Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Dameshek.
Sam, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My story started with growing up as a skater / surfer kid. You’re probably thinking, what does that have to do with photography? Let me tell you. Freshman Year of high school I realized I was never going to be a pro skater so I started filming all my friends with the hopes of becoming a professional skateboard videographer. This slowly transitioned into me taking photos of my friends riding at the park which than transitioned into me shooting portraits of my friends and posting them. Somehow shooting skate photos lost its excitement and that’s when I took my new found skill set and started shooting fashion/lifestyle photos of girls at my school. It was those images that drew attention and from that point forward, photography consumed me. I always say I was in the right place at the right time; before the social space had become oversaturated with photographers. Shortly after I began sharing my work, I had some of the nation’s biggest brands asking a 15-year-old kid to shoot for them. Looking back its clear that I was put into this world to do this, everything I set out to do in my mind seemed to come to fruition at a rapid rate.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I feel like I have trouble defining what I make or create; my work is on such a broad spectrum. If we are going to dissect my work as a whole, I would say I create photographs that capture different feelings, emotions, and unique intimate moments. I wouldn’t say my photos send a message, I think my photos create a feeling within people that allows them to interpret my work in any way they like. The consistent rawness and vibe I portray seems to make people feel like they were one with the emotion of the image. My work can’t be put in a box, its everywhere. I can’t really articulate what I like to shoot, I just sorta know what I like deep down. I feel like I see people and the world differently, I’m just an alien showing the world my perspective
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I can’t speak for everyone, but I think the amount of “posers” and the amount of heavy focus on social media engagement is the biggest hurdle in the industry right now. There’s a million kids running around using a camera to try and get famous. So Many people aren’t actually driven or inspired, they just see a camera as their outlet to a lavish world. I always wonder if they truly care about their imagery… I have so much work I love but don’t share because it’s hard to not let the numbers get to your head. Instagram is such direct feedback that it’s easy to let one photo that flops in likes get you down. I know this sounds dumb, but I’ll admit that it took me maturing a lot to not let numbers slow down my drive. If you trust in yourself enough, the only thing that will begin to matter is being unique and inspired.
Contact Info:
- Email: sam@28thave.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/samdameshek
Image Credit:
In order:
Neels visser & Cindy Kimberly
madison beer
YG
bella banos
ava lane, Cindy Kimberly, Elisha herbert
julliette Perkins, Elisha Herbert
Renee herbert, elisha herbert
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
