Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin O’Brien.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up around the film industry and from a young age was involved in productions of various kinds. While I started in front of the camera, I found myself more intrigued by the magic of what happens behind the camera the older I got. How a camera can tell a story just as well if not better than an actor began to fascinate me. By the time I was in high school I was fiddling around with cameras a bit and in college decided to take a few photography courses and play in the dark room. This is where my love for photography really began to take off. My interest and passion for photography began to mix with an education in light, technique, and composition.
I love that I learned on film before shooting digital and I believe this truly shaped me as a photographer. Without getting overly technical I feel that I learned to see light and know how to use it so much better than I would have if I first learned on digital. While I have made the jump to digital now, I still shoot a fair amount of film just to keep it in my veins. It helps me to be more selective in what I shoot and to really think about the shots I take, even when shooting digital.
My love of cameras serendipitously met my love of people when a friend asked me to photography his wedding. I had previously been dappling in city scapes, street photography, etc. but after shooting live subjects I was hooked. While I had never shot a wedding before and was terrified initially, it went exceptionally well and I got a lot of referral work and suddenly I had a business. That was 11 years ago and I now shoot everything from Weddings to artists portraits (musicians, actors, painters etc.) etc. I love telling people’s story’s and making them comfortable enough in front of a camera to forget I’m there and be themselves. I also enjoy an arty portrait.
I moved to Chicago from LA 3 years ago and this city has stolen my heart. I know everyone thinks I’m crazy for trading LA for Chicago (although I still shoot in LA a lot – and worldwide), but I love the architecture, history, community, backdrops, and pulse of this city so much more. Yes, there is winter, but I’m weird and I kind of love winter. I am married to my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without her, we have two freaking cute kids (yes, I am biased, but also – it’s true) and I am lucky enough to get to spend a fair amount of time hanging out with them. #lifeisgood
Please tell us about your art.
I love to frame people creatively. Meaning I love to show people for who they are, I want you to feel their essence or the situation, but I love to find creative compositions to surround it. I love to use light and space to direct the viewers’ attention. While I shoot a range of different types of portraits, events etc. I try to keep my approach and style consistent throughout.
I feel like with any art there is always an evolution in style and technique and there are periods of time in which you are focused more on technique while you are mastering something new, and then periods of play and exploration. I try to push myself to try at least one new thing every time I shoot, even if it is a total fail, and this allows me to try new techniques and play at the same time.
I think any artist hopes that someone seeing their work experiences something or feels something when they see a piece of artwork. One of my greatest joys in shooting people, weddings, events, etc. is knowing I can provide them a memory, a moment in time that I was able to capture for them and hopefully it will bring them back to that moment and they can relive those memories.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Digital media is fantastic and constantly evolving and has provided a lot of opportunities. However, I think the greatest challenge artists face is being able to create something that will last or be remembered. Seems like something can be double tapped and forgotten by the time the next photo appears in a feed.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can check out my galleries on my website: www.AOBrienPhotography.com and my Instagram tends to be updated the most frequently 😉 @aobrienphotography.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.AOBrienPhotography.com
- Email: austin@aobrienphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aobrienphotography/
Image Credit:
A. O’Brien Photography
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