Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
photography by gordon mcgregor (valby); lumiere tintype (knoxy); ave bonar (gamino) The author of Welcome to Utopia: Notes from a Small Town, Karen Valby has showcased her work in Entertainment Weekly, Time, Fast Company, and Real Simple. She lives in Austin with her husband and their two daughters, and she wrote this issue's Hottest Ticket piece on the Texas Medal of Arts recipients (page 37). What's the key to getting a really good interview with your subjects? K indness and genuine curiosity go a long way in putting anyone at ease. What was it about talking with Chandra Wilson that resonated with you most? I'm always moved by Texans' devotion to their home state's food. Chandra said her first stop on any trip back home to Houston is her mother's kitchen, because her mama always has a pot of her inimitable gumbo waiting for her on the stove. What has been the proudest moment of your career? Showing my young daughter my name on the BookPeople marquee in Austin when my book was first published [in 2010]. What do you love most about Austin? I'm just proud to call Austin my home. K aren Valby writer When Austin food, product, and lifestyle photographer K noxy K nox is not working, she can be found listening to music and playing with her dog, Little Edie. What sparked your interest in photography? It began as a child—mostly because I can't paint or draw at all, but I still wanted a creative outlet. What made you specifically focus on food /drink photography? A little bit of serendipity, really: I was raised as a lover of food and have always thought of it as an incredible way to explore a culture. Once I started my photography business, taking photos of food was a natural fit. What makes a shoot most fulfilling for you? Like everything in my life, what matters most are relationships. Being a photographer opens up so many doors to developing relationships with different kinds of people whom I may not have encountered otherwise. Being able to get to k now people a nd tell t heir stor ies t hrough photog raphy is a n incred- ible honor—a nd a t r ue joy. After 15 years as an editor and writer for publications such as Fast Company and Men's Journal, Tom Foster relocated to Austin a year ago and is editor-at-large of Inc. Magazine as well as a frequent contributor to Popular Science. What did you learn while interviewing Hugh Forrest for the SXSW feature (page 82)? Through my work, I meet a lot of high-profile tech people, and I've heard that Hugh Forrest is a remarkably influential guy. Upon finally meeting him, I was struck by how self-effacing and normal he is—your typical friendly Austin neighbor. What's your preferred writing topic? I write mostly about entrepreneurs and innovators. Entrepreneurs are great subjects because they're a lot like great adventurers—big characters chasing crazy dreams with very high stakes. What do you love most about Austin life? I left New York when I realized that the dream life I envisioned there was a mirage. I spent time in Austin in the '90s, and I fell back in love with the city when I started coming again for SXSW. Austin appeals to me because of its many creative people and its inclusive, friendly culture. Knoxy Knox photographer Tom FosTer writer An award-winning newspaper journalist with six years covering the federal government in DC and 27 years at the Austin American-Statesman, Denise Gamino is now a freelance writer and editor in Austin. She coauthored Around the World with LBJ: My Wild Ride as Air Force One Pilot, White House Aide, and Personal Confidant, and she wrote Front Runner (page 4). What is most impactful about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildf lower Center? People visit for landscaping ideas, but I wander through the heritage live oaks and prairie grasses to get a feel for what Austin looked like before all the development. The center preserves, protects, and propagates native plants and trees and has a lovely 16 -acre arboretum. A lot of wildf lowers grow there, and acorns from almost 30 historic Texas oak trees have been collected and will one day be trees in this arboretum. What are your favorite topics to write about? I gravitate toward underdogs, overlooked places, and odd things. If the journalism pack heads one way, I go the other. Denise Gamino writer 22 AUSTINWAY.com ...wiThouT whom this issue would not have been possible // spring 2015