Fresh Faces: Mikey DeTemple

How did you get started creating content?

I had been shooting photos of my travels around the world surfing for years. I wanted to share my experiences with people, so I made my first surf film 2008 with a follow up in 2011. I’ve been telling stories through my own film and photo narrative since.

Define your style in 3 words

Classic, neat, and functional.

Tell us what inspires you…

I’m inspired by surfing, sailing and New England. 1960’s icons like Paul Newman, Peter Beard and JFK. I find joy in the small details.

How do you build and maintain trust with your followers?

Anything that I post has to feel authentic. The moment it stops feeling real, is the moment you’ve lost your followers’ trust.

And how do you qualify which brands you will work with?

By the story I’m going to tell and how their brand or product fits naturally into my life. If there’s no story, or no natural fit, it makes it tough to create something.

What about the way you work?

I love creating branded content—creating images and films for brands is definitely a passion, and doing it well and creating something beautiful is what keeps me coming back to these partnerships.

What would you love to do more of?

I love shooting portraits, but I would say that video is my favorite medium. I would love to work with an automaker.

Tell us about your favourite branded campaign.

I really enjoyed the last two years of Apple’s “Shot on iPhone 6” campaign. It was an opportunity to share real moments with the brand that also allowed me to be creative and shoot independently.

Which of your videos or images is your favorite, and why?

I recently finished a short film for the Surfrider Foundation about the water quality issues Long Island is facing. It’s one of the most meaningful pieces I’ve ever created.

How do you qualify which brands you will work with and which you will not?

By the story I’m going to tell and how their brand or product fits naturally into my life. If there’s no story, or no natural fit, it makes it tough to create something.

How do you like working with brands? What do you think results in the best brand partnership?

I love creating branded content—creating images and films for brands is definitely a passion, and doing it well and creating something beautiful is what keeps me coming back to these partnerships.

And finally, what makes your style as an influencer unique?

With so many people out there creating content with a similar aesthetic, I find paying attention to the details to be the best way to express my own style. It also helps to use the best available light, to shoot with beautiful glass, and focus on real experiences.