be very flexible based on what actually happens.”

If an amazing but unexpected behavior occurs that wasn’t included in the script, then filmmakers like Small will shoot it and try to find a way to connect it to the intended story.

“It’s definitely not a show that is like, go out, film a load of stuff, and then cobble it together in the edit. It is well planned because everything — all the characters — need to interact, and things need to weave in and out of each other. And there needs to be a payoff; it must feel satisfying.”

“And that needs to be planned in the same way you wouldn’t turn up on a drama shoot and say to the actors, ‘Yeah, just go for it. Let’s see what happens,’” Small adds.

Advice for Amateur Creators

The macro photography community is one of the tightest-knit photo spheres. Macro enthusiasts, especially insect macro photographers, are very open with their advice and time. On Instagram, in particular, there is a wonderful community that Nathan Small still frequently visits.

“Everyone’s super nerdy and super nice and generous with information,” he says. “We all email each other and message each other all the time. ‘How have you done this?’ And people will share their tips and their knowledge with you very readily.”

For macro photographers of all experience levels, that is a great place to go. Small recommends following people whose work you like and don’t hesitate to message people and ask questions.

As for filmmaking, and despite the amazing technology that helped make A Real Bug’s Life possible, creators shouldn’t get too bogged down by technology.

“If it’s broadcast for Disney, then yeah, you need the biggest, fanciest cameras,” Small admits. “But if you just want to shoot something and work out the storytelling and the craft, rather than delaying doing it because you don’t think you’ve got the right camera to do it, just get out and do it.”

A Real Bug’s Life Airs This Week

A Real Bug’s Life debuts on Disney+ this Wednesday, January 24. The series is produced in partnership with National Geographic and is narrated by the excellent Awkwafina, known for her Comedy Central series Awkwafina is Nora From Queens and her roles in feature films like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

To see more from Nathan Small, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

Image credits: All images courtesy of National Geographic and Disney. Photos are from “A Real Bug’s Life,” premiering on Disney+ on January 24, 2024.

Jessi Bowman launched the photo lab portion of Flats after realizing there was a shortage of community-focused photography spaces in Houston.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:5734,”y2″:3824,”width”:5734,”height”:3824}”>

Jessi Bowman still has the light-pink Barbie camera she was given as a gift when she was six years old. Today, the treasured ‘90s collectible, which uses hard-to-find 110 film, sits on a special shelf in Texas-born Bowman’s apartment, sandwiched between a 1980s Polaroid camera that was formerly used for taking passport photos and a 1960s Super 8 film camera that’s no longer in working condition. It should come as a surprise to no one that someone with such a collection of film ephemera is in the photography business.

Now, many years after her cherished Barbie camera turned from plaything to display object, Bowman runs Flats, a budding Houston business dedicated to all things photography. Started in 2016 as a nomadic photography exhibition series, Flats has evolved into a photo lab that also offers photo-developing services. Sponsored by Fresh Arts and funded in part through the city’s Houston Arts Alliance, it’s home to the only community darkroom space in Houston.

Flats was originally launched in 2016 as a nomadic photography exhibition series that would hold shows from time to time in people’s homes.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:4658,”y2″:3105,”width”:4658,”height”:3105}”>

In the beginning, Bowman, who has degrees in art history and photography, and was previously an exhibitions manager for the Houston Center for Photography, ran the photo lab from her apartment—sans the public darkroom and helpful nonprofit funding. “I Airbnb’d out my guest bedroom, I walked dogs, I did all these things part-time until I could get into a space,” she says, noting that she decided to open the photo lab after realizing there was a deficit in community-focused photography spaces in Houston.

In early 2020, just two weeks before the pandemic hit, and six months after first opening the space inside her apartment, Bowman finally acquired the funds to move Flats into the upstairs suite of a building in Montrose, just a couple of doors down from the Magick Cauldron.

In early 2020, Bowman moved Flats to its current home in Montrose. There’s a 24-hour drop-off box by the front door where clients can deposit film they need developed.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3000,”y2″:2250,”width”:3000,”height”:2250}”>

The timing of the space’s opening in the midst of the pandemic ended up being fortuitous in many ways. Due to canceled exhibitions, Bowman was able to slow down and focus more of her efforts on honing her services—from the film-developing aspect to the addition of the community darkroom. “Everybody was looking for a hobby at the time,” she says, “so that really helped this whole side of things.” Although the cozy space has several rooms, Bowman didn’t use all of them initially. Instead, she rented some out to other artists. About a year later, her business grew enough that she was able to take over the entire unit.

Today, Bowman, who started out running things solo, has three employees, and every room in the suite is dedicated in some way to the art of photography. There’s a cheerful entry area that houses a desk and a table, a mélange of photographs plastered joyfully across its walls. A retro vending machine by the front door filled with rolls of film adds a kitschy touch to the room. One area functions as a classroom for the variety of workshops Flats hosts, while another room down the hallway is used for developing film. A large film machine holds court in the middle, and in one corner you’ll usually see several rolls of black-and-white film hanging out to dry after being processed. In the back is what Bowman refers to as the “office.” It’s where all the film developed at Flats gets digitized before being emailed back to clients—about 80 percent of Flats’ business. You’ll often find Flats’ lab manager, Únies González, and lab tech and shop manager Cassie Soler working away in the space.

The colorful entry area to Flats’ suite includes kitschy touches like a vintage Kodak light fixture and an old-school vending machine stocked with rolls of film.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3000,”y2″:2250,”width”:3000,”height”:2250}”>

Bowman likes to think of her creation as a kind of makerspace for local photographers. Although much of her business revolves around developing and digitizing film for enthusiasts of the artform, what really makes the space special is its community darkroom, which is open to both novice photographers and professionals. Bowman offers three tiers of access: A simple day pass is priced at $25, and unlimited monthly access during business hours costs $75 a month. Meanwhile, a 24-hour membership pass is priced at $140 a month.

The darkroom is located behind the building’s kitchen in a small room with heavy black curtains. During a recent visit, 24-hour access member Izaac Costiniano, a budding local photographer, was in the space doing the final wash on a stylized black-and-white photograph of the faded faces of two men, who appeared to be merging into one. Four enlargers used for black-and-white photography, all donated machines, filled much of the space around him. Off in one corner, covered by an additional curtain, was a color enlarger.

Bowman offers three tiers of access to Flats’ dark room space, including day passes for $25.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:4032,”y2″:3024,”width”:4032,”height”:3024}”>

While the rest of the room is usually lit by a very faint red light, the color-focused space requires total darkness. Bowman says she’s really the only one who uses it. “You get used to it,” she says of working with zero light. “My boyfriend makes fun of me because I don’t realize how much I do in the dark now. I’ve been working in darkrooms since I was in high school. I’ll be in the kitchen now in the complete darkness and he’ll be like, ‘What are you doing?’”

Jeremy Perez, Flats’ darkroom manager, can usually be found in the space supervising members as they go about their work. Bowman says they make sure everyone who uses the darkroom, even if they’re new to developing photography, knows how to properly use the space. She says that most people who use the darkroom come and go as they work on various projects. Color chemistry isn’t included in any of the passes, but visitors have everything they need for black-and-white chemistry; they just have to supply their own papers and film.

“I want to create a home for artists in Houston,” Bowman says. “We’re one of the major cities, why do artists feel like they have to move away from here? Why can’t we create more outlets and home bases for them?”” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:5734,”y2″:3824,”width”:5734,”height”:3824}”>

This well-built-out suite is a far cry from the Flats of a few years ago, when the company functioned mainly as a nomadic gallery space, popping up from time to time for shows in people’s homes. Bowman says she opened that iteration of Flats to make it easier for photographers to show their work locally and to help better foster artistic connection in this vastly spread-out city. “There’s this constant joke that you have to move away from Houston to be able to show in Houston. I think a lot of that is because there are only so many outlets and they’re kind of competitive,” she says. “We’re also all in these pockets, and we don’t know what’s going on everywhere else, so I wanted to bring people to other spaces.”

Bowman’s FLAT Files magazine focuses on showcasing the work of photographers from the US’s South Central region.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:1423,”y2″:1017,”width”:1423,”height”:1017}”>

Flats’ growth hasn’t ended with the opening of the photo lab and darkroom. In 2021, Bowman launched a photo-centric art magazine under the Flats moniker focused on showcasing the artwork of photographers from the US’s South Central region. And although she’s happy with the space she’s in now, she has dreams of further expansion. She’d love to eventually move into a bigger spot that has room for a dedicated gallery where she can host longer shows. A bigger space would also allow her to open a larger community darkroom, in addition to an expanded classroom area—enough square footage for masterclass programming and an eventual residency program.

“I want to create a home for artists in Houston,” Bowman says. “We’re one of the major cities, why do artists feel like they have to move away from here? Why can’t we create more outlets and home bases for them?”