Raised in SLC Utah, Chris Swanston first got into photography through music and skateboarding. At night he was photographing the unground music scene in basement bars on DIY stages and in the day, he ran through the streets shooting skateboarding for the local mag SLUG Magazine.
“During these times in SLC I basically lived out of a camera bag, always covered in blood and sweet, jumping fences and running to the next venue. All that mattered to me was skateboarding and music.” – Chris Swainston
It wasn’t until he started shooting New York Fashion Week for MILK Studios did his focus began to shift from basement rock n’ roll and the raw streets of skateboarding to the world of fashion and beauty. Swanston spent five years traveling to NYC documenting the runway shows, behind the scenes and parties hosted by MADE Fashion Week.
“It was a wild time” he says, “I had backstage access to some of the biggest shows and most exclusive parties, I felt like an interloper that snuck in the back door.” “But, despite all that feeling of access and glamor I was there to shoot and never had place to stay. My friends and I threw all caution to the wind. We even snuck back into the studio to sleep on an empty floor using a ferny pad as a blanket and camera case as a pillow.”
“I guess all those years of skateboarding and music gave me the grit to battle through NYFW.”
In 2012 Swainston transplanted to Los Angeles, California and became fully immersed into the world of photography and eventually opening his own photo studio Blackheart Studio. His first years in Los Angeles he worked as lighting tech and digital tech traveling the world with exceptional teams all while also shooting for his personal clients. The aim was to master every aspect of photography form the technical sides of lighting and shooting film to focusing on new creative and working with an entire team of professionals to bring a shoot together.
“I just absolutely love how passionate and talented everyone is on a big set, it doesn’t matter your role, from Creative Director or Model to PA, everyone always keeps the good vibes up and brings it 110%”
The roots of his photography passion will always stay with him but shooting skateboarding has since taken a back seat to make room the fashion and beauty aspects of photography working with beauty brands like Tom Ford, Avon and Hemps and fashion brands like AG Jeans, Simon Miller, Botkier and Amuse Society.
“For me” - Swanston says “…photography is al about finding the light and capturing the moment.”