Here’s How a Stay-at-Home Dad Became a World Renowned Street Fashion Photographer

Fashion Photography  •  Photography Tips  •  Street Photography

Scott Schuman used to be a stay-at-home dad. Now, he runs one of the most popular photography blogs in the world, The Sartorialist, and makes a handy living doing so.

How did he do it? This PBS News Hour feature will give you an inside look into Schuman’s methods and his unique insights into fashion, street portrait photography, and blogging:

Schuman first got into photography when he was 31 years old. At that time, he was working as a stay-at-home dad and wanted to be able to photograph his kids at the park. It wasn’t long before this new hobby merged with his enduring interest in the fashion industry, which has resulted in a photography blog populated by street portraits taken by Schuman of street style from around the world.

While Schuman does work the occasional runway shoot, he has largely made The Sartorialist his primary career focus, generating income from blog ads and collaborations with designers. Schuman describes the blog as “a two-way dialogue about the world of fashion and its relationship to daily life,” pointing to the “give and take” in the comments section of every post.

“I never worry about if I’m telling the story of who this person really is,” Schuman told PBS News Hour. “It’s totally my perception of how they make me dream… It’s my picture, but then when you share it on the internet, then everybody gets to have their take on what their story is on it.”

Also during the interview, Schuman describes how he approaches potential portrait subjects in a way that makes them feel respected and not threatened and explains why successful street photographers must realize that people are not always what they seem.

“The more I do it, the more I realize that to me [the clothes] are almost like costume[s],” said Schuman. “I never assume that’s who they really are… it helps me imagine who they might be.”