When most people flip through a fashion magazine, they look at the clothes and hairstyles on the models. Sam Lee, however, looks at the composition and color scheme of the photos themselves.

The sophomore art photography major hopes to one day be the photographer behind those high couture shoots, picking out models and outfits, creating color palettes and editing the photos.

“I have always been interested in fashion, and I was unsatisfied by the way things would turn out when I would try to paint or actually try and construct an outfit,” Lee said. “So I turned to taking pictures of clothes.”

Though he was involved in the arts his entire life, Lee was inspired to start photography after one of his high school classmates became a successful photographer after graduation. At age 14, he began taking photos of his own.

Coming from a small town in upstate New York, just 20 minutes south of Canada, Lee said he felt “claustrophobic” at home.

“I graduated in a class of 117 kids,” he said. “I knew all of them since pre-K.”

He looked all over the country at different photography college programs, but eventually ended up in SU’s art photography program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Lee is still looking for a change. He is planning on applying to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication’s photography program at the end of this semester. He explained that Newhouse’s program focused more on the business side of photography, something that interests him.

Outside of photography, Lee enjoys musical theater, citing “Passion” and “Sunday in the Park with George’” as some of his favorites. He is involved in First Year Players, and was in the crew for “Heathers” last spring.

“That’s one of the main reasons I came to Syracuse, because there’s an opportunity to go into theater while doing other stuff,” he said.

Last summer, Lee interned for a photographer on the upper West Side in New York City, and hopes to intern again next summer for another photographer. He said he was overwhelmed by the size of the city, but because many fashion magazines are based in NYC, he will probably end up there after graduation.

“I don’t really think I have many other options,” he laughed.

Lee’s favorite publications are V Magazine and W Magazine, and one day hopes to be the art director behind these shoots. For now, he plans to continue doing what he loves: taking photographs.

Published on November 14, 2016 at 12:01 am

Contact Hanna: hrhorvat@syr.edu