My name is San Herman López, a.k.a. Sanzei. I’m a Puerto Rican American photographer currently living in Snoqualmie, Washington. I have been a lifelong artist from grade school and throughout. While working towards my B.A. of Media Arts and Animation, I solidified a meditative comfort within photography, painting, and writing. Since then, these crafts have been a constant tool that has allowed me to grow, learn, and adapt as an artist.

“Follow me on Instagram @sanzeiphotography.” 🙏

THE BEGINNING…
My first art, and photography influence; my parents. They both planted the artistic seeds that allowed two of my three brothers and me to endure within the arts.

Around the age of 8, my mother handed me a 35-mm film camera. I was immediately driven to explore the subjects around me, I began to pay close attention to light, shadows, and how they affected our surroundings. My creativity flourished further as I began shooting from unusual angles and perspectives. The process intrigued me, it felt important and most of all it was satisfying. One day while playing with the 35mm camera my beautiful mother began to pose for me. Her amazing smile and confident stances slowly became silly and absurd. We both began to laugh, it was lovely. In my pre-teen years, she often asks me to take pictures of her, I always looked forward to those days. These are some of my fondest memories of my mom, memories that will always influence my photography and art. I miss her… I hope she knows how instrumental she was in who I am today.

Then

As a lifelong artist, I have always kept photography on my mind. In the 90’s I would ride around the city with my art school friends capturing moments with my Canon Rebel X. This was my first Canon SLR and with it, I learned the basics while taking courses in photography. Although fun and interesting shooting film was difficult for me to maintain. You see, for an art student that only ate tomato sandwiches and ramen noodles for dinner, 35-mm film was a bit too expensive to buy and develop.😞 I felt I had to put the camera down until I was in a better financial space. Now that I think about it, I’m sure I still have undeveloped rolls around here somewhere. When digital cameras came around I was again intrigued, no cost on film? That’s Great Right! 👍Yes, but by then I was all in on the art and graphic design world. So it again became more of a hobby. Family and friends always supported my photography sometimes buying me gear, even if I didn’t need it.😉But, it let me know that they all saw what I felt a true passion for the craft of photography.

Throughout the years I continued to treat photography mostly as a hobby. Until I met someone who not only believed in me but went ahead and booked a show for me. “But I can’t”, I said. I was very aware that I was an introvert and dealing with people and discussing my art had always been somewhat difficult. But, she believed in me so I tentatively said okay. In 2015, I decided to make photography a priority, not just another thing I did on the side on occasion. So forward I went, all of the techniques and methods I have developed within the arts, I now implemented into my photography. And for anyone that says photography is not art… Just like any other form of art, photography requires thought, perception, vision, repetition, technique, and most of all time. I understand the amount of work needed to master a craft. Going out to shoot a brilliant landscape is only part of the experience for me. For this reason, post-processing is the final defining stamp in which I can truly make it my own. I believe anyone can take a snapshot, but what I strive for is photographic artistry.

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams

Now

At the moment Landscape Photography is my main focus but I enjoy other forms of photography like Street, Wildlife & Portrait. In South Florida, I am somewhat limited to beaches so I’m forced to work under harsh environments. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but getting up for sunrises or chasing good light is not an easy task. As a student of the arts & photography, I am always learning while eagerly looking for the next masterpiece. Soon, I plan to travel the world so that I may capture and share with you my interpretations of our amazing planet.

Thanks, Anita for believing in me. I❤U

Instagram: @SanzeiPhotography
Twitter: @SanzeiPhoto
Facebook: @SanzeiPhotography