Meet Sebron Snyder | Photographer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sebron Snyder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sebron, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My business started from a sheer drive to be a photographer. You have to know, I have had photography in my DNA as far back as my first memories. I can remember staring at a camera that sat high on top of my mother’s dresser when I had to have been 4 years old. I can remember the smell of the polaroid film you loaded into it. So, photography came before any idea I had about running a business.

I was serving in the Air Force as a Space Systems Tech when I decided to leave the service and follow this dream. I did not have much information on the industry. We are talking 1991 or so and there was no internet or access to how things were done or what was coming my way. You just had examples of “successful” photographers through published images.

So, I was incredibly isolated from just how challenging the industry was. I was blessed with innate talent, so college was not a real effective option for me. I just needed to know how to earn money doing this creative thing. So, to answer the question, it took TONS of trial and error. My process was getting as much commercial experience as I could. I became an assistant in 1992 and worked with EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER I COULD GET MY HANDS ON! I was one of the first black photo assistants in Dallas and had to face that challenge as well. So, I fought, scraped, smogged, charmed, and prayed my way into my career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Let it be known, that I am a true commercial photographer. I love what I do. I think that shows in my work. And I love it because it is true to who I am. Realize this, I had no choice in this decision. I was born a photographer and each day I embrace that reality. It’s a hard hard job and it gets harder every year. But I would not trade it for the world. In this business, there has never been a flat path. It is an uphill fight every day. I have only been able to overcome obstacles through my talent, drive, and the help of others.

There is a lot of focus put on a photographer’s style. This may be represented by a new technique or something as simple as color bias in their work. I’ve always viewed this as limiting. I’ve rooted my work in a classic approach to photography supported by good storytelling and problem-solving. Visual styles and looks can be copied and stolen. But, when you study my work, you will see an emotional style as opposed to a visual trick that has a shelf-life. I feel my work is timeless and not connected to “nowness”. That now thing will commercially get old one day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well for sure I would start at my home. I have a great sanctuary with a pool, family and a cool dog. I love to cook also. So, a fair amount of time would be spent there. I live in Plano now. So my basic outside haunts are in this area. A visit to the Legacy area would be a must. It’s a great place to people-watch and eat. For the remainder of the trip I would start in my first Dallas home, Oakcliff. All things Oakcliff are great! It is the best part of Dallas in my view! From there it would be East and South Dallas, Expo Park, Deep Ellum, Lakewood, and Greenville Ave. Notable places to visit from these areas would be 8 Bells (formerly New Amsterdam), Preservation Hall, and RL Blues Palace.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Man! That is a tough one. There are so many people that played a role in my career. Actually too many to list out. The guy at the lab that would critique my film as soon as it was dry. The photographers that would throw things at me when I screwed up on set. The makeup artist that would come to the studio on an hour’s notice to help with an impromptu fashion shoot. The clients who took the risk and hired me when I did not have much of a reputation. The RV guy that donated his time to one of my magazine shoots. Models that would patiently await my vision to manifest itself. My mom, my dad… Heck, my studio cats that kept clients busy while I worked on MAJOR issues on set. lol It is impossible to name one or a few people. I’ve benefited from so many. Naming twenty would not be fair to the other one hundred that equally deserve recognition.

Website: www.sebronsnyder.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebronsnyder/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebron/

Other: https://vimeo.com/sebronsnyder

Image Credits
Photos By: Sebron Snyder