Julia Smith-Eppsteiner won our April 2026 Colors competition, with a beautiful cyanotype print which stood out for its wonderful marriage of concept and technique, and which judge Jimmy Marble described as “a meditation on color and a study of it”, citing its gorgeous artistry and evocative, sensual blues.

Born in California but now living and working in Paris where her creative pursuits are predominantly in portraiture, Julia is one to watch. And so we were of course keen to put some questions to her – about her background, her journey to Paris, and where her inspiration comes from. Read on to find out what she had to say…

Julia, congratulations on winning our recent Colors competition! Please introduce yourself in a few words…

Thank you, and hello! My name is Julia Smith-Eppsteiner and I am a California-born photographer based in Paris.

Your winning image, I understand, is from a series inspired by Maggie Nelson’s book of poems and texts called Bluets. Can you tell us a little more about the inspiration behind the work?

I am drawn to heartbreak. It’s the great equalizer. A portal to everything that was and is and will be. Even when I’m not in that experience, my heartbreaks continue to shape my life, and in turn my capacity for joy. I find Bluets to be a meditation on the heart and one that I come back to over and over again. I think I could work on this topic for the rest of my life and never be bored.

And what about the process? How did you go about realizing your concepts, both in terms of the models and the handmade cyanotype?

I photographed contemporary dancers Mia Bourhis and Ivan Tocchetti in the studio. I saw a rawness in their bodies moving together as in Bluets and I wanted to carry that through the entire process. So, I printed the negatives, and handmade the cyanotypes in the park behind my house. There’s a timelessness to heartbreak and to sun printing, and to the depth of blue.

Is this use of different techniques and media something you intend to explore further?

I’m still at the beginning of my journey with cyanotype; the piece I entered in the competition was the first time I had worked with that printing technique. I plan to continue building the Of bodies series this summer and fall. In terms of other analog techniques, we shall see! It definitely feels good to bring those into the fold and never get too comfortable with neat-and-tidy digital.

You came to photography via choreography, writing and brand strategy. How did that eclectic journey happen, and in what ways, if at all, do you see those imprints in your work now?

It’s hard to pinpoint. My brand background helps with the part where you turn a mood or abstract concept into something real. But the most impactful thing is my dance background. I started at age three and got a BFA in it. So it’s deep in my bones. It’s how I see. Negative space. Movement. Feeling. I’ve always had a specific aesthetic, and it shows up in everything I make.

As someone with such a diverse range of interests, I imagine inspiration comes from many places. What ideas are exciting you right now?

It ebbs but my favorite source right now is reading. A certain sentence, like those by Leslie Jamison or Mary Oliver or Maggie Nelson, can move me more than an image does. I’m just looking for big, alive feelings. From Bluets, for example: “How often I’ve imagined the bubble of body and breath you and I made, even though by now I can hardly remember what you look like, I can hardly see your face.”

I believe you focus almost fully on portraiture. Why is that? What is it about photographing people over other subjects?
I like the inherent cocreation that happens. The giggles of discomfort. The loosening up over the session. The way the process brings something out of them and their expression that was under the surface before. We’re all mirroring each other all the time, or rather, seeing parts of ourselves in each other, conscious or not. I also work in still life and try to bring movement into the work. For example, in this photograph of ice cubes melting [below], I was exploring the concept of impermanence. How everything’s changing all the time. Like here, by the time I read this interview live, my thoughts will have evolved. Let’s hope.

As a Californian based in Paris, how did that come about, and do you draw inspiration from the city?
I packed my life into a 10×15 unit in San Francisco, and left my agency job to come to France. For a reset. For a nine-month photography program. To untangle myself from the grind, at least for a time. But yes, I am drawing inspiration from Paris, and the whole country. I took a weekend trip to Marseille in April and especially felt the slowed-down sense of time and the warmth.

Aside from your winning image, do you have a favorite you could tell us a little more about?

This image pairing [below – body and seascape] is one of my favorites. I find it mesmerizing how humans and nature mirror each other. I plan to continue with this idea of bodies and bodies of water.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d pass on to your younger self if you could?

Make the time and space to get quiet, regularly. Listen.

And finally, what can we expect from you next?

I am working on a series called With Tongue, exploring queer intimacy through kissing. I interview each couple, tracing both the draw between them and the realities of being visibly queer today. The project is ongoing. If you’d like to participate or are interested in showing the work, I’d love to connect.