We were lucky to catch up with Shawn Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shawn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Well, I have always had a passion for photography. I really love art and especially visual arts. I dabble around with painting and drawing; I think photography is a combination of both you get to start with a blank canvas and make it whatever you want. I really got inspired because I had a very very good friend who is like a brother. They also love photography. He passed away a week before the pandemic started we were friends for over 14 years. And it’s like every time I go out on shoots. I carry the memory with him like he’s right there shooting with me. So my biggest inspiration for getting into photography was really to continue his legacy photographing beautiful things. So I never really got into this for the entrepreneurship of it all or with the aspiration to make money; it was all about passion and the desire to learn a new craft, and make people happy through photography, as well as honoring my friend.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into the industry because I’ve always had a passion for visual arts, as well as the death of my friend. I’m the most proud of my development in such a short amount of time. I’ve been at it for about almost 3 years now, and I had to learn the fundamentals on my own. But yet and still, I have been able to produce some wonderful works; I have a completed slot of shoots and I’m very proud of; I have even been able to persuade some inspiring models to really go all in on modeling, and they are presently working with photographers now building their brand. I have done a lot of studio shoots in those make me feel the proudest to see the finished product.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of my earlier shoots I did of a family for Christmas. The day was just all wrong. My lighting was bad and it appeared that my camera lens was equally bad and also I forgot that I was using the wrong lens. Needless to say the final product was not up to expectations. At that moment I wanted to quit however, talking to my friends and looking at my past works. I knew that this wasn’t a solid representation of what I could produce so I got back out there and I continue to do my photography. Do more shoots. I didn’t let this one shoot bother me because I’ve had some really really good shoots although it was very embarrassing. I did get past it but it’s a reminder for me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect I can say is looking at the finalize product. When I paint, sometimes I don’t know if all these geometric shapes are going to actually come to go to make a beautiful picture. When I Paint, I usually paint in abstract expressionism style I am a big fan of Jean Michel Basquiat anyway, I love the final lysed product because sometimes I’m in disbelief that I actually produce this and I love it even more when my clients see themselves and are just in awe about the work that they help produce as well. Photography is a partnership deal. Sure, I have to deliver, the finalized product use my skill set to understand what type of lighting to use, etc. however I rely solely on the subject to produce good smiles and better represent themselves with poses in their fashion sense the settings, etc. I get a big kick out of proving people wrong who love to say, I can’t take good pictures, I’m too big, I haven’t done this in years, etc.; I’ve heard all the excuses (with levity).. however it is very rewarding to see the expression upon their face when they see the final work; that is a representation of a job, well done, and that is something that I feel is more than the financial reward you would receive from the job.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alexpluszanderphoto.com
• Instagram: @alexplus

Image Credits
Drew Meyer Jabari Hollman