Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Herlinger.
Hi Seth, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello, my name is Seth. I’m from Milwaukee WI, and am 27 years old.
I got into photography at a young age. I have always been captivated by places and people, and especially the relationship between the two. This eventually brought me to street photography, which observes a diverse array of people existing or interacting candidly within a space or the environment around them. In that way a street photo tells a story, even if brief, but one that can stir the imagination of the viewer into a longer narrative.
It’s from there that I developed a true passion for visual storytelling. I wanted to tell the real stories of real people, and so studied at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned a degree in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies. After college I spent some time writing, editing, and tutoring at The News School, an after-school journalism program and student newspaper based out of North Lawndale on Chicago’s west side.
Late last fall I was hired by WPDE ABC15 in Myrtle Beach SC, where I work today as a News Photographer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My fascination with the relationship between people and spaces had originally inspired me to pursue a career in architecture. I was an architecture major going into college, but my math skills were always poor, and I had never been great when it came to school. My academic struggles ultimately led me to drop out after three semesters.
I really didn’t know what to do with my life at that point, and decided to move to Chicago just before my 21st birthday, where I stayed for a year driving Uber to make a living, and using my free time to dive deeper into my street photography interest.
Deciding to return to college as a Journalism major ended up being one of the best decisions I could have made. I was able to study in a career field that more suited my skills and interests, and better yet I was done with math!
After I graduated in 2022, I interned at the communications department of one of the largest churches in Milwaukee, but felt drawn back to Chicago once more, and moved there at the end of summer. Chicago has one of the largest media markets in the country, and I wanted to get in at the ground floor.
Although I enjoyed working at the News School, I was barely scraping by financially and began to consider other career routes. I had begun the process of obtaining my CDL, when a news station in San Antonio reached out to me about a job. I hadn’t really considered moving far away from family and friends for the sake of my journalism career, but it seemed to be the only way I was going to get the chance to start, and so I applied to the job in Texas and then several other states. That’s how I ended up where I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Street Photography, particularly shot in urban environments, is my original creative passion. I always liked looking at street photos from a young age. They provide just a glimpse into the life of a person or people in a place, and leave the rest up to the imagination of the viewer. I also love that it’s candid, not set up or staged for the sake of the photo, but a true look at reality.
I like trying to find the art in reality. In a lot of ways, you’re letting God make the art for you, you just gotta be there to capture it. As the French author Andre Gide once wrote, “Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.”
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Spending time doing just about anything with my family and friends always makes me happy.
Outside of that, I love traveling, exploring, and learning about new places. I guess I’m a bit of a geography nerd at this point, and anytime I get the chance to experience and understand some place that was previously foreign to me brings me much joy, whether it be in the US or abroad.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sethandthe.city/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seth.and.the.city/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAjnfcT3TEyyyslCJ2PvV0w/videos
