Interview with Sean Armenta

We are excited to have photographer and retouch artist, Sean Armenta here with us! Sean has been an inspiration to so many people over the course of his current and evolving career. You may see more of Sean’s work at: http://www.seanarmenta.com/

Sean, good to have you with us! To start, tell us a brief overview about you and how you ‘found’ photography.

Thank you so much for having me! I originally hail from Vancouver, BC but I’ve lived most of my life in Los Angeles. I spent my early childhood in Manila, Philippines, where I first discovered photography through my mom. Photography was her hobby and she taught me the basics of using a manual 35mm camera. Interestingly enough, she eventually gave it up, and her Nikon F2 and Nikkor and Vivitar lenses went to me, which I then proceeded to shoot until the advance lever broke. I never got it repaired and since lost track of where the gear went which is quite unfortunate. I regret not having a part of my mom and her contribution to what I have become still with me as a remembrance.

What did you do before photography and how supportive are your friends and family now that you’ve found it?

I come from a culture that doesn’t view the arts as a viable career path. Art is seen as a hobby, something you do in your spare time. From very early on, I showed a propensity for the sciences along with a strong artistic inclination. I think my mom definitely geared me towards becoming a doctor, because of the financial stability the medical field offered. I remember wanting to attend Parsons out of high school, but my mom wasn’t having it. I got accepted to UCI as a Bio major, but since I was a Canadian citizen, we would have to pay foreign student fees which we couldn’t afford. The only solution was to attend college in the Philippines, where the standard of living was much lower. I was living comfortably off $200 a month, and tuition was a fraction of what it cost here. While in school, a friend suggested I become a model, being that 6’ is quite tall for a Filipino. I enjoyed a successful career as a model for a few years, traveling around Southeast Asia. That brought me into the Fashion Industry, and more importantly, introduced me to fashion photography. I had been based in Manila for 6 years now, and at the end of 1999 my mom passed away unexpectedly. Without anyone left to guide me or tell me what to do, I was at a major crossroads in my life - should I continue with my studies or turn around and do something I have always wanted to do? I packed up my bags, moved back to Los Angeles, pursued photography full time and haven’t looked back since.
To this day, I still have relatives and friends ask me if I’m still doing “that photography thing” or when I’m going to get a “real” job. The culture is changing, however. In fact one of my cousins is looking to pursue a career in photography and I was recently approached by an old time friend about the same thing.

How long have you been in the industry and what do you primarily enjoy shooting?

I have been a working photographer for almost 8 years now, and my true passion lies in shooting beauty. This is not to say I don’t like to shoot anything else - I love shooting for the sake of shooting. The only thing I don’t like is shooting product.

Who are your biggest influences and what about them inspires you?

A lot of my photographic influences come from the classic fashion photographers - Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin, Patrick Demarchelier, Francesco Scavullo, Helmut Newton, Man Ray, and Irving Penn to name a few. You can literally take anything they’ve shot whether it be 30 years ago or 70 years ago and it would still be relevant in any modern fashion magazine. That is what is so amazing about their work. It is timeless, iconic, and relevant. That is the same quality that I strive for in my own work.

If someone asked you what the most important part about being succesful is, what would you tell them?

Success for me means living the life you love to live. It has nothing to do with money, a huge house, expensive cars, or any of that. I don’t need those things to measure my success. Being able to wake up each morning knowing that I love what I do and I just happen to get paid to do what I love is a feeling that no amount of material wealth can provide. I get to work with immensely talented and dynamic people who are the best at what they do. I get to photograph some of the most beautiful people in the world, and I have a job that never feels like work. There’s not too many people that can say that. In fact, most people complain about their job and their life. I would hate to live that way.

When you shoot, do you currently work with a full crew? If so, who does it consist of and what are their roles?

99% of the time I shoot with a team. The members of the team will depend on what we are shooting that day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a commercial job or a test shoot. I feel it is necessary to have a crew working with you if you want to produce a certain level of work. At the very minimum, I prefer to have a makeup artist, hair stylist, and an assistant on set. If you watch the behind the scenes footage of my shoots you can see how many people are involved in producing these images. Ideally, I try to have a digital tech, a 1st and 2nd assistant, makeup artist, hairstylist, fashion stylist, and manicurist on set. Often times the artists will have their assistants present as well. So you can see how quickly the studio fills up, but it is that very atmosphere of creative energy flowing from everyone that contributes greatly towards the success of the photoshoot.

Do you have a personal preference when it comes to equipment and name brands? What do you primarily work with for your camera and lighting gear?

I don’t think I have much of a preference when it comes to equipment really. I use what works, regardless of what brand it is. I shoot with Canon bodies because I like the images that come off it better than Nikon. I prefer shooting with Phase One cameras and backs for the same reason. I use Speedotrons primarily for lighting because it’s a proven studio workhorse that also happens to be affordable to purchase and repair since it is a domestic brand. Would I like to have Profoto or Broncolor gear? Sure, but I certainly don’t need it to produce great images. I’ve used everything from Home Depot clip lamps to Alien Bees to Profoto to produce the images you see in my portfolio. Your work should not be defined by the equipment you use.

Do you have any words of advice for people who have the passion for the industry but are just starting out?

I get asked this question so often and the answer never changes. Save your money. Don’t spend unnecessarily because you will need that savings to fall back on when nothing is coming in for weeks or even months. There is a funny saying within the photographic community that goes, “you have to be rich first before you can become a photographer.” There is a lot of truth to that statement.
The only other thing is to be genuinely nice to everyone you come across or work with. No one wants to work with a jerk, and you never know who will be on set.

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in the industry and how did you recover from it?

I think the biggest mistake I have made is not marketing myself enough and getting comfortable with where I was at. Talent is really not enough in this industry - it only gets your foot in the door. You have to put in the work daily; reaching out to new clients and putting your work out there. You need to be able to survive through the ups and downs of the economy and the only way to do that is to do the legwork. Now I make a conscious effort to at least reach out to one or two people everyday and it’s paying off.

Tell us about your best experience and biggest achievement to date and what (or they) meant to you.

I honestly can’t say what my biggest achievement is or my best experience is. I don’t know if I’m there yet where I can point one thing out. I just take things as they come and keep trying to push forward. Each experience thus far has just been a continuing learning experience for me; each is unique and definitely memorable. I try to treat all my clients the same way regardless if it’s a small business or a multi-million dollar corporation. Each shoot is an opportunity to outdo the last one.

What are your current short term and long term goals?

I would have to say just reaching out to more clients and expanding my network would be my main focus right now. I just want to get my work out there as much as possible and get my work in front of the right people. I am fortunate enough to have had some really great projects come my way that makes me push myself creatively. In the long run I would love to have a photo rep and shoot the big beauty and fashion campaigns, shoot the big editorials, you know, who wouldn’t?

Could you tell us a little about your venture, Prep to Post, and what it entails? Do you also have any upcoming events planned?

I started Prep To Post Photography Workshops through my own experience when I was starting out my career. I didn’t have the luxury of attending a real photography school such as Academy of Art or Brooks, so I learned through trial and error. I always wanted to learn from photographers who were doing the work I wanted to be doing. The workshops I attended that featured fairly renowned photographers however, were sales-based presentations on how you need to use this particular brand of lighting in order to produce this kind of work, which we all know is not the case. Granted, certain modifiers with a specific light output will be hard to duplicate, but it shouldn’t be the answer to producing great work. Then there are the workshops that are put on by photographers who have gained online fame and have never shot a real job and/or don’t really work in the industry I was in. I wanted to present a workshop that gave real-world solutions by sharing my own experience working in the beauty and fashion industry full time. The equipment, software, and techniques I share are the same ones I use on a daily basis and they are proven to work in a practical sense, not just in theory. I also wanted to present it in a non-technical manner that anyone can understand without having to be scientific engineer.
I chose a format that photographers could relate to by showing the process from start to finish, or Prep To Post, meaning prep work to post production and everything in between, including conceptualizing, gathering resources, assembling a team, shooting and retouching. I do separate workshops that concentrate on different types of photography, for example I have one for shooting beauty, one for shooting fashion, and one upcoming workshop for how to shoot a 10-12 page fashion editorial. These need to be approached differently as each is unique, although the core concepts remain intact.
The Editorial Fashion Photography Workshop is scheduled for March 21-22 in Laguna Beach, California. This is going to be a hands-on event where the attendees will be able to fully experience what it takes to put a 10-12 page fashion story together. Blu Wedding Magazine, formerly YWD, is in partnership with me and will be providing insight on what magazines look for in photographers. This is going to be the best workshop yet, and the venue is absolutely beautiful. For more info you can go to http://www.wedblu.com/seanarmenta or to http://preptopost.com

When you aren’t shooting, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time?

Spare time? Is there such a thing? Kidding aside, photography isn’t just something I do. It’s not a job that I can just clock in and out of. It has really become who I am as a person, or rather, it is something I was all along and I just recently discovered that. It is very much a part of my personal identity as ethnicity or gender would be. When I’m not shooting, I’m thinking about shooting. I view the world around me as if my own eyes were cameras. I’m constantly composing shots in my head; it’s a non-stop process for me. I am in a perpetual state of learning, especially with retouching. Recently I have gotten heavily into video, which means a whole new world of learning hardware and software has entered the mix. It’s such a fascinating time to be an artist right now with what technology has given us. That’s one of the greatest things about being an artist - everything is so connected to your creativity. I love to cook, and even when I do that I have to pay attention to the presentation of the dish. I want it to be aesthetically pleasing. When I play tennis, I am conscious that my movements and strokes should be as perfect as possible. I’m not just out there trying to hit the ball back. When I watch movies, I can’t help but notice the lighting or framing of the scene, or even it’s overall art direction. Other than that, I guess I like to do what everyone normally does - spend time with loved ones, go out with friends, relax at home with my dogs and cats…and shoot them.