HAPPY MEMBER MONDAY!

THIS WEEK WE INTERVIEWED ONE OF OUR AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHERS

S A M M I

B R Y A N T

Tell me about yourself?

“For 21 years I have always lived in a Orange County, Specifically Tustin, CA. I am currently a student at Irvine Valley College, about to finish my associates in Art then hopefully move on to Long Beach University to Major in Art Photography (fingers crossed I get in). I am born on January 20th, which means I am a Aquarius. I don’t really pay much attention to Zodiac signs but I do think I relate to Aquarius’s characteristics. I love animals, I love to animal/house sit for people and have 2 dogs and a cat but I tend to like cats more because I am so Introverted.”

— Sammi

How did you get into photography?

“I had always been so interested in photography but never had the resources to learn about it. In middle school I would take my mom’s point and shoot camera and go to my friends house put a big sheet over her garage and make weird random outfits out of their clothes and take a bunch of pictures for Instagram. I edited all of them on pic monkey (tragic). I wanted to know more and when I went into high school I wanted to take a class but they got rid of the whole photography department the year I came. I invested all my money in my first camera and then started taking photos of my friends for fun not knowing anything about the technical side of it. I eventually took my first photo class in college and studied as many books and resources I could online.”

— Sammi

How did you find out about TGS?

“I found out about TGS through Instagram and Facebook actually. I saw Alex post on a Facebook page called Build and Bloom and then checked out TGS’s Instagram. I was so shy at the time too scared to put myself out there I just followed the page then a couple weeks later I saw that they had posted about joining the collective and I sent in an application, last summer in 2017.”

— Sammi

Why did you join TGS?

“I joined because it felt like a safe place to create. I loved the values that the collective had and knew that they had the creatives in mind at all times moving forward with their brand. I loved the opportunities they gave to everyone to get our careers started in photography and modeling.”

— Sammi

Where do you get your inspiration?

“Location’s are the #1 thing that inspires me because I love nature. I also think I get my inspiration thru other art forms, I love watching movie’s and looking through old magazines to help the creative process.”

— Sammi

model: Jenny Markham (@jennymarkhamphoto)

Most interesting story revolving around photography?

“Something always happens on shoot’s like I’ll miss my exit while driving but one of the worst was when I was photographing a senior portrait session and a bird decided to poop all over my head and shoulders. Luckily the person I was photographing was a friend so we laughed about it and tried to get the poop out of my hair.”

— Sammi

What is your favorite way to get out of a creative rut?

“I’ll usually try to stay off the internet, I know that people will look at Instagram or Pinterest but I try not to because I notice i’ll just try to copy what other’s are doing. I try to do other forms of art like painting and water coloring or go out for a walk and see the beauty of the world!”

— Sammi

Do you have other creative friends you like to meet up and brainstorm with?

“I usually brainstorm idea’s with the team that I would be working with or I brainstorm by myself.”

— Sammi

Random stuff about you?

“I did cheer leading for 13 years from the age of 4 till I was 18, give or take a few years cause I stopped but, it was my whole life and it was hard to find something that I wanted to do after high school. Before photography I actually wanted to do nursing until I took my brother to the hospital one night and almost fainted watching while my brother got a shot, kinda knew it wasn’t my calling. I am obsessed with Disneyland, I live about 15 minutes from there so I go 3-5 times a month.”

— Sammi