5 Questions with Seb Charles.

My name is Sebastien (@sebcharles). I'm a self employed photographer and video producer promoting artists, athletes and adventures. I'm based in a shared office space in Ponsonby and work with some incredible brands and businesses including Les Mills, Icebreaker and AUT.

I completed my Masters in Architecture at University and worked in the construction industry as a Consultant Project Manager, before travelling overseas and then deciding to explore photography as a career.

I'm inspired by a lot of portraiture, landscape photography and more recently street photography. Street photography is a beautiful mix of excitement and learning and requires you to be fully present - it's incredibly grounding and meditative and you learn a lot about the world by watching and listening.

Q1. What made you first pick up a camera?

I was inspired by making short videos with my phone while overseas on my OE. When I came back home I bought a camera (a second hand Sony A6300). I didn't have any plans at the time but I knew that making videos was something really exciting and I enjoyed learning about it. Eventually, it grew into a love for photography too and I decided to start a business in both video production and photography.

Q2. What does success look like to you?

Personal success looks like home cooked meals from the garden with close friends and family. I've always enjoyed this idea of having a big kitchen, garden and workshop (for the cameras and equipment). It’s also living in a way that reflects my core values that I call the 3 Es: Empathy, Education and Excellence.

Professional success is freedom to be selective with the people and projects I'm working on - and being part of a larger community of people who are all passionate about learning and growing together.

Q3. What is your desert island lens?

Sony 50mm f1.2 GM lens. It performs so well. I love the versatility of the 50mm focal length for my style of shooting and it just feels incredible to hold - so I find it’s the one I’m always reaching for.

Q4. Which shoot for you stands out as most memorable?

Taking portraits of my barber. I interviewed him as part of a personal project (Masks of Men), exploring stories of men and their struggles with mental health. It totally levelled me and was incredibly humbling. They’re some of my favourite photos.

Q5. Which photographer influenced you and your style the most?

This is a cheat answer - because I draw a lot of my inspiration from outside of photography. I love reading and one of my favourite books is In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. This book explores ideas about light and everyday life and has definitely shaped the way I approach photography. It also helps me consider bigger philosophical ideas like the type of content that might better sustain us over a period of time - as opposed to something that just excites us or steals our attention for the moment.

You can find more on Instagram @sebcharles