Interview By Rayjaun Stelly
June 14, 2018
Divine gifts can come from blessings we never see coming. Capturing such realizations can be life-changing. For proof of this, look no further than Photographer Peter Harris.
Peter Harris’ gift came in the form of his son Messiah, who was about to be brought into the world. “My journey started the day I booked a friend for a maternity shoot for me and my girlfriend at the time,” Harris said. “I paid about $60 dollars which is a good deal for this shoot.” With plans of documenting his son’s life overtime and saving money in the process, Peter Harris made one of his best investments possible. “I got on this [buy and sell app] and found a camera for about $75 dollars,” Harris said. “My brand ShotzByStoli was a complete joke at first. But once I got that camera, I took random photos of my friends and started posting them.”
Harris graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelors in Liberal Arts, but his skill set behind the lens is self-taught. “I have never taken a photography class or read any books on photography. I learned from trial and error,” Harris said. “I’ve asked a few people how to do certain things, but no one has helped me tighten my eye or perspective.”
Harris’ work is one of a kind, which explains why he’s emerging as a top photographer within the inner-city. His lens captures real and raw life - photos that tell the stories of the city’s unsung inhabitants. From the gentrification of the Central District, Metro Buses in rough neighborhoods, or streets and parks most would avoid after dark, Harris’ camera captures lifestyles that most avoid. The best part of Harris’ work is that it’s unapologetic. The meaning behind it is to make those who are uncomfortable comprehend aspects of life they’ve never experienced.
To think his idea came from a maternity shoot - and was a joke at that - reveals Harris’ gift as one he never seen coming. “I told my friend that took the maternity pictures he should just start a company called ‘ShotzByJK.’ Since he never used it, I thought I would,” Harris said. “Now here I am two years later and it’s an actual LLC in my name.”
The sky is the limit and Harris doesn’t plan on stopping ‘til he can capture everything the world has to offer. “My short-term goal is to be signed by a modeling agency. I pick up ‘GQ’ magazines and instantly get inspired to mimic the work,” Harris said. “My long-term goal is to open up a production company, where you can bring me ideas and we bring them to life.”
Peter Harris is launching a website for his brand ‘ShotzByStoli’ where you can browse and buy his work in either canvas or print within specific sizes.
To see Harris’ work now, head over to Instagram @ShotzByStoliLLC or
Twitter @ShotzByStoli.
https://www.upnup.com/living-proof/2018/6/14/living-proof-through-the-lens-w-peter-harris
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