With recent work published in Philadelphia Style Magazine and Spotify playlist covers, Madi Napieralski’s craft becomes more refined each day. Her photography projects span from album covers to advertising campaigns to concert photography, and her cheery energy preaches how much she loves the lane she’s currently in.

I had the chance to speak with Napieralski about her blossoming journey. Read our interview below:

Do you wanna tell me a little bit about how you first found an interest in photography?

Yeah! I always loved it. I remember making YouTube videos as a third-grader and being like, This is how you complete a Club Penguin mission! Then, there was a period of time when I wasn't really tapped into it too much. I got my first DSLR for my birthday during the pandemic and thought, Okay, now I'm hitting up my besties–If you're down to do a shoot, we're doing it tomorrow. I just wanted to learn everything. This time last year was the first time I personal-assisted for an in-studio photoshoot with two really good friends of mine and it was so welcoming and really inspiring. I started to really try to push forward instead of doing clean edits. What could I do to inspire myself? What have I not seen yet?

I was also doing a lot of self-portraits at the time, which was really helpful because I would edit in ways that I would want people to hit me up for. I had my first paid shoot in July, and then I had an internship for photography from October through December. I learned a lot from there, like how to shoot for 60 different skin tones in the sun or in the shade. That was a really good moment to be like Wow. I don't know my skill set at all.

Like re-evaluating a little?

A lot, yeah. In December, I got published for the first time in Philly Style representing Scarlet Hernandez. She's the Director of Membership at Rec Philly and that was really beautiful. I was happy to take part in that. Since January, I've been focused on re-evaluating my professionalism and taking myself more seriously when inquiries come in.

Is there a specific quality of artist photography and the music industry that drew you in?

Yeah, I love being part of the music industry so much. With concert photography, you don't have to tell someone to pose because they just are already expressing how they feel. You can't tell them to be more expressive because they're literally singing their heart out. Then, with cover art, you get to represent what the song is or how the audience is meant to feel when they're listening.

Are there any other differences in your process when it comes to concert photography compared to a studio session?

I feel like sometimes you can be more experimental with concert photography because you have all the different lighting and the crowds. You can think, Do I wanna be all the way back and see the crowd super engaged, do I want to see the sweat on the forehead of the performer? You just have so much variety. Also, you feel so connected because it’s vulnerable for the artist to perform in front of hundreds of people, so to share their love and creativity gives me goosebumps. I can hear their truest form happen and am able to capture that.

With album covers, a lot of artists are very particular about what they want. How do you handle and manage critiques and feedback from artists?

I love critiques. With any collaborative project, there should be give and take, so I honestly love when people are like, I hate this. Then we can say, Perfect, screw that direction, we don't even look at her. How can we pivot and make sure we're both content with the result? I love it.

How do you feel about working with the same clients again and again?

It’s great because you feel more connected, you know what they're looking for, and there’s no pull-and-tug of What kind of aesthetic do you like? From the last project, I know what they didn't like or what they were driven towards.

So, how do you prepare for a shoot with a new client?

I love doing research. I'll set up a Google Hangout or FaceTime and ask them, What's the feel, what's the rough mix, what do you want people to identify with when they're looking at it– all that. When I was in the earlier days, it was a lot more spontaneous-- no mood board, no call sheet. Then, we were pulling up and using an hour of the session time. If we spend thirty minutes planning, it just makes it smoother. Thirty minutes saves me an hour or two.

You shared online that your photo for Julia Pratt was featured on the cover of Spotify's “Fresh Finds Indie” What did that feel like for you?

It felt so good because-- I can't even lie, that edit that I did for the cover was a late-night edit. There are so many times where it'll be like 1:00 AM, I’m in my creative zone, and I’m just messing around, and it was so cool to be like, 165,000 people like this? It felt really good.

Do you have any favorite shoots that you've done, and why do they stick out to you?

It's an older one, but I have one of my friend Chris. He's amazing– I love him. My friend Lauren taught me how to use a scanner to work with photography and this was the first time I was trying it. It was one of the first things I felt proud of. I’ve felt proud before but this was a moment where I sat back and was like Oh, I feel good about this. We did a photoshoot with a guitar and latex. It was super sexy and scandalous, and I love that I was able to incorporate an element but let him shine without having to do overlays. I didn’t have to use as much to feel proud of what I was doing.

Do you feel like there's any part of your process in particular that makes you say “I love what I'm doing?”

Ooh, I love everyone's reactions. That's the main thing that makes me happy. When other people feel inspired I'm like… We did that. If someone says “I like it” I'm like, No! I wanna know you love it! So, I think it's honestly just the reaction and being able to just see people light up that makes me love what I’m doing.

Is there anything I haven't asked you that you'd like to talk about?

I feel like the more I'm putting myself out there, the more people feel inclined to give unsolicited advice. The one thing I've been getting lately is, Why don't you take on other projects? Why don't you do graduation, or baby showers, or events? Why should I? If you cast your net super big, you don't have a brand to identify with and you actually negate opportunities from yourself because you don't have your niche. You don't have your specialty. That's been something I realized lately. Honing in on my opportunities and not taking everything is actually more beneficial to me than doing everything.

Find Madi Napieralski at:
Instagram - @mad1ann
TikTok - @triplegemphotos

Additional Photography by Drew J.:
@drew.j on Instagram

Madi Napieralski

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