In Conversation with Sam Raven
Sam Raven is an accomplished photographer, with an eye for pirates, coins and knifes. While for many of us these are found far off in the lands of Treasure Island or Pirates of the Caribbean, Sam Raven brings a fresh perspective to the genre, transforming these objects into works of art. Since he started his Instagram page in 2019, he has attracted a lot of interest from the photography and EDC communities, and his work has been displayed alongside many talented photographers, including YouTube star Peter McKinnon. Recently, he created his own coin collection, which sold out in just 5 minutes! Here’s his story…
1. It is clear from your Instagram feed that you are a huge pirate fan. When did this fascination start?
I grew up in a rock and heavy metal scene and was always fascinated by outlaw culture. Bikers, Yakuza, the mob, pirates… Tattooed, long haired badasses with their own code of honor and love for brotherhood and freedom, that don’t give a damn about what people think. Pirates, in a way, are the pinnacle of that, since they’re not bound to a country and can celebrate their freedom to the fullest.
2. The photos you produce are always high quality and edited to perfection. Approximately how long does it take per photo?
It depends on the type of image. It can be as quick as 15 minutes of shooting and 5 minutes of editing. Or they can take 2 hours of planning, 1 hour of setting up, 2 hours of shooting and 4 hours of editing.
3. Knives are often associated with violence. Do you think this is always the case, or is there something more to them?
Knives, unfortunately, have that stigma of being a weapon and being involved in street violence. However, the knife is one of the oldest tools and should be seen and used as one. People carry Leathermans or Swiss Army Knives and no one will see them as anything else than a tool. A folding knife is exactly the same. On top of that there is a huge amount of craftsmanship and design work that goes into these knives that almost make them a piece of art.
4. It has been noted that the EDC community is a male dominated environment. Have you felt this before or do you feel it is becoming more egalitarian?
It definitely is, unfortunately. Those female members of the community that I have the pleasure of knowing and interacting with bring a fresh perspective into this world and we could definitely use more of that.
5. Your work has been compared to Peter McKinnon… any chance of you setting up a YouTube channel?
I get asked that a lot, but no, no plans of doing so. Videos take so much time and effort. I can barely keep up with Instagram. I limit my video work to the occasional IG story, other than that I’ll stick to images.
6. What advice would you give to a beginner in photography?
Shoot everything and anything. The more you do it, the more you’ll develop a style. You’ll learn what you’re good at, what you enjoy shooting. Don’t obsess over gear, that’ll come with time and with your knowledge of what you actually need. Just shoot. A lot.
All images were taken from Sam Raven’s Instagram: @raven_the_pirate
You can find Sam Raven’s Instagram page here
