Art & Life with Sean Toles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Toles.

Sean, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My interest in photography started around junior high I think. I remember while doing homework, I’d pay more attention to the photos in the textbooks than the text and thinking how incredible it was the photographer was able to capture that moment. I loved going through the National Geographic’s my dad had and looking at the beautiful photos the photographers did. Amazing stuff!

It wasn’t until high school that I finally got to try out my eye at photography. I joined the photography class and had a wonderful teacher. She taught us the history as well as the tech side to photography. We would roll our film and develop our own photos — no DSLR at this time. I was hooked! I didn’t have my own camera, so my dad gave me my grandpa’s old canon, and I fell in love with it.

In college, I continued my education in photography. I found that I really enjoyed all types of photography but really enjoy portrait and landscape the most. While in college I changed gears and focused on architecture and architectural drafting. With my crazy busy schedule, my photography took a backseat. After Graduating I began an 8-year career in Architecture. Photography was always present in the back on my mind. It was definitely something I missed doing.

After the eight years in Architecture, I decided it was time to shift gears back into something I was passionate about. Architecture and Design had lost its flare. So back to Photography. But o wow how it had changed! DSLR and memory cards. No film and chemicals. But the digital word is awesome, and I quickly updated my knowledge to this new photography word. So here I am today doing something I love and excited about.

Photography is definitely a huge passion of mine. It’s as beautiful an art as any. The creativity, the collaboration with others, the understanding of your camera to get “that” photo, and the knowledge that with the click of the shutter I was able to capture an emotion, a story, and a small place in history has always amazed me. Life is beautiful, and I enjoy being able to share my vision through my photography.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My main photography style is portrait and landscape. I really enjoy the collaboration and creativity that comes with portrait photography — specifically Fashion, Art, and Fitness. I love hearing about other backgrounds, their stories and talents, and being able to work together to achieve something beautiful.

Being the outdoors person that I am, I also enjoy landscape photography. It’s wonderful to be able to capture nature and its beauty. To go back and look at photos and share your adventures. The earth is full of beauty that needs to be shared.

I hope to inspire others to never give up on something they are passionate about. It’s your life and although it doesn’t always go as planned as long as you still have a passion for something you love you can get through all kinds of ups and downs life throws at you. Always have something that makes you feel good inside and makes you smile. That’s what passion is after all.

I really like to tell a story with my photography. I think there’s something magical about looking at a photo and having your mind take you away into the photo. To feel like you’re part of what’s going on in the photo whether the story is mine or the viewers.

What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
I don’t really think the role of the artist has changed — just the way we deliver our art. I think people look for artists to help escape from events or to capture them. That’s what artist have done for centuries and will continue to do in the future.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Most of my work you’ll find on my personal website, Instagram and a handful of other photography websites. People can support my work by checking out my portfolio, sharing my work with friends and family, collaborations and contacting me for your photography needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://luminousphotos.weebly.com
• Phone: 4807409655
• Email: luminousphotoaz@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luminous_photos
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/luminous_photos
• Other: https://www.eyeem.com/u/luminousphotos

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.