Interview with Leah Steiner
We recently interviewed teen photographer, Leah Steiner.
Read the interview between Kaitlyn C. and Leah Steiner
Read the interview between Kaitlyn C. and Leah Steiner
Leah: My name is Leah. I'm a teen photographer from Texas, and I've been shooting various kinds of photos for almost 4 years now. I started off with basic work like anyone else with clouds and flowers but have since gone on to do professional portrait work and gigs. I try to get as many gigs as I can to improve my work, but for the most part I try to create as many unique photos and edits as I can for fun.
Question 1: When were you first introduced to photography and how?
Leah: I first started on my iPhone 4 taking photos just for fun, but I really got started two years ago when I got my first digital camera for Christmas. Since then, I've upgraded from the Nikon Coolpix to a Canon t6, and I've been obsessed. I wouldn't say there was one specific person or event that inspired me to start, it just kind of came naturally. What has helped though is a photography class I took a few years ago in high school where we got to shoot digital photos as well as develop our own film photos. I've been really into film and digital work ever since and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!
Question 2: What type of photography do you like to do? Does your Instagram page reflect that type of photography?
Leah: Something funny about me is that I've never found one specific type of photography I've liked the most. I've always bounced around from areas like still life/portraits all the way to attempting underwater shoots and astrophotography. I would say though something I post the most of on my page are long exposure photos... typically either of still life or people. I would say that my page definitely fits my realm of photos as I post everything under the sun that I take.
Question 3: That’s very interesting! What is the definition of a “good” photo to you?
Leah: To me, defining a "good" photo is subjective. No two photographers have ever and will ever take the EXACT same photo as another. I wouldn't say I call photos "good" as much as I'd call them unique and beautiful in their own ways. With any other art form such as mixed media, you wouldn't say someone's digital art was better or "good" in comparison to a traditional drawing with coal or pencil. I see every photo as good in its own way, but I would definitely say I prefer photos with a deeper meaning behind them. Anyone can go out of their house and shoot a photo of a butterfly or flower, but if a photographer is able to connect that or has an extensive story behind taking it, I like that over photos that are just for "aesthetic" purposes. Photos that draw emotions or memories from a viewer are some of my favorites as well.
Question 4: Who are your biggest inspirations to your photography?
Leah: Some of my biggest inspirations are photographers that I follow such as @zacharyraber or @beacasso. They are able to curate feeds with original work that I can guarantee you haven't seen anywhere else. Aside from other photographers though, simple things like a song lyric or memory that I have can spiral and inspire and entire shoot or collection of images.
Question 5: What qualities do you believe a photographer needs in order to be successful?
Leah: I would say for a photographer to be successful, they have to have a belief or passion in their own work. My definition of success as a photographer comes from when I post photos in my feed not just for likes, but for the purpose of sharing with an audience no matter the size. If at the end of the day I can feel proud of the work I am putting out, and I still am able to have sparked motivation to keep shooting, I feel successful. As well as believing in yourself, its important to have persistence. Many of the photos in my feed take COUNTLESS shoots, hours, or even days to tweak and reshoot in order to get them where I want. If you can push past your own mistakes and still pursue that end goal of a perfect shot then you can be successful wherever you go. The photo world is definitely challenging and requires the ability to get back up even after you fall, no matter the challenge.
Question 6: That’s awesome! Has photography opened any career goals or job opportunities? (Do you have any career goals in the field of photography? If so, what are they?)
Leah: Good question, while I am fully passionate and certain that photography is one thing I will always keep in my life, I'm still deciding and unsure if it is something I will pursue as a career in the future. I love it with all of my heart, but with an industry as competitive as photography is, it's really hard to make a stable income. I wouldn't want that to discourage any others who want to pursue it though, I just so far plan on keeping it as a hobby that I love more than anything until I'm certain its something I could jump in and do full time. It has definitely opened doors for me thus far though. I've had a few well paying gigs this past year which have saved me from needing to get a job in something like retail/etc, but whether or not I'll keep it up in the future is in the air at the moment.
Question 7: Who has been your biggest supporter in your photography?
Leah: Ooh that's a hard one. I would say it's either a combination of both my parents, and some friends. My family has always been behind me with everything I've done and have always allowed me to take any shooting opportunities I've had. My friends as well who are into photography have always supported me and encouraged me to keep it up even on the toughest of days. Whenever I am in a creative rut or block I know I can always call up a friend to hangout with and get the creative juices flowing again.
Question 8: I heard that you were recently followed on Instagram by the photographer named Jordan Matter. What was your reaction to that?
Leah: Oh my gosh I absolutely freaked. He's been a huge inspiration for me for so long, and to have his support still blows my mind. After he followed me he sent me a really sweet DM in support and I literally messaged one of my best friends in all caps about it and we had a fangirl moment like the nerds we are haha. As someone who's followed him for so long and watched (I believe) every single one of his videos, I'm still in awe that he follows me. I hope to meet him one day, he's amazing.
Question 9: That’s really great! What is the best advice you were ever given about photography that beginner photographers should hear?
Leah: I would say there are two big things they should hear. One is pretty simple, never, ever, ever give up. Starting out feels like a breeze, but I remember days where I felt disappointed over some of my photos after seeing other more professional photos, but that just fueled my motivation to keep improving upon myself. It's good to remember that everyone starts somewhere, and if you really put in the time and effort, you'll improve in no time. Second big thing is to try to find your own sort of niche from the beginning. It's very important to develop your own sense of style in your photos that reflects a part of who you are as a photographer. With an artist, their paintings or works reflect and tell the viewer a little bit about who they are without some long biography or writing. Photography is no different
Question 10: What is the best advice you can give to teens not relating to photography?
Leah: Theres a few things I've learned over the years that have helped me get by even in the darkest of times. Something big is to find friends who really love you for who you are, not for social status or money or anything like that. Also, with social media being so prominent now, it's easy to fall into the loop of posting every moment of your life or seek validation from an amount of followers or likes. Something I continue to work on myself is to shut my phone off, don't take photos or make snapchats about my lunch with friends or take a selfie just for people to comment about it. Its important to open our eyes to the world outside of a screen, and realize that we are bigger than our follower counts. The world around is is beautiful and sometimes the best memories are those shared over a campfire or walk around the block instead of a facetime call or snapchat story. And in doing that we can find worth in ourselves instead of letting others determine it, it's a lot easier to be happy that way ❤
Question 11: Very true! Is there anything you would like to add before we conclude the interview?
Leah: Not that I can think of, I think we covered everything 😊
Kaitlyn: Awesome! Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Leah: Thank you!! Hope you have an amazing day as well! ❤😊
Leah's Instagram: @leahsteinerphotos
Question 1: When were you first introduced to photography and how?
Leah: I first started on my iPhone 4 taking photos just for fun, but I really got started two years ago when I got my first digital camera for Christmas. Since then, I've upgraded from the Nikon Coolpix to a Canon t6, and I've been obsessed. I wouldn't say there was one specific person or event that inspired me to start, it just kind of came naturally. What has helped though is a photography class I took a few years ago in high school where we got to shoot digital photos as well as develop our own film photos. I've been really into film and digital work ever since and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!
Question 2: What type of photography do you like to do? Does your Instagram page reflect that type of photography?
Leah: Something funny about me is that I've never found one specific type of photography I've liked the most. I've always bounced around from areas like still life/portraits all the way to attempting underwater shoots and astrophotography. I would say though something I post the most of on my page are long exposure photos... typically either of still life or people. I would say that my page definitely fits my realm of photos as I post everything under the sun that I take.
Question 3: That’s very interesting! What is the definition of a “good” photo to you?
Leah: To me, defining a "good" photo is subjective. No two photographers have ever and will ever take the EXACT same photo as another. I wouldn't say I call photos "good" as much as I'd call them unique and beautiful in their own ways. With any other art form such as mixed media, you wouldn't say someone's digital art was better or "good" in comparison to a traditional drawing with coal or pencil. I see every photo as good in its own way, but I would definitely say I prefer photos with a deeper meaning behind them. Anyone can go out of their house and shoot a photo of a butterfly or flower, but if a photographer is able to connect that or has an extensive story behind taking it, I like that over photos that are just for "aesthetic" purposes. Photos that draw emotions or memories from a viewer are some of my favorites as well.
Question 4: Who are your biggest inspirations to your photography?
Leah: Some of my biggest inspirations are photographers that I follow such as @zacharyraber or @beacasso. They are able to curate feeds with original work that I can guarantee you haven't seen anywhere else. Aside from other photographers though, simple things like a song lyric or memory that I have can spiral and inspire and entire shoot or collection of images.
Question 5: What qualities do you believe a photographer needs in order to be successful?
Leah: I would say for a photographer to be successful, they have to have a belief or passion in their own work. My definition of success as a photographer comes from when I post photos in my feed not just for likes, but for the purpose of sharing with an audience no matter the size. If at the end of the day I can feel proud of the work I am putting out, and I still am able to have sparked motivation to keep shooting, I feel successful. As well as believing in yourself, its important to have persistence. Many of the photos in my feed take COUNTLESS shoots, hours, or even days to tweak and reshoot in order to get them where I want. If you can push past your own mistakes and still pursue that end goal of a perfect shot then you can be successful wherever you go. The photo world is definitely challenging and requires the ability to get back up even after you fall, no matter the challenge.
Question 6: That’s awesome! Has photography opened any career goals or job opportunities? (Do you have any career goals in the field of photography? If so, what are they?)
Leah: Good question, while I am fully passionate and certain that photography is one thing I will always keep in my life, I'm still deciding and unsure if it is something I will pursue as a career in the future. I love it with all of my heart, but with an industry as competitive as photography is, it's really hard to make a stable income. I wouldn't want that to discourage any others who want to pursue it though, I just so far plan on keeping it as a hobby that I love more than anything until I'm certain its something I could jump in and do full time. It has definitely opened doors for me thus far though. I've had a few well paying gigs this past year which have saved me from needing to get a job in something like retail/etc, but whether or not I'll keep it up in the future is in the air at the moment.
Question 7: Who has been your biggest supporter in your photography?
Leah: Ooh that's a hard one. I would say it's either a combination of both my parents, and some friends. My family has always been behind me with everything I've done and have always allowed me to take any shooting opportunities I've had. My friends as well who are into photography have always supported me and encouraged me to keep it up even on the toughest of days. Whenever I am in a creative rut or block I know I can always call up a friend to hangout with and get the creative juices flowing again.
Question 8: I heard that you were recently followed on Instagram by the photographer named Jordan Matter. What was your reaction to that?
Leah: Oh my gosh I absolutely freaked. He's been a huge inspiration for me for so long, and to have his support still blows my mind. After he followed me he sent me a really sweet DM in support and I literally messaged one of my best friends in all caps about it and we had a fangirl moment like the nerds we are haha. As someone who's followed him for so long and watched (I believe) every single one of his videos, I'm still in awe that he follows me. I hope to meet him one day, he's amazing.
Question 9: That’s really great! What is the best advice you were ever given about photography that beginner photographers should hear?
Leah: I would say there are two big things they should hear. One is pretty simple, never, ever, ever give up. Starting out feels like a breeze, but I remember days where I felt disappointed over some of my photos after seeing other more professional photos, but that just fueled my motivation to keep improving upon myself. It's good to remember that everyone starts somewhere, and if you really put in the time and effort, you'll improve in no time. Second big thing is to try to find your own sort of niche from the beginning. It's very important to develop your own sense of style in your photos that reflects a part of who you are as a photographer. With an artist, their paintings or works reflect and tell the viewer a little bit about who they are without some long biography or writing. Photography is no different
Question 10: What is the best advice you can give to teens not relating to photography?
Leah: Theres a few things I've learned over the years that have helped me get by even in the darkest of times. Something big is to find friends who really love you for who you are, not for social status or money or anything like that. Also, with social media being so prominent now, it's easy to fall into the loop of posting every moment of your life or seek validation from an amount of followers or likes. Something I continue to work on myself is to shut my phone off, don't take photos or make snapchats about my lunch with friends or take a selfie just for people to comment about it. Its important to open our eyes to the world outside of a screen, and realize that we are bigger than our follower counts. The world around is is beautiful and sometimes the best memories are those shared over a campfire or walk around the block instead of a facetime call or snapchat story. And in doing that we can find worth in ourselves instead of letting others determine it, it's a lot easier to be happy that way ❤
Question 11: Very true! Is there anything you would like to add before we conclude the interview?
Leah: Not that I can think of, I think we covered everything 😊
Kaitlyn: Awesome! Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Leah: Thank you!! Hope you have an amazing day as well! ❤😊
Leah's Instagram: @leahsteinerphotos