Meet Sophie Shomaker

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sophie Shomaker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophie, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

One of the biggest parts about being creative is the fear of vulnerability. This can often lead to Creative Blocks. It can be thrilling to start a new project, but seeing it all the way through can be exhausting at times. I think it is important to understand that growing and making mistakes is not only a part of the creative process, but also just a part of being human. At times, I will constantly be second-guessing myself if I made the right decision, or if I should scrap the project and restart, which can be incredibly frustrating. Sometimes with Creative Blocks, the best course of action is to take a step back from the project altogether, or start a new one, until you feel like you can finish it through. In the end, though, it can be so fulfilling when a project finally sees fruition.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My whole life, I have always gravitated towards the creative subjects in school, including writing, art, and music. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Media from the University of Washington in 2022. When I was in college, I took a film photography course, which made me fall in love with photography and media. Though I shoot primarily digital now, film will always hold a soft spot in my heart. It is absolutely a labor of love to shoot and develop film, which makes me appreciate it so much more. Alongside photography, I also shoot video, graphic design, and do social media management. In 2023, I opened my own production company, Wideahay Productions, where I specialize in concert photography, on digital and film, music videos, and online publications with local Seattle musicians.

Music has also played a vital part in my life. In school, I played violin and a bit of piano, and I currently play bass guitar and am learning acoustic guitar and ukulele. I knew from a young age I wanted a career in something music and media-related, since those are both things that are dear to me. It feels incredibly special to be able to meet so many other creative musicians and media personnel through my work, and I hope I can continue to do so for a long time.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three important qualities that have helped immensely with my development in the industry include: the ability to multitask, planning and organization, and social skills. Multitasking is useful virtually anywhere, but I find it very helpful when shooting concerts. You not only have to be focused on what is happening on stage, but also the environment around you. Constantly having an eye on the artist on stage, while simultaneously making your way through the crowd, swapping spots in the pit with other photographers, or just scouting out the best places for shots in the venue is definitely a process that took a lot of trial and error to get down. Every time I shoot at a new venue, I am reminded of that very feeling like it is the first time all over again.

Planning and organization are important, because you need to make sure your schedule doesn’t overlap or that you don’t spread yourself too thin. I try to not overbook myself when it comes to shows, since I need to make sure I have enough down time to also be able to edit and plan future projects, on top of the ones I am currently working on. Finally, having a certain level of social skills goes a long way. Whether you are networking with artists or other media personnel, or just trying to be respectful when in a max capacity crowd at a show, being comfortable with talking with strangers is a great skill to get a good grasp on.

If I were to start all over again, I think the points I listed above would have been great to learn as early as possible. I think it is also important to give yourself grace when it comes to trying new things. Almost always, it won’t work out right away, so you have to be patient with yourself and those around you. Also, you will never know unless you shoot your shot. It might take one hundred “no’s” to finally get one “yes,” but that one “yes” will bring you that much closer to your next goal, so never give up trying.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

One of my biggest dreams is to tour with a band and be their primary photographer, so if there is a band out there that is reading this and would like to hire me, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Otherwise, I am always looking for artists to collaborate with, especially ones that are maybe doing things a little outside-of-the-box. I also don’t feel like I shoot enough on film anymore, so I am always down to do more film photoshoots!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sophieshomaker.wixsite.com/mysite
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wideahayproductions/

Image Credits

First photo (of me with my camera) shot by: @psychi.media
All others were shot by me: @wideahayproductions