Crafting Masterful Portraits with Paul Mobley & Ian Spanier

Paul Mobley and Ian Spanier have much in common: from starting their respective careers in New York City before relocating to the West Coast, to their knack for forging a human bond with portrait subjects, to an unrelenting drive to generate ambitious commercial assignments while being equally dedicated to complex personal projects.

Above Photograph © Ian Spanier

In today’s podcast, Paul and Ian compare notes on their photographic journeys from coast to coast, while discussing their shared inspiration for 20th century portrait masters such as Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and in Ian’s case, Harry Benson. A few of the key points covered: Secrets to becoming invaluable as a photo assistant; how no one can ever out hustle a New York photographer; and while great gear is important for reliability, what’s more essential is to engage with your subject and shoot for feeling

And, when it comes to surviving as an artist amid the latest media challenges, Paul adds a heartening note to the end of our chat: “You know, if we go back to what we started talking about: these pictures are made with our hearts and our minds, AI can never replace that. And if people want to hire us, they really want to know what's inside of us, so for that reason alone, I'm not worried.”

Guest: Paul Mobley & Ian Spanier

Episode Timeline:

• 4:10: Paul’s decision to move from Detroit to New York City after college and his early years as a photo assistant.
• 8:10: Ian’s early photo journey through high school, college, and working as a photo editor in the publishing industry.
• 10:55: The influence of 20^th century master portraitists such as Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Harry Benson.
• 16:00: Comparing the photo industry vibes of New York and Los Angeles.
• 22:11: The business of being a professional photographer: 10% taking pictures, 90% putting out fires and taking care of business.
• 29:06: The importance of gear in developing a style—equipment is secondary to what comes out of your heart, your mind, and your eye.
• 36:44: Episode Break
• 38:15: Preparation for a portrait shoot, getting the keywords for what a client needs and getting in front of a portrait subject.
• 44:15: Top challenge—Getting around the gatekeepers to get time with your subject.
• 50:00: The famous subjects at the top of Paul and Ian’s bucket lists.
• 56:40: Personal projects and what this work lends to Paul and Ian’s output.
• 1:02:25: Staying relevant in today’s commercial marketplace, the value of past work, and the influence of hybrid media to getting new jobs.
• 1:07:00: The question of generative AI in today’s creative economy—it’s all about adapting, but AI can never replace what’s in our hearts and our minds.

Guest Bios:

Paul Mobley is the quintessential portrait photographer, with a career that bridges high-profile commercial work and deeply human documentary projects. After formal photo training in college and years assisting top image-makers, he developed a clean, direct style rooted in precision and genuine engagement with his subjects. Paul’s commercial portfolio includes celebrities, athletes, and major brands, yet his approach remains consistent across both commercial and personal projects: Build trust, find authenticity, and create portraits that capture the soul of his subjects by combining technical clarity with emotional depth.

Additionally, he is widely recognized for his long-form documentary books, projects that have taken him across the United States to photograph ordinary people—farmers, centenarians, firefighters, and community heroes—whose stories often go unseen.

Paul splits his time between New York and Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Suzanne, and their rescued shar-pei, Jessie. In his spare time, he loves traveling, especially to Mexico, sampling tequila; and visiting Michigan to eat his mother’s Italian cooking.

In March 2026, Paul will be the first photographer ever to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree by his alma mater, The College of Creative Studies in Detroit.

Ian Spanier began making photos at age six, with a point-and-shoot camera received from his parents. A photo major in college, he started out in publishing, where he worked as a photo editor for 13 years, but making pictures never left him. He taught himself to shoot with medium and large formats, in addition to learning lighting techniques. These methods did the trick because Ian has since established a long and distinguished client list within editorial, corporate and entertainment industries.

He has also published several books, including Playboy, A Guide to Cigars, Arturo Fuente: From 1912, Local Heroes: America’s Volunteer Fire Fighters and, most recently, Cigars: A Biography, featuring nearly two decades of his work in the cigar industry.

Ian is a brand ambassador for Westcott Lighting, Spider Holster, Tether Tools, ThinkTank, Evoto AI, and several other brands. Additionally, he regularly lectures and creates video content for Canon, B&H Photo, and PP of A.

Previously a New York resident, Ian now lives with his family in sunny California, although his work still takes him around the world.

Host: Derek Fahsbender

Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman

Senior Producer: Mike Weinstein

Executive Producer: Richard Stevens