Today we’d like to introduce you to Sanjay Patel.
Hi Sanjay, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in Queens, New York was amazing. This city has always had an appreciation for food, art, imagination and hustle. I was surrounded by culture and creativity from all walks of life. As a teen, I was intrigued by these images. What do I mean by that? When you look at art, graffiti and comics, it’s a singular image that would tell a story, draw curiosity or evoke an emotion. For some reason, I have always struggled with verbally communicating. It was easier for me to communicate ideas or my imagination through images. Fast forward, my family moved to Houston Texas. In high school, I was very interested in learning art and being creative. My parents always pushed academics, and to learn business or something in the medical field. I was not interested in this at all. I was happiest when I created something from my imagination. I drew comics of my life. Like a visual diary. All my friends were superheroes and had a special superpower. I would live within my imagination by sketching them.
Before getting ready to attend college, I started work at a hip and popular photography studio. There was a photographer there named Ferrell Phelps. His images were amazing. Everyone wanted their portrait taken by him. I would stare at his images. The photography was surreal yet authentic with his use of colors and composition. One day I was sketching one of his images. It was helping me understand how he saw the subjects from shadows, light, color. He said, “Wow, you understand what not many people see.” Most of the subjects saw a very nice portrait. I saw a person within the eyes and a story from the color’s composition and shadows. A few days after that, he asked if I was interested in learning. I said, “YES!!!” He would teach me in his free time. Ferrell taught me about 110 film, lighting, and every aspect of photography. I soaked it up. Then I started practicing with friends. Later the owner of the studio saw how I was doing and sent a group of us to have two weeks of intensive photography classes taught by a well-known photographer. I walked away with all the technical camera skills and creative skills for that particular studio and became a known photographer in Houston. Ferrell left that studio and opened his own. I felt amazing creating and capturing images. I was not growing creatively with the studio I worked at anymore, and I decided to open my own photography studio. I did it with the help of a friend named Claudia Chacon. She talked her mom into letting me use the space above her bakery. Claudia also helped me connect to the radio station she worked for. I then began photographing local celebs. My portraits were always creative with a theme. I created images for billboards and marketing. After years in the music arena, I received a call from someone that referred me to create a movie poster. I met with Pavan Grover. He was executive producer and actor in a film with Dennis Hopper. I created the poster. The film had a great run domestically and internationally.
From there, I got a call to do another movie poster. It was Cynthia Neely, who was a producer as well as the present president of WIFT. (Women in Film and Television, Houston Chapter) I worked on set and gained experience and relationships that would change my world. At that time, no one was really doing the kind of work I was doing in Houston. I started getting back to back entertainment projects. Life was changing and growing. From that project, I built a relationship with Frank Eakin. He hired me for his 1st movie project. We created the 1st ever DVD and book combo for a feature film. Later, he hired me to help on a publishing project called 12 Years a Slave. This was produced by Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company and distributed by FOX Searchlight. I was included in marketing and creative meetings at FOX Studios and made some great relationships. I mostly worked on visuals and art direction on the publishing end but was so thankful to be included in those meetings.
That changed so much of my perspective about how much physiological work goes into creating artwork with color, imagery, etc.. From then on, I have had many opportunities and built so many lasting relationships. My work has changed into more commercial work and I have had great opportunities by partnering up with an Austin production company called ProductionFor. Worked with such brands as ALCON, DrinkWorks by Keurig, USAA. The owners of ProductionFor Chris Blankenship, Clint Howell and Nelson Flores. I also owe a lot of growth to them in the commercial advertisement realm. I am just thankful for the constant support I have received from my wife Megan Patel.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a journey. The main struggle was with my parents not believing in my creativity in the beginning or that photography could be a lucrative career. My parent’s Indian culture looks down on my type of career choice, but over the years, they have tried to support me and try to understand what I do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in Key Art. Capturing multiple images and combining them into one image that tells a story or evokes intrigue. I think my constant positive persona sets me apart. I am most proud of a couple of things. -Creating the 1st childrens DVD book combo for a feature film. -My art direction and input on the 12 Years a Slave project. -Winning some awards too. The thing I am most proud of? That I stuck with my passion for photography starting from when I was in my twenties. Today I am 52 and still love what I do.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
There is so much information online. Learn and practice. Reach out to people with social media. You have access to some amazing people. Find a mentor. Learning what challenges they faced will save you years on your journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sanjaynpatel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanjaynpatel
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanjaynpatel
Image Credits
Candice Ghai (one photo of myself)
