Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Ehrnstein
Hi Sam , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My family is full of photographers, so my love of photography was inherited. I spent a good chunk of my childhood summers in Maine with my Grandpa Ron. He taught me how to use a 35mm camera when I was 12 or so and I fell in love. My parents were both pretty avid photographers as well. Sadly, I lost my Mom to cancer when I was young and I lost my dad to cardiac arrest in 2o22. As I’ve gotten older, I have gained such a deep appreciation and gratitude for the amount of photos I have of both of them. After I lost my dad, my world was turned upside down. I realized life is short and I didn’t want to spend it doing things I wasn’t passionate about. Prior to this, I had been taking on small photo jobs here and there but I decided to go full force and I started working day and night to get photography work and build my portfolio. When I wasn’t working, I was usually out shooting for free. Within a few months, I was able to quit my day job and work full-time as a photographer. These days I mostly focus on music, events, portraits, and working with brands for lifestyle & product content. I feel really grateful that I am able to do what I love for a living.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not the smoothest but it’s been well worth it. To be honest, the biggest struggles usually surround a fear of failure. It can be easy, especially after a few slow weeks, to feel like I’m a complete idiot for not having a more secure job. Like most self-taught folks it’s also easy for me to suffer from imposter syndrome. Luckily, I have some extremely supportive people in my life who make it easier to push through those feelings of self-doubt.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a freelance photographer. I mainly specialize in music, events, and portraits, and I also work with brands to create lifestyle and product photos. I have photographed a lot of extremely talented artists like Colbie Callait, Randy Rogers, Tanya Tucker, Mark Mcgrath, Pear, Chase Rice, and a lot more!
I play in a band (check out Housewarming on Spotify) so it just feels natural to cover concerts and festivals. I have a unique perspective and love to capture shows in a way that makes you feel like you were there.
I also love portrait sessions, whether it’s an engagement shoot or a family portrait shoot, I love capturing photos that I know people will cherish for years to come. It makes me so happy to know that my photos will bring a smile to people’s faces years down the road.
In April I had a handful of my my photos from Cattle Country Fest featured in People. That alone would have been one of my greatest photography accomplishments, but the photos were also taken with my Dad’s old camera which just meant a lot to me. It’s definitely what I am most proud of in my photography career so far!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think AI will eventually take over most product photography, but events like concerts, festivals, weddings etc. will hopefully be safe for a while!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.samehrnsteinphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samehrnsteinphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sam-Ehrnstein-Photography/61555484017428/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2rZ5pSPO0QZSFfNEmVxpF8
Image Credits
All photos of me were taken by my wife, Courtney Ehrnstein.
Sam Ehrnstein
