Meet Cole Chappell: Freelance Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cole Chappell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cole, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
“Jack of all trades, master of none”, as the saying goes, is not quite advice but rather a figure of speech that I tend to stray away from, in life and in photography. Going back to childhood, my parents always preached the importance of well-roundedness and I am thankful for my introduction to another common phrase at a young age, variety is the spice of life. For example, they strongly ‘encouraged’ mandatory piano lessons, participation in as many sports as possible, and friendships with people spanning all ages and races. As a result, I believe a great foundation was built in me to support a variety of career paths and interests as well as relationships that helped me view the world from unique perspectives. Which brings me back to one of my main goals in photography and life in general, seeing the world through a different lens. I also strive to expand my portfolio by varying the genres of photography i’m focusing on so I would definitely say, in that sense, i’m more of a generalist than a specialist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I first started dabbling with landscape photography about 7 years ago while I was contracting with the railroad and traveling across the country, in many cases to very remote areas, relishing the moments I could sneak away with my phone and take a quick nature shot. Sometimes segments of raw, untouched wilderness can essentially compose a shot for you but good timing never hurts as well as a little bit of luck. Nowadays, however, it’s harder and harder for any photographer or artist to stand out and present a unique perspective so coming up with new challenges and ways to push outside my comfort level is extremely important in creating a business selling art. While i’m certainly still learning many things about building a client base and self-promotion, maintaining an original style is one constant theme with my photography and I feel helps to set me apart. Capturing a simple landscape with a surreal mood and freezing that moment in time is absolutely the most exciting time for me as a photographer. In my experience, the biggest challenge is to then determine where your creative tastes align with a given client and expand on that mutual interest.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well let’s first consider this friend was coming to visit Atlanta post-pandemic, and let’s all hope that time comes sooner rather than later. I’ve come to realize after moving here a few years ago that Atlanta really is a great city to live or visit. Whether it’s delicious food you are after, good music, or scenic hikes to hit up, the ATL has something for everyone. Personally, I am a big soccer guy having played most of my life, so I would definitely recommend going to see Atlanta United play at the new Mercedes-Benz stadium. The venue is state of the art with cheap refreshments, not a bad seat in the house and the team is super fun to watch. Atlanta also attracts some of the best global music and is the clear leader in the Southeast for music venues and festivals. Ravine in midtown is an outstanding venue for the electronically-inclined and groove-minded patrons as well as The Music Room in Edgewood. For more of an ‘underground’ experience, I would certainly invite a friend to come see my buddy and I jam out some Slow/Audio tracks in his basement. As for food, there are so many great restaurants here that it’s difficult to pick one but I would definitely say Buford Hwy has some of my favorite ethnic locations – Mamak, Woo Nam Jeong stone bowl house and Taco Veloz just to name a few.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents, brothers and extended family as they all played huge roles in making me the person I am today. Success is often difficult to measure, especially for me, as I believe income and social status don’t factor in to the equation as much as happiness and the relationships you build. Also, I began a business in photography selling prints not to become rich or famous but to make a career out of a hobby that I love. As I had previously read, and now know firsthand, it is certainly one of the more difficult areas to make consistent money in photography. My dad used to tell me before school each day the two most important traits in life are perseverance and concentration and that certainly rings true in the photography grind. The challenge of scouting a location to shoot, getting up early for morning light and braving the elements of nature is what initially sparked the joy of landscape photography within me. To have a framed print of my photography on someone’s wall or a photo book on a friend or family member’s coffee table is just the cherry on top. A love and appreciation for nature began very early for me and several years ago my older brother came up with the brilliant idea of starting an annual trip to visit different national parks – next stop Zion! This is obviously a great way to add to my landscape portfolio and see parts of our beautiful country I may have never seen otherwise. I would be remiss to leave out my girlfriend as she has been there every step of the way with support, not to mention my favorite model to shoot. Finally, I would like to personally thank my cousin Abigail Ducote, who designed my website, sold me my first camera and referred me to ShoutoutATL. She is incredibly talented and I would encourage anybody reading this to check out her work on her website via her interview in ShoutoutATL.

Website: https://www.jessecolemanphoto.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessecolemanphoto/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-chappell-6247145b/
Other: https://soundcloud.com/user-654357363