Hi Tom, it's nice talking to you! First, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? Who are you, where are you from, where do you live now? Tell us a bit about your personal background!
Hi! My name is Tom Windeknecht. I was born in Missouri, but I have spent most of my life in the western United States, namely Arizona, New Mexico and California. I now live with my wife in Yucca Valley, California, near Joshua Tree National Park. I am a photographer, content creator and stop motion animator. I have been creating content for various brands on Instagram since 2016 and have been posting for myself under the username @TomWindeknecht since 2013.
What exactly do you do for a living? When did you start photography?
I work full-time in a marketing department - and the rest of my time I spend on photography and content creation. I was fascinated by cameras as a child. When I was growing up, my family always took a camera with them on trips or family gatherings. At school I took a film photography course and learned to develop my own film. But I didn't really take photography seriously until 2006, when I bought my first SLR camera. At first it was a hobby until I tried to turn it into a side business in 2012.
Your images are very vibrant and colorful, yet have a minimalist touch. How did you develop this style? Are pink and blue your favorite colors by any chance?
I've been a huge fan of minimalist photography for a long time. I love the simplicity behind it! So it seemed natural to implement this style into my work as well. The colors started shortly after I joined Instagram. I quickly found the colorful and minimalist communities and other users on Instagram who used this style. The colors really impressed and inspired me! So I started incorporating some colors in photo editing and noticed that I got a lot more likes and comments on my photos when I used pink and blue. So I started using more colors (haha!). I really like the combination of pink and blue. They remind me of growing up in the 80s. Personally, turquoise blue is my favorite color!
What inspires you and why?
I get inspiration from different sources. Art in general is an inspiration. My wife and I love going to art museums together. She is an artist, so we both really appreciate the beauty in art and design. I also get inspiration from nature and being outdoors. I live in a desert and there are a lot of hiking trails around me. I like walking outside - it helps me think, clear my head and come up with new ideas. I also get inspiration from other users on Instagram. There are so many interesting people out there making great content, be it photography, video, graphic design, stop motion, etc.
Would you like to tell us a little about your work process? How do you come up with ideas and how do you edit your pictures? Do you plan a lot beforehand or do you prefer to take photos spontaneously?
My work process usually starts with an idea. Sometimes I see something in real life that makes me think, or an idea pops into my head that develops into a concept. When I'm working on a brand, I first brainstorm ideas and quickly sketch them out on paper. I try to think of a few ideas and then narrow them down a bit. But creativity doesn't always come immediately. Sometimes ideas come really quickly and naturally, sometimes I have to pull them out of my brain. So there are times when I don't have to plan too much, but there are also times when I have to plan a lot in advance. Ultimately, I prefer spontaneous work and creativity... but that doesn't always work (laughs).
When I edit my photos, I usually start with an idea in my head of how I would like the image to look. However, it often happens that my first idea is changed a lot and filled with new creativity.
Your Instagram feed is also filled with super cool stop motion videos! What do you like most about these types of videos?
Yes, I love making stop motion videos! I personally feel like they take on a life of their own. It's a way to give a lifeless object a personality or bring something ordinary to life. It takes a lot of work and careful planning to create, but the end result is worth it. I grew up watching claymation and stop motion movies and TV shows. When I learned how to make them, I was fascinated by how every little movement is an image - and then all of those images are put together to create an animation. It blew my mind!
When and why did you start using Instagram as a platform to share your photography?
When Instagram first came out, it was only available for iOS (Apple) devices. I've always used Android phones, so I couldn't use the app yet. Instagram finally came out on Android in late 2012 (or early 2013), and a friend of mine encouraged me to check it out. He knew how much I loved photography. At first, I just enjoyed sharing my pictures and seeing other people's work. I felt a sense of community and support for others. It wasn't until 2015 or 2016 that I saw the first people working with brands - and the term "content creator" being used. I knew I wanted to be a part of it, so I started buying studio lights and backdrops and started creating my own content.
Do you have a favorite photo you shared? Can you tell us the story behind it?
I have a few favorites, but one of my favorites is probably my vintage sign on a pink background. I'm a fan of retro and vintage signs. I discovered an old Googie style sign in San Bernardino, California. It was a sign for an old window and glass company. I took a picture of it and then placed it on a pink background. The picture has been on my Instagram feed since 2014 and has been printed, sold as a print, and shared on blogs.
What do you think about your IG community that you have built over the years? We saw that you have had some great collaborations! Have you been able to connect with them through Instagram?
I love my IG community! I've made some amazing friends both online and offline. So many thoughtful, funny and supportive people have been with me along the way. Some of them have even been here since the beginning!
The collaborations started around 2016 on Instagram. In the beginning, I would reach out to brands I liked to see if they would be interested in collaborating. Sometimes I would get offers, sometimes they would decline. But it didn't take long for a few brands to contact me. From that moment on, I knew this could become something big. I'm very lucky to have had so many opportunities to work with amazing brands (both big and small). My best collaboration ever was with Google. I've been a #teampixel ambassador for Google Pixel phones since 2017. It was literally a life-changing experience!
Can you tell us some of your favorite Instagrammers who inspire you?
Some of my favorite Instagrammers that inspire me are Lizzie Darden ( @lizzie_darden ), Demas Rusli ( @demas ), Meredith Foley ( @meredith_foley ), Ivan Wong ( @ivvnwong ), Erin Summer ( @erinsummer_ ), Leslie Schneider ( @splendid_rags ), and Andrew Kuttler ( @andrewkuttler ).
Do you have any cool plans for the future that you want to share with us?
Yes, I'm getting ready to sell some prints at a shop in Palm Springs, California. I'm super excited about that! I also plan on doing more animations in the future. And I recently started posting my (not-so-colorful) photography on a new Instagram account. It features pictures from my travels and the desert area where I live. You can check them out at @nothingsunknown .
Do you like sending and receiving postcards?
Yes, I do! Postcards are nostalgic for me. When my parents would travel with me and my sister, I always loved looking at the postcards in souvenir shops. I loved seeing the pictures and fun designs!
Did you know about Pickmotion before our cooperation? If so, how did you discover us?
I don't think so. But after seeing who you've worked with, I realized how many of your designs I've seen!
Finally, would you like to share a little anecdote or story with us? Feel free to tell us whatever comes to mind!
The photo we started our collaboration with has a funny story! I stopped by the dinosaur statues to look at them and take a photo. I always thought that the T-Rex dinosaur looked like it was holding something in its tiny hands. So I kept the photo and had plans to post it. When Instagram was still doing the Weekend Hashtag Project (WHP), they set a WHP with the theme "love". I remembered the photo, so I took some red construction paper and cut out a heart shape. Then I took a photo of the heart and pasted the paper heart into the T-Rex's hands using Photoshop. I added a little shadow that matched the natural shadow of the right arm and voila!
The motif "Big Hug" by Tom Windeknecht can be found on one of our PICKMOTION postcards ! Take a look in a store near you, or buy the card in a set in our online shop!
