Interns of New York: Regine David
Photos courtesy of Regine David
Originally from Manila, Philippines, SCAD alumni Regine David is braving the waters of one of the most competitive and condensed cities in the world: New York. Since January, she has been “living in the pinkest building in New York City.”
Finding the shared loft space was far from easy. David moved “a million times” and spent a lot of time couch surfing and “Airbnb-ing” from Sunnyside in Queens to Flatlands in Brooklyn. Ultimately, she found an apartment through Craigslist and called it “fate.”
Regine David enjoys being able to shoot in her apartment because of its great lighting and intriguing interior design.
It’s the first time she’s lived with people she didn’t know before hand, but David enjoys living with other artists “because they’re older [and] give a lot of [career] advice.” In many ways it’s not a far cry from her days at SCAD.
The youngest of six, she is grateful for the support of her parents since she chose a more “unconventional career.” It was her parents who first pushed her to study internationally, which is unusual of the culture.
After a full year studying at a local university in Manila, David claimed she “felt creatively bankrupt.” The lack of a strong foundation “didn’t push me out of my comfort zone. My work was becoming very similar to other local photographers.” It took a year of preparation before she landed at SCAD Hong Kong.
“I started out thinking I wanted to do fashion photography… but that changed quickly,” she admited. She was exposed to everything from documentary work to landscapes and mentions one professor in particular, Yoav Horesh. “He really pushed me… and made me care about the work I was producing.” She learned about intention and how careful thought often leads to successful pieces.
Just a year and a half later, her parents encouraged her to move to the Savannah campus. “I was doing really well in Hong Kong and I didn’t want to have to start all over again,” she said.
Still, she took the plunge and took her first steps on Savannah soil, where she quickly discovered the challenge of standing out in a larger community of artists. “There were so many talented people in my classes, it was intimidating,” she said. Yet, she worked hard, spent a quarter in Lacoste and finally gained valuable respect and praise from both her peers and professors.
David shoots with anything she can get her hands on. “The equipment doesn’t matter… if the shot is good, it’s good.”
A recurring motif, the greatest challenge David faced was the return of the creative block. “I got really burnt out in my last two quarters.” She didn’t know whether to pursue fine art or commercial work, but as graduation drew nearer she “hustled… and did as many shoots [as she] could.”
The work paid off and she found her way to a for-credit New York internship at Bernstein & Andriulli, a creative management agency that represents different kinds of artists. “I did everything and learned a lot about the business. Since I didn’t know what I wanted to do, it made sense to meet as many artists as I could.” She finally graduated in the first SCAD-hosted fall graduation ceremony before deciding to put down her camera and take a break.
She spent several months just basking in the city air. Finally, she found a job as an assistant to internationally awarded Iris Brosch, a photographer known for her ethereal, Rococo-like portrayals of the feminine. “She took me under her wing… and I get personal attention.”
Her bond with Brosch led her to an introduction with Eva Mueller, another acclaimed photographer living in the city. The transition was jarring because of how different her mentors’ styles are. “When I first met her she said to me, ‘I assume you’re not squeamish.’” Unlike Brosch, Mueller’s work is darker with a strong minimalist aesthetic.
David has found success in her field due to her talent and work ethic. Both her mentors want to keep her, and in the past month or so she’s picked her camera back up to start on more personal projects. She’s worked on dozens of test shoots and has, to her surprise, found she enjoys shooting men. Most recently she did a commercial project for the Philippine-based clothing brand Bench. “I found everything… the talent and the location. It was great to have that creative freedom.”
Despite her initial fears of moving far from home, she’s come to love that in the international market, “people give you a fighting chance, no matter who you are… No one tells me I’m being too ambitious… It’s all about your portfolio.”
When asked what advice she had for those who have their hearts set on New York, she said, “it’s tough, but it’s also so rewarding. Remember: you’ve worked hard, you’ve earned this.”
Gabby Manotoc has been Creative Director for District for the past three years. She also designs the Port City Review, the student produced and curated annual literary arts journal of SCAD.
