Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steven Griffin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Steven, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Like many families, mine was far from picture-perfect (pun intended). However, I was incredibly fortunate that my parents also doubled as my biggest fans. During my rebellious youth, I fell into the wrong crowd and ended up going through a lot of growing pains. I was getting speeding tickets, possession charges, and even found myself expelled at one point. While I’m sure my parents had their doubts, they still stood by me and celebrated the things I was passionate about. Even when I had my own doubts about my future, their belief in my abilities helped give me the confidence to follow my heart and carve out my own path.

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?

Absolutely. The first time I ever picked up a camera was to shoot footage of my friends skateboarding back in high school. I guess one day I decided to switch the camera mode from ‘Video’ to ‘Photo’ and well, the rest is history. I specifically remember capturing this one photo of my friend doing a kickflip down some stairs and, boom. Just like that, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve always gravitated towards photographing people and these days portrait/commercial work is the core of my business. Photography is highly subjective, but I believe what separates the “goods” from the “greats” is the amount of care and attention put into the work. I may not be the most talented, but I always pour all of myself into everything I do. It can be exhausting, but I honestly can’t imagine it any other way. It’s just how I’m wired.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I truly believe that your reputation is everything. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that almost all of my work comes from referrals these days. Some say good work is it’s own best advertisement, and there’s truth in that, but in my experience it’s the creatives behind the work that people rally behind. I’m still committed to creating the best work possible, but I believe it’s my passion and excitement for what I do that resonates with people and keeps new clients rolling in.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As a photographer, it’s easy to forget that thousands of my photos are just out there in the world, existing in ways I’ll never see. Many of these photos take on lives of their own, and it’s not uncommon for them to take on meanings far beyond their original intent. What once seemed like a simple portrait might one day become the most cherished photo a family has left of their loved one. I’ve seen it happen time and time again, and I’ve even experienced this, myself (B&W portrait is of my late father). I often joke that all I do is press a button for a living, but witnessing the lasting impact of my photos has reminded me just how meaningful this work really is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.griffinimagery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griffinimagery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriffinImageryLLC

Image Credits

Steven Griffin/Griffin Imagery, LLC