Curiosity, Nightlife, and Queer Identity

Photography By Jules Monstera

Photographer Jules Monstera opens up about the importance of documenting Queer joy, etiquette in nightlife photography, and how striving for perfection is the enemy of creation.

Los Angeles, USA

How did you begin your journey as a photographer?

I was really drawn to photojournalism as a kid, poring over old National Geographic and Time magazines. In high school, I wanted to be a war correspondent, but felt pressured to abandon that idea and choose a different path. With an interest in journalism, I worked on my college newspaper, but felt a lot of fear in exploring my own creativity and perspective. I think that had a lot to do with growing up in a very conservative environment and not understanding who I was.

After college, I went into politics while photographing weddings on the side. I tried to be content with photography being second to a more traditional career, but putting art and photography in the background ate away at me for 10 years. I realized I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t give it a fair shot as my career. I’m so glad I did.

What have you learned along the way?

Having an endless curiosity about people and their way of life is a strength, but should be paired with practiced etiquette. When documenting, there is a certain balance in capturing people in unposed and sometimes vulnerable states, but ultimately ensuring that your subject is respected.

In nightlife, people are often intoxicated and letting their guards down. I take special care to pay attention to context and not photograph people in compromised positions. Sometimes it’s a judgement call in the moment and sometimes it’s in post when choosing what to deliver to my client. I love photographing people in the raw, uninhibited times - it’s so fun. But there is also a certain level of responsibility involved and I want the earned trust of the community I’m photographing.

How would you describe your style in 3 words?

In some ways, I feel very sure of my style and in some ways I think I’m still finding it. Someone once described my photos as “rock and roll”, which I think is fun.

Your photography focuses on documenting Queer people and Queer spaces. How does this subject matter inspire you? Why is it important?

Photographing queer people has been crucial to provide evidence of our historical existence and preserve our humanity. Under the current administration and the trajectory of American and global politics, we know that our rights are not guaranteed. Continuing to tell our stories and record the community’s resilience and joy is as important as it’s ever been. Clubs especially have long provided a space for queers to socialize and act in relative safety. As both a queer person and an artist, it is meaningful to be a part of documenting the community in these spaces.

Tell the story about one of your photographs.

A few months ago, I photographed a house party organized by Dreamgirlworld Zine (@dreamworldgirlzine) and Chapstick Magazine (@chapstickmagazine). There were many people there in their early twenties and a lot of them had cameras - both film and digital. I was able to talk to one person about what they were studying and how much they liked photography. I thought it was very cool to see the next generation being so proactive in organizing community and having fun creating together. I’ve heard my whole life that print is dead, but I’m glad to see two queer magazines fighting that narrative.

What do you love about being part of the LGBTQIA+ artist community in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is home to so many people from different backgrounds and walks of life. There is always something to learn from each other and I’m grateful to have that exposure. I also appreciate being surrounded by so many with a hunger to create and make an impact through their work. It encourages me to work harder and do better.

What do you think needs to change?

In general, I would love for there to be more support for the arts and room for artists to explore long term projects. The way that social media and capitalism work to encourage hot and fast content that sells is a detriment to artists, especially marginalized ones. The queer community already does a great job in supporting each other’s work, but as a whole it’s still difficult.

If you could photograph another Queer community anywhere else in the world, where would you want to go and why?

Someday, I would love to do a series exploring the differences and common foundation in queer nightlife cultures across multiple countries. It would be such a large, but worthwhile undertaking that I hope would also provide a unified compilation of our humanity. I photographed New York nightlife for the first time this year and I expected it to be very different from Los Angeles. There were some differences, such as style, but there was also an inexplicable sameness that was beautiful and comforting.

What are some obstacles you came across on your artist journey and how did you overcome them?

I had a client take advantage of my business naiveté in college who essentially tricked me into an agreement where they didn’t pay for my photos, which really destroyed my confidence. I didn’t take on a paying client for a good while after that. There have been many moments where I don’t think I’m cut out for this work, from a creative and business perspective. I had to put in a lot of internal work to get to a place where I believe I deserve to be in the room and to hold that confidence through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship - it can be rough and I’m very grateful for the people who have helped me along the way.

What advice would you give 10 year old Jules?

That it is okay to be unsure and it’s okay to not be the best. The strive for perfection truly is the enemy of creation. I think all artists tend to struggle with self-doubt and in some ways, it can be a good driver. Challenging your own creativity often leads to more personal and more purposeful art. Just not to the point where you’re frozen and believe your contributions are worthless.

What's next for you?

For years, people have asked me if I would ever put together a book of my nightlife photographs. It’s a project I’ve had in the back of my mind, and I hope to dedicate time to putting a small coffee table book together sometime in the next year.