In the Studio with Katie Jo Small: Golden Experiments

Katie Jo Small is a multidisciplinary artist—writer, director, actor, analog photographer and collage-maker—splitting her time between Portland and Los Angeles. She’s currently in post-production on her upcoming short film Tooth-Hurty, a surreal fever dream that dives into the pitfalls of being a people pleaser.

There’s something about the slowness of film that speaks to Katie — the focus it demands, the way it captures light in soft, unexpected ways. When she’s not behind the camera, you can find her enjoying public libraries, road trips, bike rides and the outdoors.

Golden State is a dreamy studio session captured on film in Santa Cruz, California, back in 2017. With a few close friends, Katie spent the afternoon experimenting freely—her first time ever shooting in a studio.

Inspired by the sounds of Plastic Beach by Gorillaz, the shoot became a playful space for in-camera double exposures, expired film and prism filters. Some happy accidents led to unexpected textures—others, like an entire roll ruined by the wrong flash sync speed, didn’t make the cut. But that, too, is part of the magic.

For more, you can follow Katie on Instagram at @ktsmallz