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

Devin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am a self taught photographer mostly through trial and error and youtube university, I started my photography career with out of date equipment and I feel like this forced me to really learn the ins and outs of the Art. Not being able to rely on fancy equipment and Technology teaches you how to strengthen your technique and also prepares you for any situation in photography. One skill that was essential to learn for me in photography was lighting. Knowing how to use lighting to your advantage whether it’s natural or studio is very important in photography. Lighting can make the difference of what story is being told through your photo as well as determine if the photo is going to be good or bad. Looking back I wish I would have known that photography was offered through my high school. This would have given me a foundation for when i started my creative/ professional career. The biggest obstacle that hindered the learning process for me was myself . I had to learn to move myself out the way not letting comparison and doubt stop me from seeking to improve and learn new skills within my craft.

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?

My name is Devin Lane, I am a photographer from Greensboro North Carolina . Photography has been my passion for a few years now. Along with photography I run a small business called The One Of One Art Shop. We create handmade canvas art featuring originals of my own and custom/commision orders for my customers. My inspiration for photography comes from the world around us. My goal is to shine a light on the beauty of the small details that we may overlook in the busyness of our day to day lives. I also aim to bring confidence to people who feel shy or as if they are non photogenic. We are all individually created as a masterpiece from God and should love ourselves enough to embrace it without fear. My photography business is under the name Shot Of positivity and I offer branding and portrait services. The mission for my canvas business One of One Art shop is to bring one of a kind art into the spaces of one of a kind people. Each of our canvases is a 1of 1 original making it unique to the customer. We want our customer to feel as if the canvas they purchased was made for them and speaks to them as a individual. Art is all about self expression and we want our products to represent that. Why buy something that you know multiple people have it in their homes when you can have something that speaks to you and your personality. Our canvases are handmade so that the customer feels it was specially made for them and not just printed off by a machine. We use a special adhesive paint to make our products which creates a texture across the photo, making the customer feel as if they could be in the moment of the photo.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I had to unlearn in order to prosper in my creative culture is the “Team no sleep/always grinding” Culture. This concept is everywhere we look from tv/ movies, music and social media. It was vital for me to learn the importance of rest. I began to notice myself feeling that I wasn’t doing enough or feeling as if i were behind so i tried to force myself into these categories. I was trying to box myself into the always grinding mindset. While this may seem effective on a instagram post, it’s really just a one way ticket to burnout. It was through rest and taking time to heal my mind, body and soul that some of my best creative ideas have been born. We have to look at ourselves like a cup of water, if we are always pouring out and never taking time to refill what we will have to offer in the long run?

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

The most rewarding part about being an artist / creative is at the end of the day there really are no rules. Art is the playground for self expression. While every medium has different skills and guidelines that help you grow in that specific area , we still have the freedom to create whatever we want. There is no right or wrong when it comes to art, people will have their thoughts and opinions but that does not have to stop you from expressing yourself creatively . It’s amazing to me that although there are many other photographers out there each one has their own unique style. We can all take a picture of the same moment or place but still make it special to our perspective . Art is empowering because it gives us the opportunity to learn about ourselves and the people around us .

Contact Info:

• Website: 1of1artshop.com
• Instagram: @1of1artshop/ @shotofpositivity_

Image Credits
Image Credits – Devin Lane