We’re so pumped about our conversation with Sammy Saladino. Sammy is a Photographer and is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work that we do, sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this. Check out our conversation with Sammy below.
Hi Sammy, thank you so much for sitting down with us again. For folks who might have missed our initial interview, can you start by briefly introducing yourself?
My name is Sammy Saladino. I am a photographer that has been published in numerous magazines and featured all around the world in art exhibits.
What is your biggest goal for 2023?
I consider myself an outdoors person. I really love the beauty of nature and love going on long hikes. I find myself being more free from life’s stresses and at one with myself. I also tend to find myself inspired and more creative when I am amongst God’s creations. I am at a stage in my life where I am a little bit more financially free to do more of the things that I love. So I would say my biggest goal this year is to do some traveling discover hiking trails that I have never been on before and hopefully capture some amazing things through my lens along the way.
What project(s) are you currently working on?
I feel as if I have some great things going on to start this year off with. I have completely revamped my website and have opened up my own mercy store. Right now it is small but I am hoping to continue to grow the store slowly throughout the year. I have some opportunities coming up with some small business to do some headshots for them.. This is a great opportunity for me as not only could it potentially help me grow, but also help these small businesses grow as well. It is such a satisfying feeling being able to help out small businesses when the opportunity arises.
As an artist what is the biggest challenge that gets in your way from achieving your goals?
As an artist I believe my biggest challenges that I face is myself. Mental health play’s a big part in my everyday life. I suffer from ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and Anxiety. Some days can be a challenge for me. I can be up, down, nervous, scared, left, right and anywhere in between. I can be motivated one minute and unmotivated the next. I think that one thing that people don’t realize when it comes to mental health and the ones that are serious enough to keep it under control is that medications are not the complete answer. They do help disguise the issues, but it takes a lot of issues on my part to help keep the problems from affecting my everyday life. Things like medication, journaling, and exercising are also important to the process. However, when life gets in the way a lot times those important aspects get pushed to the side.
I do try and take my mental health seriously and from my experience most creative people have the same issues. If there is one thing that I hope your readers take from this; the struggle is real. If you know anybody that suffers from mental health issues be patient with them. Listen to them when they tell you that they need to talk to somebody. I have seen way too many young people end their lives because they felt like they had nobody to talk to.
As a photographer do you believe that photography is a skill or a talent?
I think that it is both. There is both a technical aspect to photography and a creative. In order to become a skilled photographer who have to really know and understand how your camera works. There are different settings for different subjects that you are shooting. For instant if you are shooting a waterfall you are going to need to understand how to use your shutter speeds to capture that waterfall the way that you want to. I have always felt that if you know how to frame a shot then you have the talent to become a better photographer. So having the eye for what it is that you are shooting is where the talent comes in. I think shooting the same subject from different angles and viewpoints for the perfect shot is all talent based. Experimenting with different lenses to capture a unique shoot is also a talent. At the same time knowing what lens to use in different situations could also be considered a skill. So I believe that you can make the argument that photography is both a skill and a talent.
Alright, so before we go, how can our readers connect with you to learn more and show support?
Website: Photographybysammy.com Facebook: m.facebook.com/photographybysammy
Instagram: @sammyjr_artist
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sammysaladino
Contact Info:
- Website: Photographybysammy.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/photographybysammy/
- Linkedin: Sammysaladino
- Twitter: Sammyjr_artist
