We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Sykes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Robert thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

My passion is street photography. This Summer I will be having my first gallery, featuring photographs I have made in New York City. I hope this gallery can be like a launching pad to future shows. So what do I hope my legacy will be? I hope one day to be remembered as one of the great street photographers. I hope to be remembered as someone who captured the essence of a city, and the people that live in it.

Robert, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into professional photography by chance. Initially, I was primarily photographing specialty coffee related things, as a hobby. In particular, I enjoyed photographing baristas pouring latte art. Eventually, Max Gonzalez, owner of Amaya Coffee and Catalina Coffee, offered my the opportunity to provide photography for his businesses’ social media. I like to say, this moment was the catalyst for my professional photography career. Now, about four years later, my main source of income with photography is providing photographs for company’s social media/website. In some cases, I even manage their social media all together. What sets me apart from most photographers is my approach. My style of photography is candid/documentary. I go into businesses and events like a fly on the wall, looking to capture story-telling moments. I feel this approach highlights what makes a place special, and gives viewers a true sense of the vibe in a particular place. Whenever speaking with potential clients, I like to emphasize my objective is to tell the story of their space. Nothing posed. Authentic storytelling only.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Currently, I do have a particular goal. As mentioned earlier, I will be working on my first gallery this Summer. It would be awesome to use this opportunity as a launching pad to future galleries, featuring street photography from the cities I visit and explore. This year I will be traveling quite a bit. Most notably, London and Tokyo are on the list. To do galleries highlighting these cities would be mission accomplished!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

All of my business is word of mouth. I don’t do any marketing. My hope is that my work can speak for itself. I believe if it is good, people will come.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laymanrob.com
• Instagram: @layman_rob
• Twitter: @layman_rob