Conversations with Scott Colby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Colby.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started as a photographer while riding BMX, I always knew I wanted to be a photographer but that solidified it. I went back to college in MN for a year for graphic design but dropped out after a year to focus on photography. After a few years of just shooting for fun and with friends I became great friends with the guys over at Abstract Denver and Dave(the owner) Introduced me to his wife Circe, who took me under her wing as a wedding photographer. She taught me so much and after a while I slowly grew my knowledge and started traveling out of the country and before I knew it, I was shooting for Colorado biz magazine and at the same time I was hired to follow a group of motorcyclists from the north of Vietnam to the South. So long story short.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s never been a “smooth road” .  I’ve lived on my own since I was 14. I worked three jobs while going to high school and lived in my car for a bit after college. I’ve had to work a lot of hard labor jobs that may have taken up too much of my time instead of focusing on photography but I had to do it to get by in my 20’s. I took the hard road to learning photography too. Being self-taught I would read anything I could get my hands on about photographers and what they used and their inspirations.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a photographer and have been working in Denver over 10 years now. I’ve traveled all over the world for my work from Nepal to Iceland, South America and all over the US. I Focus on Commercial Portraits and landscapes. Working with professionals and making them comfortable in front of the lens has its unique challenges and one thing that sets me apart is finding ways to make them a lot more comfortable. I find a lot of joy in that alongside taking the actual shots. It’s hard to say what I’m most proud of as far as my work goes, having a solo show at Trve Brewery is definitely one of them though. Showing my work from Iceland was a big turning point for me in my career. It gave me the confidence I needed to take the next step. I am also proud of the work I’ve done for Cobiz magazine with their “faces” and “Woman to watch” series. They have taught me so much and I’m forever grateful!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
“Steal like an artist” is a great book for any artist to read, Peter Mckinnon has a great YouTube Chanel. Nature has and will always be the best way to help me in my work. It clears my mind and I find I get the best inspiration just taking a walk. My top three inspirations have been Robert Capa, Man Ray, and Imogen Cunningham. I’m constantly inspired by artist in Denver like Jeremy Pape and Armando Geneyro their work keeps me pushing to never stop learning.

Contact Info:

• Email: Hello@scottcolbyphotography.com
• Website: www.Scphoto.me
• Instagram: @scott_colby85

Image Credits
Scott Colby