Isaac Campbell (@moresoupplease) is a photographer and DJ based in New York City. He shoots portraiture, concerts, fashion, sports, street and more, and his career as a DJ has helped him gain more photography opportunities. We saw his Alpha Universe Profile and connected with him to learn more about his work in the creative industry. Read his story below and create your own Alpha Universe Profile HERE for a chance to be featured on AlphaUniverse.com.

Photo by Isaac Campbell. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/100-sec., f/1.4, ISO 1000

We connect with NYC-based DJ and photographer Isaac Campbell to learn more about how these two creative careers inspire each other.

Career Snapshot

Campbell’s creative photography flame was first sparked when a professor complimented the images he was posting on Instagram. “When Instagram first came out,” he explains, “all you could really do was post photos so it was all about your composition. I had a social media professor at the time who said I really had a natural eye for it. Then in the spring we had a festival with a bunch of artists performing and the professor asked me if I would take photos. I rented a camera but didn’t know how to set anything and it was very intimidating, but I went for it and got in the pit. The school ended up buying the photos and that’s when I realized I could make money off of this.”

He began joining different photography communities online and following various people for inspiration. “For me, just being exposed to stuff helps me understand what I want to shoot. It did become a bit of a game of resources and living in New York is challenging, so I wasn’t making much money. But I was at a photo shoot at a friend’s house and he had a DJ setup there. I started asking the DJ questions and ended up going over there every day just to learn more. It just made sense, I played cello growing up, I did ballet. I love the appreciation for music and opinions of it.”

Photo by Isaac Campbell. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/160-sec., f/2.2, ISO 640

Campbell dedicated himself to DJing, yet another creative craft, and it ultimately ended up bringing him back to photography. When DJing for Street Dreams Mag, a magazine, radio, visual agency, and culture studio for the creative community, co-founder of the community and Alpha Collective member Steven Irby invited him to a Sony event where they were holding a challenge that Campbell ended up winning. “I couldn’t believe it, I won a camera and a lens. So I got the Sony Alpha 7R III and the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master, and from there, my work has just taken off.”

Campbell’s Sony Gear

He’s been doing well on both the DJ and photography sides of his career and was able to update to the Sony Alpha 1. “That’s the best camera I’ve ever touched in my life,” he says. “I love the amount of detail that it picks up. You look at 50 megapixels, and you're not making a billboard out of the image or anything, but just looking at this resolution on websites I feel like you can see people more. Seeing all of those details that you would normally only pick up if you were there in front of them seeing it. It just creates a better sense of realism. I love the eye auto focus. I was able to pick up the eye so I don't have to really focus on it. I try not to run everything on auto all the time in terms of the eye focus, but it's addictive.”

Photo by Isaac Campbell. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/100-sec., f/2.2, ISO 1000

He continues, “The burst is also crazy – I could really shoot action. If I needed to use crop mode, I could sit there and turn an 85 into a 110. It’s like a cheat code, that type of speed and being able to crop. I could go into a place with 35 and really get a different variety of shots because of the low-light capability, speed, and the resolution and what it picks up. I have more information to work with in post.” He currently has the Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master and Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master lenses and is hoping to add the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master and either the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master or Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master to his kit in the future.

DJing & Photography

With careers in both DJing and photography, Campbell says he comes across more opportunities in the creative industry. “My photography and DJ careers relate in a lot of ways in that something new is always needed. You have to be creating something new and it helps because my DJ role gets me access to a lot of things and I keep my camera on me. If I go to a festival and I'm a DJ, I'll have my camera and can also go into the pit. So I'm able to have access to things and get things done a lot easier with these dual creative careers.”

Photo by Isaac Campbell. Sony Alpha 7R III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/2.8, ISO 1600

He continues, “Photography is challenging, none of it is easy. It's the double-sided coin of having to make decisions, which can lead to the good side or a bad side. One of the hardest things is exposure. I have the equipment I want and just need more access to get there – I'm playing the long game. I really love photography and think of it as the purest form of art because it’s what we see. I could show you exactly the way I see you, and we could look at the same exact photo and see different things. Photography is about making decisions…how you crop something, what you’re going to focus on. My style is all about the decisions I make and ultimately leaves a legacy of choice and style.”

See more of Isaac Campbell’s work on his Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @moresoupplease.