Christian Sarkine
Article by Brittany Ormiston
“...No matter how much I grow or how much I feel like I’ve evolved as a photographer, there’s still so much to learn.” Christian Sarkine is a 25-year-old photographer from Indianapolis, IN who has already made a name for himself inside and outside the photo pit. Everyone who knows Christian can attest he is a kind soul, a ray of sunshine, and a life-long friend. He displays a great deal of humility despite all of his success and growth, and is always willing to lend a helping hand. Over the years, we have admired Christian’s work and his ability to bring concerts to life through his photographs. Now it is time to get to know the person behind the camera.
Christian was originally drawn to photography for the creative aspect. When he was a senior in high school, he picked up his mom’s old Canon 30d camera to take pictures of his friends. Shortly after, he was asked to be the yearbook photographer at school after the original photographers dropped out. He continued to take photos of his friends as a hobby, and one day was provided the opportunity to take photos of a local band’s show. That night sparked the idea of pursuing concert photography as a career. Once Christian laid eyes on the work of Ashley Osborn and Adam Elmakias, he was inspired to take the leap into photography and the music industry. The rest is history.
The past few years Christian has been adding to his ever-so-growing list of accomplishments. During the pandemic, he focused on other ways to perfect his art and hone in on his skills since concerts were put on pause. Christian grabbed his Macbook, drone, and took off on a road trip to Montana where his aunt lives. He switched gears and focused on portraits, landscapes, and astrophotography, which he has grown to love and enjoy. When asked what he considers his biggest accomplishments, Christian was quick to mention several: creating the cover art for Phoebe Bridgers’ single ‘That Funny Feeling,’ and accompanying Christian French on several US tours. Christian has known French since the 6th grade, and they have supported each other’s careers from the very beginning. They have grown together as creatives, and built a bond that is special and irreplaceable.
Recently, Christian has been as busy as ever and he is more than happy about it. Back in March, artist ASTN dropped his single ‘Real’ with Christian’s photo displayed as the cover art. He also had the opportunity to shoot the behind the scenes photos of ASTN in Los Angeles last fall. For the past month, Christian has been on tour with Sara Kays who is supporting Alec Benjamin. He has been able to showcase his work and talent with every click of the button, and leaves everyone wanting more. Aside from the here and now, Christian is always working towards the goals that live in the back of his head. One of the visions he hopes to bring to life in the near future is to create and direct an album cycle for an artist. The cycle would involve developing a single cover, an album cover, and tour flyers. Christian has several ideas he is eager to pitch, and creating a “timeless piece” for everyone to admire for years to come would be monumental.
As Christian is paving his way through the industry, he is inspiring other photographers and creatives along the way. Our photographer and graphic designer, Everly, had a full-circle moment when telling Christian his work inspired her to the point of becoming a concert photographer herself. Christian was in complete shock and awe and responded, “That’s all anyone ever could really want is to inspire other people.” This conversation made all of us realize how much of an impact our art really does have on the world. Christian mentioned having those moments where he gets too caught up in the numbers on social media, or being overly obsessed with making every detail of a photo perfect. He has to take a step back to recall why he does photography in the first place, and what he wants others to take away from his work. “Your journey is never really finished. You’re always growing,” further explains Christian.
Supporting Christian on his journey as a photographer from afar, and now getting to know the person behind the camera, has been nothing short of memorable. We are blessed to be able to call Christian a friend, and be mutually supportive in all our endeavors. As all of us continue on our creative journeys, Christian’s wise words will always ring true. “It’s not an easy path to take, but it’s an incredibly rewarding and fun path to take. No matter how hard it gets, don’t give up…Do your best to make art that will outlive us all.”
Photos by Christian Sarkine
