Life & Work with Seth Manuel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Manuel. 

Hi Seth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started about 4 years ago. I upgraded my wife’s camera and got the hand-me-down. After I got the camera, I started taking some photos here and there and really fell in love with photography. I knew from that moment on that’s what I want to do and been chasing that dream still to this day. I used to work as a heavy equipment operator for just about 10yrs and during that time I started shooting trucks at the local fairs and truck shows. Then began to shoot some cars at cars and coffee which lead to traveling to shoot clients cars. So, you can say forsake I started in automotive photography that led me into portraits. A good friend of my wife and I from Florida was the first model I got to shoot with at Daytona truck meet and from striking up a friendship led to numerous shoots with her friends all from around the country. I was still working in construction helping my father and brother anywhere from pouring concrete to foundations to building houses until a good friend of mine, I met at one of those truck events, is into making videos on YouTube and over the course of 4yrs shooting some of his vehicles and traveling to help film. Lead to him offering me a job and I have to admit it doesn’t feel like I’m working I love what I do and get the opportunity to shoot some amazing vehicles in some amazing places and just grateful to be a part of some really cool things. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been smooth defiantly a lot bumps in the road! So, my wife is a photographer as well and she’s the one always pushing me to do more and better myself. You can say there’s a healthy competition between us. But ya so like I said I quit my job running heavy equipment for 10yrs to chase my photography dream and went to work for a company by the name of FarFromStock and things just didn’t work out like I hoped they would and couldn’t see myself working there 5yrs down the road so with the support from my wife I went to work for my dad in construction but during that year helping my father I would be traveling around the country shooting vehicles in some awesome locations for National car rental. doing shoots for Pelican coolers, red wing boots. Then a good friend of mine Cody would have me help film/photograph for his YouTube page WhistlinDiesel that’s when everything started to smooth out! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It all started shooting trucks which lead to me meeting some awesome people in the truck community. I wouldn’t say I specialize in portraits as I’m always learning new trick and ways to do things but during the time, I was traveling to all the truck shows across the country. I would shoot some models with either a truck or car but then sometimes just go find a junkyard to shoot in and grab some themed portraits. I wouldn’t say I’m known for my portraits but I’m going to sound very conceded but when I shoot a model at a truck event then at the next event I would have at least 3 more shoots and they would all say they saw the photos I took at the last event and would want to shoot. What I’m most proud of is all the time I’ve put in the long hours and quick turn arounds, all the traveling, and being away from home is definitely paying off but like I said my wife is the backbone of what I do without her pushing me to try harder I wouldn’t have ended up where I’m now. 

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would have to playing cops and robbers with my sister. I would be the bad guy on a lil’ 50cc dirt bike but in my mind was a chromed-out custom Harley Davidson motorcycle and my sister would have to 2 roles she would be the store clerk in the garage and would be a cop chasing me around the yard on a 50cc four-wheeler. U would get off that little dirt bike and think I was the coolest guy in town sometimes would redo it multiple time to get it right and then proceed to go shopping in the garage and steel something and then my sister would come chase after me and we would do that for hours upon hours. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: supphotography.pixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sup.photography_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supphotographs
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI4U-oKvq2p4QhSg7S4Mfug
• Other: https://supphotography.bigcartel.com/

Image Credits
Sup Photography