We recently connected with Gabriel Spangler and have shared our conversation below.

Gabriel , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve been obsessed with movies my whole life. I grew up in the late 80’s/early 90’s and had access to the old VHS camcorders. My parents had one and my good friend’s parents had one. So we’d rally the other neighborhood kids and shoot short films, everything from skit style comedy to Horror flicks. We had no idea what we were doing, just figuring it out along the way. I learned framing, composition, and lighting, just by having fun with my friends. I took a similar approach when I rekindled my love of photography in 2011. I took my camera out and shot as much as I could, learning the exposure triangle, or how depth of field affects the image, all the stuff those old VHS cameras didn’t really have. I’m completely self taught, and nearly everything I learned was from trial and error, and shooting, a lot.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always loved photography, both motion and stills. In 2011 I bought my first real camera, not counting the disposable film cameras and VHS camcorders from my youth, a Canon T3i DSLR. I was happy to be able to shoot both short films and stills with it. Over the next few years I focused on motion work, shooting music videos, mini docs and short narratives. Around 2016 I shifted focus towards stills photography, mainly candid everyday captures, what most would call “street photography”. I connected with shooting the otherwise mundane, someone waiting for the bus, or walking to the market. After a few years of honing my craft I began having shows, selling prints of my work, and began shooting portraits, weddings, events. All with a “street photography”influence. I truly love environmental portraiture, taking a walk on a sunny day and finding the right light and shadow combination, then blending my subject into the frame. It’s all borrowed from my candid work, building an interesting scene around the subject. Don’t want to just take great photo of someone, I want them to take part in a great photograph.

In 2025 my focus remains with stills photography. My personal work, my art, is primarily analog now, shooting on film has its own feel, more soulful with its imperfections. I’ve been processing at home and this year I will be offering limited edition hand prints from my darkroom. Full analog workflow. I’m a huge advocate for keeping film alive. I offer options for my client work, to go all analog or add a few rolls of film in addition to the digital captures. I approach client work as an artist first, I love experimenting with vintage lens mounted to my digital camera, or expired film, things to set their photos and their experiences apart from others. I also shoot weddings, with an artistic and journalistic style, using the environment for the posed photos while emphasizing the candid moments. I have travelled to Europe on multiple occasions and all over the States for work and I’m always available for it. Have Camera Will Travel.

I’m constantly trying to improve, take better, more interesting, more dynamic photos. I want to make better art than I’ve made before. I post a lot on social media, I think it’s an ever evolving portfolio, and it can be a great place for feedback and engagement with other artists, and art lovers. I offer specific prints for purchase but have always offered my instagram as a place to order a print “off menu.”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think being inside an artist or creative person’s mind is a bit like an experimental jazz album, it’s all over the place, chaotic, but beautiful in parts. Sometimes, that inspiration, that urge to create, happens when it happens. Writing poetry at 2am, sure. Not wanting to write poetry at 4pm, or for week, absolutely. All while thinking about nothing but your poetry. My mind is constantly going, I’m thinking about short story ideas, my next shoot, my next print, thinking about playing in a band again, writing songs. All of which can go blank when I sit down with my laptop, or my camera. It can be difficult to just “turn it on” sometimes, and I think that’s what “Non Creatives” don’t always realize. It’s understandable, they’re wired different. Like most creatives, I draw inspiration from everything from Music, to a hike in the woods. I have Spotify playlist that I draw inspiration from, certain songs just unlock something in my brain. I look at Hopper’s “Nighthawks” painting and I immediately reach for a camera.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

Like most things I got to the NFT party late, everyone kept sending me articles about a photographer who sold an NFT for thousands of dollars. The direct route was through Twitter, so I finally joined and built up my account. just in time for the bubble to burst. So needless to say I did not become wealthy from it. It was and still is an interesting way to present, and collect art. No physical media, No prints or canvases, everything displayed on screen. Like most things there were some bad characters involved, but for the most part it was fun chatting with like minded people all over the world in Spaces. That was really the best part. Because of NFT’s and Twitter I met up with a fellow photographer in France, another In LA, and every April everyone comes to NYC for a convention. I made a lot of real world friends from that online experience. That’s my biggest take away from my experience with NFT’s

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gabrielspangler.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriel_spangler/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrielSpangler
• Other: Gabriel Spangler (@gabrielspangler.bsky.social)

  link to my photo book
  https://www.sunburypress.com/collections/all-books/products/shadow-lands?variant=41049495076957