Meet Sid Ceaser of Sid Ceaser Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sid Ceaser.

Sid, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a Nashua based portrait photographer specializing in a head shot photography for corporations, small businesses & freelancers, musicians, actors and more as well as photography for bands & musicians for promotional, publicity, press-kit and cd/album artwork.

I am also a huge pop-culture addict and my personal work centers around toys, video games, puppets, movies, comic books and all kinds of nerd culture.

When I was a kid I would photograph my toys in battle with a polaroid camera. I attended the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester NH and got my BFA in photography in 2004. Since that time I have maintained a studio in the Nashua mill yard; first in the historic Picker Building and two years ago relocated across the street into the newly formed Picker Collaborative Artists building.

I’ve always been a huge music fan and have an obsessive collection of music on record and cd, and I’ve always wanted to create images that musicians could use on albums or posters or other methods of promotion. And I love shooting clean, crisp, compelling head shots because I never know who’s going to come to the studio and I never know what new story I’m going to learn from each new client. Photography is about communication and I’m always fascinated by the stories we share in between the shots.

I’m also a huge geek, so when I can I love creating images that delve deep into my passions; video games, comic books, toys, anime and more. If I don’t have a *real* person in front of my camera, then I’m photographing things that *look* like real people.

I try to keep my work clean and crisp.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As someone that went the fine-art college route, the more commercial aspects of day-to-day business and marketing can sometimes have a huge learning curve. It’s not just about making a quality product, it’s also about getting that product out in front of eyeballs so they, in turn, can hire you.

I was a bit of a shy kid growing up. When serving people creatively you *have* to be able to communicate well. You have to manage expectations. You have to be able to keep the clients comfortable and happy. Communication is just as important as being able to make a photograph.

I feel the best thing a photographer can do is really dig into their loves and hobbies and the unique things that make them who they are. Pull from that deep well and bring their personality into their work. It’s okay to show people who you are through your work. It doesn’t matter if you like puppets, or collect thimbles or whatever – let everything that you love make up your work. That is why I wanted to work with musicians and photograph toys and pop culture things – because that is the stuff that is important in my life. That is the stuff that keeps me excited and energized.

Don’t be afraid to express who you are with your photography. Celebrate your uniqueness!

The biggest thing I’ve learned in life is to just be nice. Be a good person, communicate well with your clients and know how to control the situation. Be a good creative problem solver. Play and experiment and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The creative process is organic. Everything takes time.

Sid Ceaser Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a commercial portrait photographer. My two main areas of concentration is headshot photography for corporations, small businesses & freelancers, musicians, actors and more who want to show off their individuality.

And I relish working with bands & musicians who need photography for promotional, publicity, press-kit and cd/album artwork. When I’m not doing that, I’m usually working on more personal-centered photography based around my obsession with pop-culture; toys and video games and comic books and movies and all kinds of nerdy stuff.

I think I’m known for my clean and crisp images; clean headshot photography and either in-studio or location work with musicians. I strive to keep everything clutter-free.

I hope to inspire by being honest about my work, sharing it online for everyone to view, and not being afraid to lay everything out in the open. I’m not ashamed of being a fan of toys and puppets and video games. The more that I can create things that revolve around the stuff I love, the more of me is put out there for everyone to see. The more of *me* is put into everything that I photograph. I proposed to my wife by making a small film using Muppets that kind of look like the two of us. I think everything you do in life should be done creatively – pulling from everything you have that makes you who you are as an individual.

I feel pretty proud when I can look around my studio and see all these gorgeous images and know that I created those – that I made something that is helping other people; it could be a headshot, it could be a photograph that is used for a cd cover. I love that I can creatively solve the needs that other people have.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I was in high school I would make friends mix tapes. I would create very elaborate cassette jackets; going to the public library and standing in front of their photo-copier and photocopying things until I’d have this unraveling dust jacket with art and notes and made up record companies. In my twenties, I worked for a series of record stores in the NH area. I love music so much that I surrounded myself with it every day in retail.

The fact that I can now work with a musician and create not only incredible photography but also design their album packaging? I love that. I can follow the map of the steps I took as a kid and throughout my life that can say that what I’m doing feels like a natural progression of things that came before. I can look back at the 16-year old me and tell him to keep going – don’t quit on that stuff. It’ll all be ok.

While not particularly related to my job, I proposed to my wife by making a short-film and using Muppets that look like us as the stars. It was shown at a local independent theater in private and I did all of that because my wife inspires me to stay creative. I’m pretty proud of that little film.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3 Pine Street • Studio 2D
  Nashua NH 03060
• Website: www.ceaserphotography.com
• Phone: 603.821.3812
• Email: info@ceaserphotography.com

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.