There are people who think art will always find a way to exist in the most barren of places, and the artists are the conduits that make its presence possible in the world. Sam is better known as AmsterSam, and art spoke to him through the reflection of a puddle. Since then, the artist has been obsessed with finding puddles, mirrors, signs, shop windows, and everything that could reflect this beautiful world.
Few people know that this award-winning photographer spent ten years of his life with a regular job and trapped under an overwhelming routine in Holland.
Sam loves Amsterdam, its people, its canals, and architecture. But most of all, he loves the city’s reflections.
“When I was a boy, my grandma used to have a Polaroid. From the moment I saw her taking the picture and saw her shake the instant film to accelerate the developing process, I was hooked,” AmsterSam shares.
AmsterSam is 43 years old and despises Photoshop because he thinks it takes away the magic of his work. While he was experimenting with his artistic technique, digital cameras became popular, and as a consequence, he was more careful with his work. “You had to think it twice before pressing the shutter,” he confesses. At the same time, he didn’t mind the rise of the digital era.
By the time cameras became part of cellphones, Sam was an amateur photographer, and he discovered the key to success through this new feature.
“One rainy day of 2006 I was walking down the street when I noticed all these beautiful buildings reflected on a giant puddle. I took my phone out and took a picture of the water’s clear reflection. I didn’t know I was about to change my life through that series of snaps. I posted the shot on Flickr and people started noticing my work. In that moment AmsterSam The Wicked Reflectah was born. I spend most of my time looking for puddles, mirrors, signs, shop windows, and everything that could reflect life.”
As his fame and recognition grew, Europe was overwhelmed by the economic crisis. This upheaval deeply affected his life. The hours at the office became more demanding and the pressure escalated, which ended up costing him his job. “I couldn’t imagine any other kind of life, that job was everything to me. Losing it felt like losing a family member,” he recalls.
His new found love for reflections and his love for photography kept him going, and made him the photographer he is today. One with a unique artistic perspective.
“I’ve met hundreds of people who appreciate my work, up to the point they took it to their houses. My pictures have travelled to places I’ve never heard of before, it’s cool, and a very rewarding experience. I’ve started working with galleries in different parts of the world and I’m thrilled by the idea of my pictures hanging in a living room.”
Sam story makes us think that maybe our average jobs are just a trampoline that will catapult us to who we really want to be. You know what they say, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Don’t be afraid of leaving your comfort zone, and risking it all to to go after what you want. If Sam did it, then you can do it too.
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All pictures are credit to AmsterSam The Wicked Reflectah. You can learn more about his work on his official website, which includes all of his social media links.
