Featured Creative: Kyle Sipple

Posted June 8, 2015

ith a focus on outdoor photography and working to emphasize letting a shot set itself up, Salt Lake City based photographer Kyle Sipple talks to us about what it’s like to work as a freelance artist.

I know a lot of photographers who are about my age who inspire me to push myself on a daily basis.

W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
KS: I started getting into photography early in high school when a friend of mine would borrow his dad’s DSLR and we’d take it up snowboarding with us. We’d switch off taking photos of each other in the terrain park or just riding the mountain.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
KS: I know a lot of photographers who are about my age who inspire me to push myself on a daily basis. I love seeing work of people who have a lot in common with me. A lot of people see other photographers as competition, but I think there’s plenty of room for all. I strongly feel that the more people there are expressing themselves through creative outlets, it allows for a better creative environment for all of us to gain more inspiration from each other.

W: How would you describe your style?
KS: I guess I’d say that my style is “in the moment.” I like letting my subjects set themselves up naturally. I don’t like setting up a scene for a photo; I like candid shots to really illustrate how it felt in the moment.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?
KS: One of the photos is a photo I took just the other day just outside a small town in Montana called Ronan. My friends and I went on a massive road trip through Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, and Washington and I took thousands of photos. This specific photo was taken before sunrise at a stop we made after driving all night. I think the photo really shows what I try to accomplish with my photography. My friend, Zack, is in the middle of the frame and he’s taking photos of the beautiful scene that was in front of us. Right as I was taking that photo of him, a bird flew right over the pond and created an even better image.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
KS: My love for photography started because of my love for the outdoors. I wanted to display how beautiful my state is and I wanted everyone to see all the incredible things this place has to offer. Because of that, anywhere in nature is my favorite place to shoot.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
KS: I mostly use my Canon EOS 6D with a Sigma 35mm F/1.4. I use some other lenses too, but that’s my go-to.

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
KS: I have a certain way I edit photos, but as far as special techniques, I’m not sure that I have any. My style is defined by letting scenes set themselves up naturally and doing my best to capture it adequately.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
KS: As I stated earlier, a lot of people see other photographers as competition, and that can be true to an extent. Sometimes it’s hard to not compare my work to the work of others. There are really good photographers out there and maintaining complete confidence in my work can sometimes be challenging.

W: How do you see your career progressing?
KS: I’m not really pursuing my photography career in any specific direction. I’m just seeing where this all takes me and where I end up!