Meet Claire Sabin | Photographer & Graphic Designer

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

Hi Claire, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting my own business was never something I thought I was capable of, I thought that it was only for people who had something to fall back on. And then, during the pandemic, I realized that all of my free time could be turned into something constructive. It was during this time that I began taking my hobbies more seriously and started to actually educate myself on what it would take to live the life I wanted. I started off taking photos of people I knew while I was working at a restaurant in Long Beach, and connecting with other photographers. During a conversation with a friend about how to get out of the “hobby” stage, I realized the best way to get where you want to be is by learning from others. I started assisting photographers that were already working for themselves, working for free when I wasn’t at work to learn everything I possibly could. The more I learned, and the more comfortable I got with my skills, and how to navigate the world of freelancing, the easier it got to make it a reality.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets my art apart from others is that I try to mix what the subject portrays along with my own personality. And a lot of times, for me, that means creating something that looks almost like what I call a “dark fantasy”. I want to create images and designs that you just can’t stop looking at. I got to where I am today professionally through hard work and getting out of my comfort zone. I am completely self-taught, so it has been a lot of working out of my comfort zone. None of it was easy, honestly, especially trying to start a business for myself while working a full-time job. I don’t think I’ve yet completely “overcome” these challenges, just learned how to manage them better. I’ve found the easiest way to work through a challenge is to face it head-on, and give yourself the grace to not be perfect every time. Along the way I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect to be successful, I just have to keep trying and learn from any and everything. Putting yourself out there is the first step to getting to where you want to be, the rest will just fall into place. I would really love for people to know that I came from nothing, and got to where I am today completely on a dream. I started my adult life by going to college for 4 years studying biology! And after realizing my true passion, I dropped out and started to live a more inspired life doing everything I could to learn how to make my dream of being an artist a reality. And I still have so much further to go. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll be growing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a real scenario for me, as my best friend does live out of state! I would definitely take anyone visiting the area to the beautiful beaches, and we’d have to get some of LA’s best food. I’d start the day off by showing her one of my favorite places in LA, the grove! The farmers market in the grove has some of the best food, and its charming to just walk around and have so many choices, and the shopping area is beautiful as well. From there, I’d probably spend the second half of the day at the getty which has some of the best art in the world, and beautiful gardens. Plus, you get a great scenic overlook of the city. I would then try to catch a sunset at one of my favorite beaches in Malibu, El Matador Beach. And for dinner, I’d go to Koreatown for one of my favorite things, Korean BBQ! And to finish it up, the best place to go for drinks is definitely West Hollywood. It’s the best place to bar-hop and have a good night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are absolutely people who I’d like to acknowledge in my growth! In my opinion, it’s rare that someone can become successful without the help of others. I think the first person I’d like to acknowledge would be the photographer Nas Nixx (@nasnixx). She was the first photographer to allow me to assist her on a professional photoshoot. The very first shoot I worked on taught me so much about how the flow of a shoot should go, setting up lighting, working with a team, and more. She answered any questions I had and helped me to feel more confident in doing it on my own. The next person I’d like to acknowledge would be the photographer Juliet Wolf (@julietwolf). She was the second person to allow me to assist her on a photo shoot, and the first shoot we worked on together allowed me to learn about film management on set, as well as working with higher-profile talent. She also trusted my vision for graphic design and allowed me to create mixed media graphics of her photos from the shoot that were then featured in Notion magazine. With both of these photographers, I worked with them several more times, and each time I learned another skill that helped me to become more successful in my own rite. Finally, I’d like to acknowledge my partner, Ellis, who has always been in my corner and has been MY assistant on shoots when I need it. Without this support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Website: https://www.clairesabin.com/

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