Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Drews.
Sean, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
When I was in my early teenage years, my friends and I would film each other skateboarding all around Milwaukee, WI. One day I was out skating with a friend who brought another friend from his home town in Indiana. He pulled out an old 35mm camera and a flash on a sync cord to shoot some photos. I was instantly inspired to start shooting photos like that instead of filming. For my 16th birthday, I got a Minolta Maxxum five and taught myself the fundamentals through the owner’s manual. I ended up going to college for photography and went on to work in a retail studio as an assistant. Fast forward, I moved to Long Beach, CA and am shooting full time.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m a portrait and lifestyle photographer. My style is a bit more classical, because I want to make work that will hopefully be timeless. Clothing, hair styles, design, color pallets, etc. are changing and evolving so fast that I’m not chasing trends. I shoot an even split between studio and on locations. I’ve adopted the motto, “when in doubt, keep it simple.”
The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
Being in a creative field has its unique challenges because the work you create is subjective. Part of being a photographer is being a problem solver. Sometimes you need to get creative if you’re finding yourself struggling financially. If your marketing, networking, or portfolios aren’t getting you more work, consider pivoting and trying an approach that is a completely different direction. Not saying to change your vision and aesthetic, but to rethink the approach.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
The best place to see my work is on my website, seandrews.com and you can also follow along on Instagram @sean.drews.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seandrews.com
- Phone: 262-385-6343
- Email: seanmdrews@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sean.drews
Image Credit:
All photos © Sean Drews
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