The Postcard Box [ Meet the Photographer]

Our latest box design has been called everything from simply gorgeous to simply genius. We owe it all to our in house graphic designer Damion Roulston and the Jamaican photographer that made it so much easier by handing us a work of art to play with, Sean Murray.

We recently sat down with him to pick his brain.

How did you get started in photography?

When I was younger I always wanted a camera and after I started working, I got myself a basic point and shoot. After buying it, I didn’t do much with it until I attended a Flickr photography trip in about 2008/2009 which included well known Jamaican names in photography like Dean Clarke, Courtney Chen and Joel Finnegen. On this trip I got my first true taste of photography and from there I was hooked. From very early I realized that I had a preference for shooting landscapes and buildings which progressively became one of my passions in photography. Over time my passions grew to include photographing food, extreme sports (Rally, BMX, Surfing) and more recently weddings

Where do you get your inspiration ?

Very early on in my photographic career I would draw inspiration from work of both local and international artists and find some way to mix it into my photographic process.

Over the last 2-3 years I’ve absolutely admired and been inspired by the work of Daniel Korzhonov and Michael Shainblum to the point that they’ve become my role models. As a result I now aspire to capture Jamaica in ways that it has never been seen before with the goal invoking a strong emotional response in all who come in contact with it.

Where is your favorite location to take photographs in Jamaica ?

This is definately not an easy choice, but if I had to choose one it would be Nanny falls in Portland

How would you describe your style of photography ?

To be honest I am not sure as yet because it is constantly evolving or flipping between two different styles or intents. When capturing the image I am either aiming to capture a location like it has never been captured before or I am trying to capture the world in ways that our eyes are not able to perceive but the camera is able to. With editing my aim and hope is to push the image to its highest potential while trying to keep it looking as realistic as possible. Amidst all of this my goal is to try and achieve balance amongst all elements within the image. My work has been described by some as hyper-realistic or borderline surreal.

How do you know when you have the shot?

To be honest, I don’t. I am a perfectionist by nature, so even if I have a good shot, I will continue to experiment with different angles, distances and compositions within the location as long as the time and conditions allow. When comparing my work to my favorite photographers, I’m reminded that I have a lot of observing and experimenting to even approach that level of work.

When you go shooting, what are some of the essentials that you always have on hand ?

For landscapes my essentials are

• A Canon 6D

• Canon 16-35 2.8L ii

• A tripod

• Lens cloth

• Circular Polarizer

In a world where everyone is a photographer and digitally sharing their lens with the world , how do you stand out in the crowd ?

Well, it ties back to what I previously said. My passion and my mission is capturing Jamaica in ways never before explored or portrayed. It is my hope that through my lens I can create change through feelings of pride and patriotism.

What is the next travel destination on your bucket list ?

Outside of exploring every nook cranny of Sweet Sweet Jamaica, I MUST go to Iceland.

See more of Sean Murray's work on his website www.seanmurrayphotography.com