Meet Paul Seibert | Photographer, Creative Director, Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Seibert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, what do you want people to remember about you?
I would love my legacy to be of creativity and community. I would love to be remembered as someone who challenged the way we, as society, see things, appreciate the beauty in the the seemingly mundane, and reveal the often overlooked details which define a place. I would hope that the quality of person that I am is also remembered. Through my developmental years in photography I benefitted greatly from being around other members of my community. My perspectives grew because of the people I surrounded myself with. That being said, one good turn deserves another, and so I have committed to providing those same insights and opportunities for growth for other aspiring creatives throughout the years.

What would I wanted my legacy to be? Quality of creativity and character.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Wow, so much to unpack here!! As an artist, these days, I am a photographer. My specialization falls in the realm of aerial photography. While I do own a drone, the majority of my photography happens from an open-door helicopter. I’m most widely known for my work over New York City as that’s where I lived until just about 3 years ago, when I moved here to Colorado.

What I love about aerial photography is that I have the ability to capture architectural detail of buildings that many have never had the opportunity to see from the ground level. The details of these buildings are beautiful and hopefully my images provide the viewer with a fuller understanding of the NYC skyline, and how intricate some of these designs actually are.

While I love Details, over the years I have become enamored with flying at higher and higher altitudes to capture my subject. From focusing on one building to trying to capture the entire city in one frame. In 2022 I planned and executed the highest open-door helicopter flight over NYC at 15,000 feet above the ground. There is something different about capturing a snapshot of 7 million lives. It was an incredible experience, and one that I hope to expand to other cities around the globe.

My journey in photography began 15 years ago with a trip to the American Southwest. I had a tiny little point and shoot camera, and shot everything that weekend. As a young man, I had taken a film photography course, but abandoned the pursuit of photography to continue my studies in music. Over the next few years, I took that little camera everywhere. It led me to have a “portfolio review” if you will from the only photographer I knew at the time. She suggested to buy a used DSLR and learn as much as I could. So that’s what I did! a lot of long hours exploring the greater NYC metro area, connecting with community, and then finally stepping into the professional realm with weddings.fast forward another 5 years, and i was given an opportunity to take my first helicopter flight over NYC. I was HOOKED! Since then I’ve pursued every avenue I could to become the best version of the artist I strive to be. This was not easy. It’s still not easy. To this day I still hear “not at this time”, or “no thank you”, or sometimes I don’t even get responses.

This life as a full-time creator is not for the faint of heart. You have to believe in what you are doing whole heartedly, and be willing to push through disappointment, and doubt. But, in the meantime, if you are pouring time and effort into your craft, you will grow and be ready for the opportunity when it becomes available to you. I guess the lesson is – Work hard, with intention.

I want the world to know that as a creator, in many aspects, I find ways to connect my client to the pulse of the culture they wish to be associated with. Sometimes that is family to family, and other times it is a corporation to those it wishes to reach. Right now, I am in the process of bringing my aerial photography to the sports world. Attempting to bridge the gap between the on-field activities, and how that venue/team/sport is affecting the local culture. This is an element of storytelling that is not currently present in sports today, and one that I believe will change how present and future fans are reached by these leagues.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question. As someone who is still relatively new to the area, I am still exploring myself. I love mom and pop businesses, so I always like to bring a local flare to what I share with guests. So i research where I’m going to try and find unique, one of a kind locations that offer an intimate experiences.

If I had a week, I’d spend a couple days driving to Crested Butte. The route from where I live in Longmont, is incredible. I still do it at least once a year, just to enjoy it myself. Driving over Kenosha Pass, making it to Buena Vista, then over Cottonwood Pass. These are all perennial highlights. There’s something about getting out of your car, and running up the side of a mountain at over 12,000′ and seeing as far as your eyes allow that will always be magical for an east coast boy like me. Crested Butte is what I envisioned all of Colorado to look like before i moved here. The fact that it has small businesses and and thriving arts and outdoor lifestyle, makes it a target for all my guests to see.

Next would be to bring my more adventurous guests to the national parks here in Colorado. A day trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, or a multi-day trip down to the Great Sand Dunes – which coincidentally kicked my butt on my first trip to them as I was not acclimated to the elevation just yet. Maybe if I have someone who is patient and likes truly unique spots, I’d take someone down to the Paint Mines.

Locally, my wife and I love to walk around Macintosh Lake in Longmont, I love to play golf, and we love to find great food to share with friends and family.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that I could mention for this shoutout. People who have helped shape me as a person, or as a creative. People who I have been inspired by from afar, or people that pour into my life on a regular basis. However, the one person I’d like to offer all honor to is my wife Leiani. Throughout this ups and downs of over a decade long journey, she has never wavered in her support of me pursuing my dreams. Her encouragement, sacrifice, and hard work to grow her own business again after a cross-country move, are the reasons why I am able to pursue this life of finding new ways to inspire people.

Website: www.paulseibertphotography.com

Instagram: instagram.com/Beholdingeye

Twitter: twitter.com/BEH0LDINGEYE

Other: My aerial Production Company – www.backleftmedia.com

Image Credits
Paul Seibert