Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Saunders.
Devon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a hobbyist photographer in my spare time. Born and raised in San Diego, I grew up mostly in Paradise Hills/National City, and the diversity in that area really shaped my photography and how I see things. I started in photography around 2011 just shooting on my iPhone, and my passion grew from there.
I use photography as a vehicle to learn about myself and my surroundings – my family is incredibly diverse with my mom being an adoptee, and me being raised by her along with my stepfather later in life instilled a need for self-exploration in my identity.
Photography allows me to learn about others, whether that be within subcultures such as the lowrider community in areas like Barrio Logan, or people I take photos of on the street. I draw from these interactions and learn a little more about myself along the way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every passion has its ups and downs. Most of the struggle for me comes from feeling uninspired or too often comparing my work with others. Coming out of those ruts however is always refreshing, and a constant reminder that there is always something to learn and to keep pushing on.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Most of my work lately consists of classic cars, lowriders, and interesting people or things I see on the street. I shoot mostly film photography, as that is what I jumped into early on into shooting and what gives me the most gratification in the end.
When I shoot things like classic cars and lowriders, I want the photo to look just as timeless as the cars in them. A lot of what I shoot I try to make it so you could believe it might’ve even been taken decades ago. I guess I’m just really into nostalgia and channeling my desire to go back in time into my images.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I give a lot of credit to my girlfriend – we’ve been together for a long time, and she’s always cheered me on and lets me take pictures of her all the time haha.
Aside from that, I’ve met a lot of talented people from Instagram whos work just keeps me wanting to challenge myself and think differently about compositions, such as Jonathan Rodriguez (@crossedoutt) and Evan McGinnis (@evanmcginnis).
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.sevondaunders.bigcartel.com
- Email: sevondaunders@gmail.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/sevondaunders
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