Sean Carr has created a photo-journalistic style by capturing the people he encounters in his travels. We asked Sean to tell us about his style, techniques, and insights into the photography industry.

W: Can you tell us how you got your start?
SC: My grandmother was an art teacher at my high school. I grew up around photography and a dark room and decided to go to film school after I graduated. From there I took a few years to figure out exactly what I wanted to do, but photography was always the one thing I would do in my free time, so I decided to make a career out of it.

W: What is your biggest inspiration?
SC: I really like Ansel Adams since we had to study him in class, but also I really enjoy the photojournalist Brent Stirton, who photographs some heavy topics. His work is top notch and really shows why photography matters. 

W: How would you describe your style?
SC: Definitely more photojournalistic. While I will pose people, I prefer to let them be natural and hang back to document the moments.

W: Tell us the story behind one of the photos we’re featuring – why did you choose that photo to send?
SC: This was a child of a street vendor in Guatemala. Guatemala is one of my favorite travel destinations. I love how it goes to show we’re all the same. Kids are kids no matter where you go. This kind of work inspires me. Traveling, meeting new people, and being able to tell a story.

W: Where are your favorite spots to shoot?
SC: The mountains…anywhere that has mountains.

W: What kind of equipment do you use?
SC: I use Nikon gear but have a few cameras I still play with. In general I’m not a gear junkie, but do enjoy top end glass. 

W: Do you have any special techniques? Do they define your style?
SC: I don’t know if I would say I have any special techniques. I’m always trying to evolve and grow as a photographer. With that said I have used some popular methods like the Brenizier method, or prisming, but tend to not overdue those.

W: What challenges have you had to overcome in this industry?
SC: It took me a long time to get a foothold in the industry. Partly because I learned that the most valuable asset you can have in business is relationships. It took me a while to figure that one out. Before I was happy taking road trips by myself and having very few people in my circle, which definitely didn’t make growing a business easy. I’ve always been a loner at heart.

W: How do you see your career progressing?
SC: I’d like to shoot wedding and lifestyle work for a while. I’ll probably evolve to the commercial side of things as time goes on because I can’t envision myself being a 55-year-old wedding photographer – if that’s even going to be a career option at that point. 

Sean is based in North Carolina.
Contact him on Instagram: seancarrphotography
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