Interview with photographer Devin Stein
Seattle based commercial photographer
I met Devin on the internet around 7 years ago, instagram specifically. To be honest, I can’t really remember how we started talking but I’m sure it we because we saw each other. We were both at the infancy of photographing cannabis, but not as photographers.
Funny thing about us is that we both went to private christian grade schools in Washington State, and we both naturally don’t conform to most things. Neither of us are religious. Both of us are fascinated by light, perspective, and art.
Last year I started interviewing peer creatives, farmers, and others in the cannabis space that interest me. This is one of many that I’m excited to share with you.
If you’d like to check out more of Devin’s work click here.
All the photos, with the exception of the portrait below, are of Devin’s work.
Double exposure captured on 35mm psychedelic blues film, by me
Could you tell us a little about your background?
I was born in Southern California and raised just outside of Seattle. Originally, I was a music nerd and wanted to go into audio engineering. After realizing I would be a glorified button pusher for pre-Madonna bands I decided to shift my focus into photography.
Anthology Oregon THCa Diamonds
How and when did you get into a relationship with cannabis?
In line with my music obsession, naturally “drugs” and “drug culture” were always common themes. I vividly remember watching interviews of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Martin (the Beatles engineer) discussing how various substances had put them into certain trances, in which, their art would pour out. It planted a seed in my mind that I logically let grow, however, I didn’t try cannabis until I was 19. I decided that I needed to at least get through high school before I started experimenting with altering my consciousness.
PNW Roots Kaya's Koffee
When and how did your journey with photography start?
When I was 12, I inherited a computer that happened to have photoshop on it. I started playing around with editing images, primarily switching heads/bodies to send to my Pops and make him laugh. Not too long after, I realized I needed/wanted my own images to create beastly photochops so I started learning photography. It wasn’t until about 10 years later that I shifted my hobby into becoming a career.
Seattle from Queen Anne
What is your primary focus with photography?
A lot of what drew me to The Beatles and George Martin’s engineering of their albums was their ability to create perception through their art. It wasn’t just music that was made and happened to make you feel something, it was music being made in order for you to feel something. I like the idea of creating perception for a viewer, and photography distills that down into a very intimate form of art that can literally show the viewer the way that the photographer sees the world.
You shoot earth diamonds as well as THC diamonds. What are some similarities and differences photographically speaking?
Perceptually, earth diamonds and THCa diamonds are very, very similar. The way that they both refract light is almost identical. Although there are raw diamonds that are set for jewelry, most earth diamonds that I shoot have been cut and faceted, so the ability to control the light that reflects off of and refracts into them can be a bit easier to control. Other than that, earth stones are obviously way more hardened than THCa stones so dropping them usually doesn't hurt them like dropping a THCa stone would.
What else do you enjoy taking photos of?
Growing up I was always into cars. They were one of my first subjects that I really fell in love with shooting. I spent a couple years doing long exposure photography underneath over passes on the freeway and some time doing the typical wedding and portrait thing. I will say, the thing I like taking photos of the least is definitely people. I like the ability to mold and maneuver things that humans are just not very conducive to!
Squareback
What’s your biggest victory?
This may come off sounding corny, but my biggest victory is successfully supporting my family as a freelance cannabis photographer. In 2018 my spouse and I made the decision to move our pup and 2yr old 100 miles away so that my spouse could focus on becoming a nurse. It took sacrifice and a ton of hard work, but we pulled through on the other side and it makes me extremely proud.
Treehawk Farms Cherry Berry Rosin
What are your biggest challenges?
Having a family is probably one of my biggest challenges, haha. It might sound bad, but as one could imagine, earning a living as a freelancer comes with a ton of curveballs. I get invited to events that I would probably goto if I didn’t have people at home waiting for me. I would have definitely taken chances on opportunities that I have passed up…but all this to say, its a challenge, not a curse. I’ve designed my life this way so that I can afford the opportunities to be there for them, so it’s a challenge I will gladly take on.
Tree Hawk Farms Gutbuster
If you could go back to 10 years ago from today, what advice would you give yourself?
KEEP THE FUCKIN BITCOIN, BRO. Seriously though. I would also tell myself to keep pushing, time + pressure = diamonds.
Washington State Ferry
Where do you see yourself as a creative photographer in 5 years?
Doing a lot more video. I don’t think the need for the type of photography that we do will be going away, but it is definitely shifting. I think that includes using aspects like 3d renders and still images to create moving imagery from. Hopefully by that time I will have hitched my trailer to some type of caravan.
What topic, any topic, makes you nerd out?
Conspiracy! I looooove a good story.
Can you share an obscure fact about that topic?
Here is one that mixes photography and conspiracy - did you know that “photoshopping” has been around almost as long as photography itself? The famous image “General Grant at City Point” is a composite of 3 different images, its not even Grant’s body in the image! The most famous image of Abraham Lincoln standing next to his desk, is actually an image of John Calhoun with Lincoln’s head superimposed…what else has been visually altered through history?!
What inspires you to continue down this path(cannabis photography)?
It’s selfish, but I really am just filling my own desires to learn as much about the cannabis plant as I possibly can, and help show it to others.
If not weed, then what?
I’ve shot fine jewelry for a few years prior to focusing on cannabis, so I’m sure I’d be shooting that still!
What do you wish people would ask you about?
Im an open book and I love to chat! I’m not sure if there are any specific things I would like someone to ask me, however, I am always down to talk about photo rights and usage. I think a lot of people just don’t understand the effort put into what we do.