Meet Sandy Whittington | Photography Professional & Small Business Owner

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

Hi Sandy, is there something you believe many others might not?
“Fake it until you make it” – I understand the logic behind this, and in some cases it is important to just push through the fear and doubt, BUT I think there’s a lot of grace and honesty in admitting, “hey, this is hard, and I’m scared.” What you’ll find is that everyone is scared and doubting themselves on some level, and being honest about it can really bring people together. It makes you feel like less of an outsider for having very real feelings.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have two creative careers. For my 9-5 job, I’m a Creative Producer for photo and video campaigns. It takes a lot of creativity, but I work within formulaic workflows and systems and I don’t often get the opportunity to really experiment and play. I got to where I am today in my professional career by showing up, doing the work, and overall being a nice person. Also, with a lot of resilience and stubbornness. It was not easy, in fact it’s a very tough industry, but I am still enjoying it after 8+ years!

My artwork is highly experimental. I don’t like making the same thing over and over. I prefer playing with different kinds of paper, playing with texture + typography + color; experimenting with mediums, paint, materials, and more. I’m most proud of my ability to combine unique elements in a new way for each new project. For me, the culmination of unique materials is the most exciting part of creating work. My personal art is colorful, bold, and extremely playful.

What have I learned along the way? Forget the rules. Use colors that clash. Use materials that aren’t recommended. Hire the photographer that has is great to work with, but maybe has a less developed portfolio. Foster relationships in creative spaces. Be vulnerable about your work. Have fun! And last but not least: we are all winging it, 100%, so don’t take yourself too seriously.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love downtown Roswell and walking along the Chatahoochee River. I also love Chatahoochee Food Works!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank my teachers through the years, my official and unofficial mentors, and my mom. Mom, thank you for your support, and thank you for questioning my decisions to pursue the creative industry – if it weren’t for you coaching me in crafting a stable, successful life, I wouldn’t have the career I have today.

Website: www.whittisandy.com

Instagram: @shop_snafu, @whittiphotos, @sandywhittington

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraleewhittington/