Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Kniskern.
Hi Samantha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to North Carolina in the summer of 2017 only knowing one person, with just the belongings I could fit in my Kia Forte and my dog. I just got off of active duty and was trying to start the next “chapter” of my life. It was a bit of a transitional period out of the military: I wasn’t active duty but was still active reserves (drilling monthly with deployment possibilities) and was going to school using my GI Bill. It felt very swimming-in-the-shallow-end of the civilian world. I was 24 and had zero idea what I was going to do for the rest of my life, so I tried everything: I worked at Sheetz, I became a pharmacy technician and tried retail and hospital pharmacy, I groomed dogs, worked at John Deere, taught line dance lessons, bartended, and worked the door at local small music venues. One thing that stayed consistent through every job change was how much I enjoyed music and seeing a live show. Working the door at one of the live music spots in Greenville, NC put me in direct contact with a lot of the local musicians. I knew I needed to find a way for me to creatively support the scene. I vividly remember telling my best friend this was something I think could be really good at and really enjoy and her response was “I have a camera you can borrow.” She lent me her old Nikon D3100 from college with a kit lens that I started bringing to that local live music bar with me on the weekends – that was in 2021. I was working 3 jobs to pay my bills and was going to every live show, whether it was acoustic or full band, and frying my eyes with the amount of youtube videos I was watching to learn how to utilize my gear, my settings, and my editing to get the look I wanted. Fast forward to the end of 2023 I lost my full time job and gave myself 2 months to find an opportunity that allowed me to do photography and videography full time. Two months later, Josh Potter from 1413 Visuals messaged me on instagram looking for a second shooter for his growing production business and thought (thankfully) that I would be a good fit. How my life has changed since then is hard for me to comprehend sometimes, but as I write this I am a full time tour photographer in an amazing camp.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been even close to a smooth road. This isn’t an industry that pays a lot at the ground level and there’s a laundry list of struggles that come with working jobs to cover the bills while you spend every waking hour of free time teaching yourself a new skill and it doesn’t help that the local gigs here all start at 10pm, even during the week. You’re scraping pennies to upgrade your gear to the next best camera or lens you can get second hand. You do thousands of hours of free work in a scene that turns their back when its time to start charging for it. Not getting stuck in the quicksand that is the toxic local scene can be a struggle in itself. And, don’t even get me started on being a woman in the music industry – it doesn’t matter what aspect of it you fall into, there are so many struggles that only apply to us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the tour photographer/videographer for the band American Aquarium. I also work with local musicians in the Eastern North Carolina area doing album shoots, song promo and visuals, show coverage, music videos, etc. And, I help out at 1413 Visuals second shooting corporate projects, live streams, etc. I’d say I’m known for having an “edgy” and filmic style with my photos and videos. And probably for drinking a lot of coffee (lol).
Currently I am most proud of sticking with it. Following these dreams isn’t easy, there is a lot of no’s and failures and a lot of being broke, to be honest.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The resources I lean on most are my friends. I have a small, STRONG, amazingly encouraging circle of friends. They listen to me complain, cheer for every small win, take care of my dogs while I’m out of town, give me grace for being away, and hold me accountable.
I also have a really great mentor. Josh (Potter) has been truly instrumental in my growth as a creative. He is the type of person who is looking for ways to share his vast knowledge. And he’s always encouraged me to shoot for the stars in this industry. He lends me gear, lends an ear, and gives great advice.
Lastly, I have a lot of friendships and peers on social media that have helped over these years. I’ve mentioned the local scene being a bit toxic, but social media makes it so easy to grow beyond your immediate music scene. The community is vast and wants to support you, you just have to let it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.samanthawithacamera.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samantha.with.a.camera/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551623922249
