I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty hyped on this interview right here. Meet Julian Berman, the person who has brought you some of the most memorable and hilarious photos of the Odd Future Wolves. Julian has a great amount of support for what he does and at the same a lot of hate. However, it doesn’t phase him one bit because this is a kid doing what he loves with people he calls his friends. Julian and OF are a perfect example of never being too young to start killing shit. Say what you want about Julian, but there is no denying the skills this kid has behind a lens; these images are history. I want to really thank Julian for doing this interview and Phil for putting me on to OF via his Facebook. Enjoy!
-Andre-

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What’s good dude?
Appreciate all of the love and I am stoked to be a part of the site.

On a scale from 1 to 10, describe your year thus far?

This year so far has been an absolute 10 out of 10. School and work totally suck, but shooting a lot, meeting so many new people and acquiring some great gear definitely make up for it.

How is L.A treating you?

Los Angeles is my sanctuary; born and raised, so I will always show love for it. Gas is making a killing and the traffic blows, but it is so worth it. The absolute best coast.

Do people recognize you on the streets now?

On the streets, I highly doubt many people recognize me. Of course at the Odd Future shows there are plenty that have noticed me from tumblr or whatever and that is still rather strange to me. I respect it though and I am glad kids from all over are into my shit. On the Internet you can say that there are people super into my work and that follow my blog/twitter/flickr heavily and that is badass!

How has skateboarding shaped your life?

I was always into skateboarding, but never that good at it. I’d cruise to spots with my boys, but mostly just watch or skate around simply because I never got too good (laughs). That kind of ties into how I got associated with photography. I had always been super into reading Transworld and Skateboarder and right from the start I noticed the images and how they were crafted. I decided to take photo classes in high school and realized that I could shoot skate photos instead of bumming it around spots. Ya know, getting involved.

What is your favorite piece of equipment in your setup?

My favorite piece of gear is definitely my newly acquired Mamiya 7. That camera is absolutely insane and I am still really intimidated by it. I was never too keen on rangefinders just on an Olympus XA ages ago. 6X7 is such an awesome format as well, which is a really nice change after shooting square for AGES. I am really excited to put the camera to more use.

What was your first set up?

My first setup was a Nikon D60. I was so not into that camera at all. Probably lasted 4 months before I sold it for a D90. Still have the D90 currently and it is a pretty awesome camera.

 
 
 
I’m told you work hard for the money you use to buy all your equipment, I respect that. Describe the feeling of buying something you want with the money you made yourself.

You read that post on my tumblr? (laughs). Getting called out for being a rich, spoiled, white, brat was rather funny. I have been reselling clothes and shoes forever and (had) an above average retail job, while living at home. So most of my paychecks were just put away. The feeling of buying something yourself brings extreme satisfaction, especially knowing all of the hard work that you’ve put into achieving it.

Is there any one particular photo you have taken recently that is a favorite of yours?

I am super blessed to have any of my photos included in any sort of magazine. The Billboard cover definitely struck me by surprise and I am still in shock at the fact that I actually have the cover of a magazine. I am only excited to see what the future has in store for me.

Have you learned anything worthwhile on skateperception.com and any other sites you are a part of?

I have learned TONS on skateperception. I could not even remember the first time I started lurking there. It had to have been YEARS ago, even before I started photography. I do not really post on there much, but I  have spent so much time cruising the gallery or reading up on lighting, scanners and all of that dorky tech shit. I love reading about new gear and seeing it put to great use.
I see you have a strong opinion against college. The power of the internet is vast and you can learn almost anything with the proper research. Do you feel this has inspired your negative feelings towards college?

My opinion on college is probably based on my rather shitty experience this year. I respect art school and wish the best of luck to anybody in one, but I simply just do not see the point in going to one anymore. I took photography classes in high school and learned a fair amount, but for the most part I’ve found ways to teach myself just about everything. Don’t get me wrong, I did EXTREMELY well in high school, but I just never had interest in getting into some prestigious university. I will still continue on with school, but I will never ever be stoked on it.

Let’s talk OF, how did you all meet?

I met the Odd Future dudes about two years ago. Went to school with Taco and met Tyler through the Hypebeast forums. We started to hang out casually around Fairfax; skateboarding and bullshitting. Then it started to become an every weekend ordeal. We started documenting the hang outs and instantly got hooked. As they began to get more and more successful, I decided to stick around and it shows that my persistence is paying off.

How does it feel to be a part of something that means so much to so many people?

I am glad to document the progression of the band and constantly shell out solid images, which keeps the fans wanting more. For me, it is just hanging out with my best friends and documenting our day to day, but to many fans this almost seems to be like an obsession. So many diehard fans showing me incredible amounts of love and I am excited to deliver.

I think you should release a photo book for OF that shit would sell, what do you think?

A photobook? We’ll see… Regardless though, I am stoked on where photography is taking me. I am excited to see what the future has in store and excited to see people like you showing me love.

Any comments or shotouts?

Shoutouts to my parents for always backing everything I do. Shouts to my gang of wolves, to all of my buddies: Lucas, Alvin, Gio, Carlos, Kira, Phil at Dertbagdesign, Julian at Stray Rats, all of the family on Fairfax, the fellow workers at Taco Bell putting up with us every single night and everybody in the L.A hardcore scene doing their thing. Also, shoutouts to all of my haters on tumblr, all of my skateperception boys, my 11th grade photography teacher for letting me use his Hasselblad and just everybody who has shown me love in any sort of way throughout my photographic career.

Peace.

http://julianxberman.tumblr.com

http://twitter.com/julianxberman

http://flickr.com/juelz

Be on the lookout for his new site that he is making soon as well.

-Andre-