We had the good fortune of connecting with Tom Sundro Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tom Sundro, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It seems like I have always run my own business. For 25 years I designed and built everything from decks and additions to cabinets and furniture until due to old job related injuries I just couldn’t physically do it anymore. That was almost 20 years ago. I was still relatively young. (54 at the time). So, what was I going to do? I still needed to earn a living and I still loved to create. Well, I had always loved photography, so I decided this was my chance even though I had always suspected it’s a very difficult way to make a living. And it is. Even harder now than when I started out. And it took me many years to build it up. I’ve learned a lot more about photography since I began and I can honestly say i had 6 or 7 years where the photography work sustained me quite well. By that time, I had drifted into product photography which I enjoyed very much and it paid very well, although portrait photography is the type of work I enjoy the most.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
First of all, I consider myself more of a craftsman than an artist. I’ve always loved making things and have always enjoyed the challenge of working with people, really listening to them, hearing what they want and then finding a way of creating that for them. It’s always been very fulfilling work for me and I’ve always found it very much involves both skills: listening and creating. I think of artists as being creators who work more on their own, for themselves making works of art that hopefully will be appreciated and bought by others. I’ve rarely worked that way. Although I will admit it’s an art to working well with people and their being truly happy with the results.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Boulder and as most people either suspect or know, Boulder is full of all sorts of spectacular trails from Chautauqua to Annie U. White. So, depending on the weather, time of year and crowd tolerance I would take my visitors on one of these trails and then to one of our great restaurants for brunch, lunch or dinner. If they wanted to go further afield, there’s Rocky Mountain National Park, Red Rocks, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, the list goes on and on. No shortage of things to do, places to go in this state!
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?
So many. How to name them all? When I was first starting out trying to make a living as a photographer, I had the great good fortune of befriending Seth K. Hughes. A Denver resident and a highly trained, well-educated successful commercial/editorial photographer who took me under his wing and ended up showing me a great deal of just what I needed to succeed at this. Seth was a huge help and I am forever grateful to him. The photography workshops in Santa Fe were another wonderful source of knowledge and education. All the friends and businesses along the way who’s darkrooms I was able to use. My children and friends who let me make pictures of them along the way. So many have helped me so much. I am forever grateful.
Website: https://www.tomsundrophotography.com/index
Instagram: Tomsundrophotography