Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Sampson.
Christian, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up in very small-town Indiana surrounded by cornfields where raising cows and living small-town life was more important than anything related to the arts. I always knew I was different than everyone else, for many reasons but I digress. I moved to Chicago only a year ago.
I remember when I got that yellow, blue, and red, plastic artist desk for kids when I was little. It was literally the best gift I ever received and it was the start of my love for art. I didn’t start photography until high school where I was in the county fair, submitting a poster of terrible cell phone quality images of flowers that I had taken around my parent’s house. I remember thinking to myself, “Hm… I could get into this.” After that I started taking pictures of my little sister and THAT is where I found my passion: photographing people. I have traveled around the globe meeting and photographing so many different people and it is the most rewarding thing to show people that you can do anything and make your dreams come true.
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 am a photographer. Specifically, I photograph people. Portraiture, lifestyle commercial, and love is what I specialize in. I love photographing people because I love the vast emotions you can pull out of a person through a photograph. I initially wanted to go to school for Psychology and Counseling because I’m fascinated with human emotions and body language. But I wanted to stay in the arts so doing photography allowed me to have both. The biggest message is to be yourself. Dr. Suess said, “Be yourself because everyone else is already taken.”
I hope people see authenticity in my photographs. Whether it’s a surreal concept or a couple in love, if it was from a dream or a moment in reality, I want people to see authenticity in my photographs. You should know that behind every photograph I take, my heart goes into it. Each picture has a purpose and a story.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I think artists today are too hard on themselves. In our day and age of social media, I feel like we are creating art for others approval, and if we don’t this it’s “good enough” we don’t share it. That shouldn’t be the case at all; we should create art for us- to impress ourselves.
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?
My art is primarily on social media and electronic. I’ve had a couple exhibitions but besides that, my work is online!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6039 Craner Avenue
Apt. 206
North Hollywood, CA 91606 - Website: christianxsampson.com
- Phone: 3127718435
- Email: christianxsampson@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/christianxsampson
- Facebook: facebook.com/christianxsampson
Image Credit:
Sheila Arcuri, Mari Trancoso, Seth Broadstreet, John Philp Thompson III, Sydney Comerford, Patrick Comerford, Courtney Lindsey, Tori Brindis, Cazz Brindis, Kinsey Wolanski.
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