I'm a 27 year old artist & photographer from Texas. I graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia with a BFA in advertising & graphic design. I like my music loud & my coffee strong.
Not poor at all, I'm rich at heart. I thought I'd put a twist to the saying & a positive meaning behind it. It's a reminder to myself to keep growing as an artist, but no matter where life leads me never forget my beginnings. It doesn't matter how many "followers" you gain or how much money you earn or DON'T earn, I started what I'm doing because I love it & it's who I am.
Kind of always knew I'd grow up & do something artistic. I was that kid that covered their room with magazine clippings & photos, from wall to wall. My room was one big collage project. Shoutout to my parents for allowing me to express myself, I know some folks would've flipped their lid. haha! I never studied photography formally, but I started shooting in high school. I became the yearbook photographer and things just sort of took off from there. I spent tons of time learning on my own through practice, tutorials, online research & haven't stopped since.
We have all heard the term “beauty is everywhere” but that saying didn't resonate with me until I became a photographer. It's opened my eyes to the world around me & I've truly started appreciating it for what it is, good or bad. It's an art & a communication form.
I've learned to keep on experimenting: that was the only way I was able to find my style. Don't be afraid to fail or create work that isn't great...because it's all apart of the process, how you learn & how you eventually strike your own gold. I've also learned to deal with the block. Ah, you know the enemy of everyone's creativity. Needless to say, we've all been there & it's a downward spiral unless you do something about it. So I've learned to grab inspiration from any & everywhere. My surroundings, music, film, people, nature, doesn't matter I allow my mind to be informed by a different art form. Don't limit yourself from where you grab inspiration, be open to it all & take note!
Photojournalism/Documentary photography/Street photography
Canon 5D MarkII, Canon AE1, Canon Elan II, Canon 1V & just recently added a Pentax 645N to the family.
I'd be lying if I'd told you I've figured out the whole recipe. There are these so called set rules, photography techniques & structure we learn to create the correct portrait but it's when we start breaking the rules & adding this intangible element that can't really be explained, that's when the magic is created. Then eventually you start finding elements to your own recipe. I don't have it all figured out but that's what makes it still so exciting. But back to your question, if I had to start somewhere, I'd start with light...I'm forever chasing light.
This interview was originally published on BehindTheCamera.co.
