We were lucky to catch up with Savannah Carroll recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Savannah, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Growing up I was involved in theater and dance. In doing so, I gained knowledge on how bodies move and storytelling through location, costuming and body language. I first became interested in photography in eighth grade through a summer camp, then a darkroom class my freshman year which slowly snowballed to where I am today. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would’ve stayed true to me and what I love to do. In. my own experience, I grew up wanting to become an artist, but somewhere along the line I gave up on that dream. It wasn’t because I lost my motivation or my love for art, it was trying to figure out how I wanted to produce these ideas I had in mind. Photography stuck with me it made sense. The best part about working with photography is no day looks the same, you have to be flexible.

Savannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I first started taking photography seriously my Junior year of high school when I met a senior photographer who asked me to model for a photoshoot. I fell in love with working on shoots, and was asked to assist on a larger scale shoot with around twenty models. As my love for photography grew, I asked the photographer for an internship. While working in the internship I learned how to pose and style the clients, while also learning how to maintain a business as an entrepreneur. The internship taught me the fundamental rules of taking portraits, which later on I was able to experiment with based on my prior knowledge. I started my photography business the summer of 2021 and have continued it since. Currently I am a sophomore attending Ringling College of Art and Design for photography, while also working with the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative in their Syllabus of Color initiative program. The program provides after school classes, for middle and high school students, specializing in promoting artistic, academic, cultural, and personal growth. During my first year attending Ringling, I realized my desire to produce more meaningful work instead of commercial. As an artist my goal is to be able to produce pieces that truly resonate with the viewer and myself. Through each photograph I take, I display the model the way I see them in their most beautiful form, but life isn’t always beautiful. I would like my art to move into a direction that displays a more raw and authentic look into the people around me.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was in high school there was a lot of pressure to go to a highly ranked state university. My high school counselor was against the idea of going to art school which only intensified my desire to succeed more. Through that experience I developed a mind set of “seeing how far I can go”. I began to make my own opportunities and reaching out to people on my own instead of waiting for the opportunities to come to me. I’m excited to see how far my determination, connections, and education can take me

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think a lot of people don’t understand that to be an artist there is not direct path to guaranteed success. Artists make their own path and opportunities. However, that’s what I love about being an artist, you have the freedom to decide. As artists we have the ability to decide where we want to go with our journey and how we get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://savannahcarroll.portfoliobox.net/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthroughmyeye3/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D