Speaking With Sam Kolder

6/20/2016Jake Ryan

Looking through Instagram one morning I found the account of Sam Kolder. After scrolling through some of his images I was hooked, uploading stunning shots from around the world Sam has quickly turned his love of photography into his full time job. Travelling the world with his camera and friends, Sam is now working with tourism boards and brands and having the time of his life while doing so.

I recently asked Sam a few questions about his photography and future, see the full interview below.

Hey Sam, tell us a little about yourself.

Hiya! I'm Sam. I'm 20 years old and I was born and raised in Toronto Canada. I finished high school about 2 years ago and decided to take a year off to travel and do some freelance video work. I soon found myself working closely with the Chainsmokers doing alot of their social media content and travelling alongside them. Now my job requires me to travel pretty much non stop! And I couldn't be happier! :)

Anyone who’s spent any time on your Instagram account can easily see you’re a very talented photographer, have you studied photography or did you teach yourself?

Alot of people ask me if I went to college / university for film studies but I didn't. I actually applied to ryerson university for their film program but got rejected. (Which I am very thankful for now)

During my last year of high school I took an open photography course where we did a lot of work with film cameras and film processing in dark rooms. It wasn't anything new to me because I had already been studying camera functions and editing in my spare time since I was about 10 years old, but it was alot of fun and definitely helped spark some of my creativity.

What equipment do you shoot with?

Canon 5d mkiii w/magic lantern

Rokinon 14/35/85

Ronin -m camera stabilizer

Do you spend much time editing your shots?

I believe that editing is just as important as the shot itself. When shooting raw you have so much flexibility in post to mess with the colours and the vibe of the photo, and by doing so this is what allows one photographer to vastly differentiate himself from the masses.

It looks as though you’ve been on some pretty incredible adventures. What has been your favourite place to shoot?

I'd have to say Hawaii. I've had the privilege of visiting many countries this year but I can say without a doubt that Hawaii is my favourite. Everything from the landscapes to the fish in the ocean, it's all so unique and unlike anywhere else. Hawaii holds a special place in my heart.

What would be your ideal project as a photographer?

Well actually right now im travelling the world and making videos / capturing photos for different hotels and tourism boards. I'd have to say that the projects I'm working on right now are as ideal as they can get! :) On top of being able to travel and experience the world I also get complete creative freedom over my content.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I'd have to say a lot of my inspiration comes from travel. As I am constantly seeing and experiencing knew things my mind is always thinking of new ways to go about expressing what I see through visuals.

Has social media had an impact on your style?

Hmmmm interesting question... Not that I'm aware of . I feel as though my style would remain the same even if instagram or Facebook never existed.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

As of now, it looks as though I will be travelling non stop for the next year or so, creating content for different hotels, tourism boards and whatever else pops up. Really looking forward to what this year has in store! :)

Make sure you follow Sam on Instagram HERE

and check out his YouTube Channel HERE

All photos in this post belong to Sam Kolder.

Thanks Sam for taking the time to speak with TravelFoodFilm.