I have been a reader and a dreamer my entire life and my passion for stories, magic and the unknown fuels my creativity to this day. I’ve wanted to work in the creative industry since I was a child. First I wanted to be a fashion designer, then a freelance artist, then a digital illustrator and eventually a photographer. My interests have changed and evolved as I’ve grown up, but my creativity and passion for story telling has never wavered.
A little about me:
Now that I have your attention, I thought I’d tell you a little about me! My name is Samantha Drage (call me Sam though) and I am a photographer, writer and artist, who also happens to be Autistic. I’ve had my fair share of struggles throughout my life, most of them stemming from the fact that I live in a world that wasn’t designed for me, but I’ve never let that stop me from achieving my dreams! I was born and raised next to the very heart of England and although I sometimes find it frustrating, living in such a small country, I will never cease finding new places to explore and fuel my ideas and in my heart I know I will always be British. Although I don’t like tea, which is considered something close to blasphemy in this country!
About my work:
Throughout my life I’ve always been told that I have to pick one creative field and stick with it or else people will get confused, but I’ve always been strongly opposed to that. I can be a photographer, writer and artist all at the same time and still be diverse within those genres as well. People who are interested in my work know what they’re looking for right? After all if you’re here to enquire about doing a photoshoot with me, then you aren’t likely to get derailed wondering if you’ll find that information in the writing section.
Photography has been my main focus for many years now and even within that field I’m still told that I need to narrow my focus and pick a style of photography, but I prefer to mix my styles and techniques to create a unique look across all of my images that can fit into a number of different categories from fashion photography to fine art photography. The one thing that does stay the same throughout all my work though is the intent behind it. With my work I aim to inspire those who see it through the stories that my photos tell, as well as creating something that is visually and aesthetically pleasing.
I’ve studied many photographers and artists alike who prioritise meaning over aesthetic when they are creating their art or taking their photo, but I have always prioritised aesthetics. Whether you have a meaning behind your image or not, people will always come up with their own opinions, thoughts and stories to go with your work, regardless of what the original meaning was. Therefore, I’ve always strived to create something beautiful, eye-catching and magical so that when people look at my work and create their own ideas about it, the magical imagery will hopefully push them towards creating positive and inspiring ideas since that is what I want people to take away from my work.
I also think it’s important to remember than not everything you create has to be deep and meaningful. There is just as much value in creating beautiful photos to preserve memories or just for the sake of aesthetics and displaying your creativity.
