SHAUN LLEWELLYN, KEEP GOING.
ON JANUARY 28TH, CT NATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER SHAUN LLEWELLYN RETURNS WITH A BRAND NEW EXHIBIT TITLED, KEEP GOING, SO OF COURSE, WE WANTED TO KNOW MORE.
Shaun Llewellyn is a portrait and event photographer born and raised in the Greater Hartford area. From sneaking his camera into concerts to being invited on tours…it is evident to everyone who has followed him that he has truly come a long way. After moving out to LA and being on tour, and photographing various notable artists, Shaun Llewellyn has returned home to give us a new exhibition titled, Keep Going.
We sat down with Shaun to talk more about what Keep Going is all about, what we can expect to see, and what its been like being back home.
BIZZIE: I see KEEP GOING has been a frequent caption and message on your socials. What has the phrase meant to you over the past year? What is KEEP GOING?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: Keep going to me is simply just a mindset. I began this photography journey not knowing what would come from it. But I knew simply just to get started and to keep going because it’s something that I love to do. A creative journey can be hard for everybody, so the key word there is journey. That’s where keep going came from for me. We all go through things on our individual journeys, times get really hard for all of us but it will always get better if you don’t quit. Keep going. It’s really been a rough couple of years for some, especially people on a creative path so I just try to motivate people anyway I can. Even if it’s with a small message every time I post on an app where everyone seems to have it figured out.
BIZZIE: What was the most difficult part about relocating from a relatively small state to a city like LA?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: It’s definitely intimidating at first because its a huge city but I feel like the more people you know the easier it gets. Connection is everything. Communication is everything, ya know. Making yourself available is important as well. Being able to get out there and talk makes a difference.
BIZZIE: Do you feel like you’ve had your “I made it” moment yet?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: Not really. I feel like that moment hasn’t come yet. Just because it doesn’t really feel like home yet, I don’t think I ever will because it’s not. But no I don’t think I’ve had that moment yet because it just feels so similar. I feel like out here (CT) can be the same.
BIZZIE: What does it mean to be able to do this event here in your home state?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: It feels great because I definitely wanna give off the fact that it’s possible to capture these kinds of photographs. I’m always gonna come back here and showcase what’s possible.
BIZZIE: What can we expect to see from this exhibition?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: I really wanted to showcase some of my favorite photos this time! I think in the past I focused on quantity. This time is about quality and true meaning. Every photo I decide to show has a meaning or a time that meant a-lot to me.
BIZZIE: What was the process like in reference to creating this book?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: The process creating the book…you know how Drake has time stamped records, I wanted time stamped photos. Like this is the first time on set, this was the first time I met this person, first time I got to work with this person, so I wanted it to feel like that. Choosing the photos definitely comes from a place of timeline. Since the 2020 shutdown, with things “getting back to normal” I wanted to tell the story of what I’ve been up to since then and since the move. As far as importance I definitely wanted to choose photos that had a story behind it.
BIZZIE: If you had to choose one photo in the book what would it be?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: This one.
BIZZIE: Yes! That one is so fire! I remember seeing you post that and we were all like…”He photographed Kanye.”
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: Yeah that a weird day too, I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I was hired for another thing in the same building and they just happened to be shooting in the next room. Luckily I knew some of the people involved were so I just weaseled my way in there and started photographing. I didn’t even really meet him though, I was just in the cut trying not to get caught.
BIZZIE: Is there a message you wanna leave everyone with?
SHAUN LLEWELLYN: I would say keep going yeah, but also follow your gut. Because me just following my gut always leads me to the right place, so yeah. Just trust your gut.
