We were lucky to catch up with Sterling Scott recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sterling, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects that I have worked on was documenting protests and actions that was centered around George Floyd in 2020. What initially started out as documenting actions all over Los Angeles, eventually turned into a book called “I Can’t Breathe,” with my friend and creative partner Louis Carr. The year 2020 was such a unique time; especially because of the COVID pandemic. In a time where we were all supposed to be quarantined/sheltered in place at home, millions of people came out on the streets to protest the injustice happening in this country. I had only seen actions such as this from the Civil Rights Movement, so in a way, this was my own Civil Rights Movement, in which Blackness and Black life was front and center for the whole world to see; and with my camera, I was able to capture so many moments, but more importantly preserve a piece of history. This is something that drives me as a photographer, being able to tell the stories of pivotal moments in a hope to give my audience truthful and meaningful perspectives, to show the importance and that raising our voices can invoke change.

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 started out initially modeling and I truly enjoyed that and one day I thought I would be pretty good behind the camera; sharing my eye and wanting to creative things that I had envisioned. That eventually happened and… the rest is history. Growing up I’ve always wanted to tell stories, especially because I love film, so in my round about way I am able to do that. My style of photography is a bit more raw and introspective. One of my favorite photographers as well as directors is Gordon Parks, so I tend to shoot with this “real” perspective. When I shoot a model, I want my audience to see more than looks, but often wonder about who that person is; their character, their life, etc. When I photograph, I strive to get those that see my work to feel something, whether it’s my street photography, portraits or documenting. Everything and everyone has a story and I find it so important to share what that is. I’m most proud of the moments when I work with clients who haven’t always had the opportunity to be photographed often. It can be challenging, because the my first part of my job is to establish a since of trust (they may be timid or nervous). And then after their guard is let down, being able to shoot them for who they are and watching them shine, completely takes the cake for me. I feel that there is nothing more beautiful than people being themselves.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A very, very, VERY, tough lesson that I had to unlearn is not everyone is here you and be careful who you trust. When I first started out, I often felt like I had to work or “collab” with others to grow my brand and business. And in that, I learned that people will use you and keep moving.

I ended up working with someone for free and did a long session for them; thinking I would be promoted, gain other contacts, etc. But that was not the case and got burned. I gained absolutely nothing while they got a shoot and future gigs because of the photos.

When I look back on that situation, I just didn’t believe in myself enough or know my own worth; which is a must for creatives. People will use you, like they did me, if we allow them, but in order to prevent that, we must know our own worth. Know that you are good enough and you do not need anyone else but yourself to create. I should have been more vigilant in trusting others, but I definitely learned from that situation for the better.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’m most rewarded as a creative by seeing others recognize my work. And not in the recognition that one may think. Likes, favs comments are all great in all, but that’s not what I mean. When people reach out to me and feel inspired or they can relate to a story I told or get exactly what I was trying to say with my work, that is the most rewarding aspect. Those moments are often rare or few and far between, but it reassures me that the work I put out there, people truly recognize, past just what’s on the surface. It means the work that I create and the message I send reaches those I put it out to and that means I set out to do what I had planned.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sterlingscott.me/
• Instagram: @sterlingscott_ @sterling_gold_