Today we’d like to introduce you to Anwar Stokes.
Hi Anwar, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I picked up my first DSLR in 2009, while living in Hamden, Connecticut. It started as a hobby. I just liked taking pictures. But it quickly became something I couldn’t put down. I found myself photographing the people closest to me, friends and family, and somewhere in those early frames, I fell in love with it. I didn’t set out to become a photographer. The camera just never left my hands after that, and over the years it grew into event work, portraits, and commercial projects.
Alright, 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?
The road wasn’t easy. I taught myself the technical side exposure, lighting, composition through a lot of trial and error and plenty of wasted shots before things started to click. Money was a constant struggle too; the cost of gear always seemed to outpace my budget, and figuring out how to price my own work, without over or undervaluing it, took real time to learn. Building a client base meant earning trust as an unproven photographer, which often meant taking on jobs for free or cheap just to build a portfolio. And underneath all of it was the personal doubt comparing myself to photographers who’d been at this for years, and wondering if I was really a photographer before I felt like I’d earned the title.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Beyond the camera, I created The Veracious Podcast as a space to speak on advocacy and the social issues I care deeply about. It’s become a platform where I can use my voice for more than entertainment to dig into the stories and issues that matter, and to give people a reason to think more critically about the world around them. It’s an extension of the same instinct that drives my photography: the belief that telling the truth, whether through a lens or a microphone, has the power to move people.
Photography, meanwhile, lives on through Stokes Photography CT, the business I built from that first DSLR back in 2009. What started as a hobby has become a full body of work spanning events, portraits, and commercial projects. Every session is an opportunity to capture something real a moment, a feeling, a story and that commitment to authenticity is what I bring to every client I work with.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Looking ahead, I think AI and emerging technology are going to reshape photography and media in ways we’re only beginning to understand. The tools we use to capture, edit, and share images are evolving faster than ever, and that’s going to change what the craft even looks like day to day. I don’t see that as something to fear it’s something to adapt to. The photographers and storytellers who thrive over the next five to ten years will be the ones who learn to work alongside these new tools rather than against them, while still holding onto the human eye and instinct that no technology can fully replace.
Contact Info:
- Website: Stokes.Photography
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theveraciouspodcast?igsh=OHUwM25jODh1Y3V5&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CWMMnzXxD/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theveraciouspodcast?si=NQB_BEMH3c6aUBIk
