Canon 30d

Sedrick Miles--Transforming And Bringing Images To Life

Sedrick MilesDate of Interview: March 10, 2009Being an avid photography junkie and self-proclaiming myself as an amateur photographer, I had to contact Sedrick Miles when I stumbled upon his work on behance.net. I was completely drawn in. Some of his images are so personal and intimate. Not too long ago, I was able to interview Sedrick Miles and gain insight into who he is and what photography means to him. Enjoy.

1. Hello, Sed. How's everything?

Thanks for taking the time to allow me to interview. I'm doing well. Thanks for the opportunity. I'm honored.

2. So tell me a little about yourself, how old you are, where you are from/grew up, where you reside now.

I'm 31. I was born in a village in SC called Bennettsville. I grew up between there and Anchorage, AK. After graduating from high school in SC I studied and worked in Atlanta, New York, DC, Philly, and I currently live in North Carolina.

3. Sed, do you have an artistic/photographic background? How did you first become interested in photography? Are you interested in any other art forms? Painting, illustration, deejay-ing...?

Like a lot of kids, I loved to draw growing up and I loved comics and drawing comic book characters. Art was always one of my favorite classes. I was editor of my high school paper when our advisor gave me his Canon Ae-1 for an assignment and I've been hooked ever since. It felt wonderful to finally find a way to express myself creatively.

4. As I stated in our initial email exchange, "That Hump-But| Her | Fly" and "Shoebox Diaries" were among my favorites; I could reference many more. What was the inspiration behind those images? You mentioned music influenced you in your email, but what are some of your other inspirations/influences?

"That Hump..." was inspired by the Erykah Badu song. I was out of town managing a leadership development training when I had to leave early to travel back to Philly. My wife had been in the hospital for a serious illness and had taken a bad turn. I saw the butterfly beneath the curb as I was getting in the car to take the long ride back to her. So I got a photo of it before I left. That song is also one of my wife's favorites. It motivated her through her healing process.

There is so much music that influences my work. My favorite music is from the soul and gives insight into life when you hear it. I try to make my photography have the same effect when viewed. Even more than music, I am influenced by relationships. Many of my most popular photos are portraits of great friends and family members who have shared.

5. I gotta ask, how did it feel to capture images of our President, Barack Obama, during the campaign trail? Thinking back to that moment, what kinds of emotions were you feeling? What were some of the thoughts that were running through your mind?

I know that we will never forget that day. I went to a rally in Philly a few months before, but there was over 30K people. We could barely see the stage. For the Raleigh rally we got lucky and found a decent spot. Everyone was taking pictures and very excited about supporting him. But one thing that surprised me was how many people were talking amongst each other through his speech. I also got upset when adults in front of me wouldn't let some young children (a little boy and his sister) get closer to the gate. They even said, "they should have gotten here earlier". That showed me that after the hype is over, Obama's support of a new social contract will really require all of us to expect better of each other. Especially the way we treat children. I am excited about the potential for communities to grow stronger with the help of Obama's unique ability to inspire the masses.

"What the camera does for me is like what the trumpet or drums does for a musician. It gives me a way to express myself, and to grow in expression as I grow my skills."

6. That leads to my next question. You seem to shoot varied subjects, but most seem to be of humans. How do you seek out your subjects? Do you prepare and plan your photographs or is there a type of spontaneity within your work?

Actually, there is a little bit of all of that. I find it very difficult to photograph people or subjects that I don't like or want to get to know better. I hope that I can be successful with this approach because it feels so satisfying that every photo is a growing experience. I am usually inspired by relationships and how people interact with one another. I think that we all have stories to tell, so when someone wants to tell their story to me, I pay attention and allow them to connect with the camera. I would like to get better at both imagining and setting up shots as well as spontaneous photos. I look forward to photographing more strangers, collecting more stories...

7. It seems that a lot of your images are in black and white, which personally I love. Is there a reason for this?

No, I enjoy both black and white and color photography. I began using black and white film with my first camera, so I developed an eye for textures and shapes. I am still learning the skills to take great color photos.

8. What type of equipment do you use? Software?

Right now I am using a weathered Canon 30d, but looking to upgrade soon. I like the basic 50 mm lens for a lot of my work. It forces you to learn technique. I also have a new lens that I am thoroughly enjoying, A Tamron 17-55. They are both great pieces of glass. I use Photoshop CS for editing.

9. You said you were in the midst of a career change and will become a full time photographer. What type of photography do you like best and what type of photographer do you want to become?

I enjoy the journalistic aspect of photography, that and portraits. In the future I plan to spend half of my time traveling and documenting the lives of people in different communities around the globe, and spend the other half photographing my favorite musicians, and continuing to do portrait work.

10. A quote by the late, great Gordon Parks resides on your website; "The subject matter is so much more important than the photographer." What does that quote mean to you? What is your photography philosophy?

Photography as an art and a science is very personal to me. Like a lot of people, I rely heavily on images as my way of processing the world around me, the emotions and all. What the camera does for me is like what the trumpet or drums does for a musician. It gives me a way to express myself, and to grow in expression as I grow my skills. I believe strongly in the quote, which is why I attempt to focus on subject matter that is often forgotten or deprecated by mainstream media.

"I am usually inspired by relationships and how people interact with one another."

11. 2009 is here, what kinds of plans do you have for your career? Do you have any projects in the works?

Currently I am working on a portrait project called Visual Wealth. I am creating an encyclopedia of faces in order to illustrate the spectrum of features shared between people around the globe. But I need support and votes in order to win. Your readers can visit www.tinyurl.com/sedsdream to learn more and vote for the project.

12. What other interesting tidbits would you like to share about Sedrick Miles?

Well, I'm excited about collaborations in the next few years and I am also working on a project within my creative boutique to help non-profit community groups with affordable identity consultation services. And when I have the time I continue to do media literacy workshops and leadership development trainings. If groups are looking to collaborate they can email me at click@sedrickmiles.com.