We recently connected with Samantha LaFlamme and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve known that I wanted to work in some type of creative field since I was quite young – I was always inspired by stories of other professional artists and was fascinated with movies, music and books. I loved watching behind the scenes videos of how films were made, interviews with authors, and tour documentaries of my favorite artists. I grew up loving these stories and in turn wanted to be a part of creating them, in whatever way I could. While I’ve briefly considered other career fields in the past, this passion for the arts has always stuck with me and remained a constant in my life despite whatever else may be going on. I remember my parents getting me my first digital camera when I was a kid, and wanting to try to document everything that felt important to me at the time. My parents will vividly recall me coming home from Warped Tour as a teenager and announcing that I wanted to get involved with the music industry somehow, because I had fallen in love with live music. I got my very first job just so I could start buying concert tickets, and from there I just ran with the inspiration I got from music, and combined it with my love of film and photography as an adult. While I’ve since expanded on this and currently spend a lot of time now working in the sports documentary world, I’m excited to see where this journey continues to take me, and always remain connected to my passion for creating memorable concert photos and music videos.

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

I am a photographer by nature and a videographer by career choice, but I ultimately love both because they allow me to share authentic stories. I’ve always had a fascination with movies and photography, so I followed my passion and studied filmmaking in college at Rowan University. After completing my program, I began working with NFL Films in Media Management, and have spent the past two seasons as part of a team that brings incredible sports documentaries to life. When I’m not in the office, I spend my time doing freelance work with both photography and videography in music. I love going to shows of all sizes and documenting my experiences; I’m a photographer with Next Wave Magazine and will spend most of my weekends at concerts. If I’m not doing either one of those, I’m probably on set making a short film or music video with a talented team of other creatives. While I’ve produced and directed a handful of films, I prefer specializing in the visual side of things, and enjoy working in production design. I love exploring characters and their background in this way, and use the opportunity to give them life and make them feel authentic to the audience. My motivation behind all of what I do is to create some type of real connection between the screen and the viewer. Whether the story is true or fictional, I can almost always be found working on bringing a tale to life.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a creative that works with other independent artists, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist myself is watching a collective vision come to life, as cliche as it may sound. There’s something incredibly special when you are able to successfully bring your ideas into reality – whether it’s making a documentary film or creating a new world from scratch. As an example, some of my favorite moments in my career so far have been on set, working alongside musicians to create a visual narrative that reflects the stories of their songs. Being together with a team of other talented and dedicated people to bring their ideas to life gives me a sense of fulfillment that few other things have so far, in all honesty. I will always be grateful for those I get to collaborate on these projects with and whose stories and songs I get to be a part of telling. For me there is something magical in seeing everyone do their part to make something larger than all of us come to life in the finished product.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate goal with my creative journey is to share authentic stories and connect with other people through my art, and the work I get to create with others. I’ve always been most inspired to take action in my own life by art, and chose filmmaking as my main medium of choice because at its core, it helps people understand different perspectives. You can live an entirely different experience through the eye of a lens – whether its a documentary, comedy, horror, or dramatic piece. It is my hope that I can continue to spend my life creating and sharing important stories with the world, and on a larger scale as time goes on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://samlafphotos.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samlafphotos/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-laflamme-44322223b

Image Credits
Kickback Films Samantha LaFlamme