Evan Schwanke

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+Visions preview

Via Yashica GSN 35mm

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I love going through old shoots and finding photos i either overlooked, or looked and disregarded. Did this set of shots back in the fall and just ordered some large prints from it and came across this shot. I have been compiling a collection of shots to put together that all have this overgrained b&w feel to them. Some of these may also appear in my photo book i am putting together.

Shot this with my old nikon d700 and a 20mm 1.8 

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The drive to create.

I hear a lot of talks about photography and the purpose. Some people do it as a creative escape, other find it a source of income. Both serve their purpose and both have their places amongst its followers. These days anyone can go pick up a camera and with the correct marketing, become a business. I have found myself falling between the two lines amongst times. To tell you the truth, before i even knew how to take a good photo, i had ambitions to be a thriving business. With the passing of time, i have formed my beliefs and my love for the hobby into a straight path to my life’s utility. I do not consider my camera my money maker anymore. I consider my camera the same way a painter would consider his paintbrush. It is a means to express the vision in my head. He does it with paint and a brush. I do it with glass and a camera. Being so business driven really makes you lose sight of what your initial thoughts, love, and goals are. Once you stray off that path, it is very hard to figure out how to get back on track. Taking a step back and realizing in my life that i had forgot how to do something for myself, i soon knew something had to be fixed. 

The name Anchor Creative stands for many things in my life and my belief system. For one, anchor is my strong hold, my sight of myself and my goals. For second, it is my family. Family is the strongest anchor we have in our lives. I love my family and they support me in ever step i take. Creative stands for my drive to make my visions a reality. Creativity and that drive to create is that part of you that makes you want to be adventurous and explore. It means doing something you love and doing it for yourself. This is the theory and meaning behind my name. 

I know many successful photographers that constantly struggle with trying to rediscover themselves because they have gotten so caught up in the business aspect of the game. They lose their drive and their spark for the craft they once loved. Some people call it quits and other still press on for the source of income. 

I have stepped away from the game of being a business and stepped into the realm of shooting as an outlet. I am currently organizing and shooting for a series of books i will be publishing. Just simple photo books. They will all share the same belief and style. I want them to be an art piece of my vision and also a story. Each book will have a theme and consist of images and stories from the shooting process. Think of if someone published a book out of a giant blog post. They will have behind the scenes shots, set ups, stories, gear, and most important the final product from the shoots.

One of my first book is being title “visions” (this may change with time). This book will be a series of images with different masks in different situations. I am excited to keep shooting and keep thinking of new ideas to add.