Meet Trevon Chappell: Photographer

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

Hi Trevon, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
A book that I’ve read and liked was “Black Privilege” by Charlamagne Tha God. One of the chapters that stood out to me was called “it’s not the size of the pond but the hustle in the fish” which basically said how are you going to make waves in the ocean when you can’t make ripples in your own pond. That part is very important to me because my whole life of living in a small town Aliquippa PA (right outside of Pittsburgh), I always wanted to leave because I felt there was nothing there for me. However, recently when I started taking photography seriously, the support has been unreal. They all saw something in me. My clientele kept growing and my portfolio got stronger. Now, that I have moved away. people in other places are starting to notice me and my work that I’ve created back home. Moral of the story is that I will always appreciate where I am from and the people there, because without them I would not have the ability to make the waves that I am beginning to make in this world.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets me apart from others would have to be my overall engagement and creative direction during Photoshoots. I am way more than just someone who hits a button in front of a subject. On a lot off my photoshoots, not only do I take the photos but I also design sets, give thorough direction on poses, and sometimes even style the models on a look for a specific concept. Most people hire others for each role, but me, I am able to do it all. It was not easy at all to get to where I am today and I still have a long way to go. There were several times that I wanted to give up on photography because I felt like my work wasn’t good enough. But what I learned was that it takes time and consistency is key. Once I became really consistent with it, my work began to progress day by day. What I want the world to know about me and my brand is that I am more than just a photographer, I am an overall creator.

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?
Every time someone visits me I take them to Torchy’s Tacos, so fire lol. We’d also go check out Deep Ellum where they have lot of day parties, night clubs, and restaurants.

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?
I want to give a shout out to pretty much every one who has worked with me for trusting me and giving me the chance to shoot their vision. All of the bookings helped me gain more practice in photographing different things. I definitely want to shout out all of the models that have collaborated with me on all of my personal creative projects. They helped me explore my creativity with different concepts and every single one of them executed each role perfectly and I appreciate all of them for that.

Instagram: @trechappell

Twitter: @trechappell