Today we’d like to introduce you to Durrell Hospedale.
Hi Durrell, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story actually starts from birth because my parents/family members always decided to record everything going on around us. I was drawn to the camera earlier than my memories can capture for me. As far as getting into photography, I actually purchased my first camera when I was 13. It was a small point and shoot Sony Cybershot, which I actually still have to this day. I bought it with the money from my 13th birthday party gifts because I just had to have my own camera. Since then, I would take photos and short video clips of my daily life at school or at the park with friends. I also did a lot of street photography with my phone cameras as time went on, simply for the convenience of not carrying a camera all the time. I ended up getting more into photography with another camera towards the end of my high school years doing the same thing, then ultimately felt like I began taking it seriously after my first semester of college in May 2014 when I did a photoshoot with a friend who took her time to model for me.
From that point forward, it felt like something that was very natural to me and I also began to meet many new people and see new opportunities because I was taking it very seriously. Fast forward to the end of my 1st semester of my Junior year in college, I decided to drop out because I felt like my passion for the arts was taking over my passion to pursue a career in criminal justice. That was the beginning point of the pressure that comes with taking a deep dive into your dreams. I spent a lot of time networking, going to take photos at fashion shows, running around in and out of recording studios, photographer meet up events and booking photoshoots of all sorts. I’ve shot photos/videos with so many different artists, entities, companies and I can’t say that I would ever have seen any of this coming, yet it feels like I’m where I’m supposed to be. Some of my favorite things I’ve shot were protest photos in Philly, SummerJam 2016 (and a bunch of other shows), I got to help out on set with Pattie Labelle’s Verzuz TV commercial in 2020 and a lot more stuff than I can think of right now.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road to where I am today has honestly been somewhat smooth, but it definitely hasn’t been easy. I never expected anything to be easy, even if I feel that I naturally do what I do. Even with all the talent, it takes a lot of discipline and consistency to achieve the goals you set for yourself. I’ve had plenty of downs and ups while trying to figure out what I even wanted to focus on because there are so many lanes to get pulled into when you pick up a camera, but it definitely takes time and experience to fine tune that focus.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I capture photos and videos of everything really, with some of my favorites being fashion, music videos, weddings, commercials/product shots, and lifestyle photography. I think I am most proud of how far I’ve come with my videography skills because I feel like I put a lot of energy into trying to achieve certain goals in that field and now I feel like I can keep climbing that mountain. I’m definitely known for my photography but I feel like what sets me apart from others is my unique style of photography and the things that I capture, along with the fact that I am just as active in the videography/editing field (some people would argue that the other way around lol.)
How do you think about happiness?
Family and life makes me happy, and that simply because I look at each day, I wake up as a blessing, even if things aren’t necessarily going in the direction that I’m aiming for. I try to start each day on a positive note and keep working on myself and the things that actually matter to me. Other than that, art makes me the happiest, starting with music. I was born and raised on all kinds of music, mostly jazz, rap, RnB, rock, with a slew of other genres. Using the camera definitely makes me happy, no matter where I am, which is why I’m blessed to be able to wake up and pick up a piece of my happiness every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: makewondersww@gmail.com
- Website: MakeWondersWW.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/makewondersworldwide
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakeWondersWorldwide
- Twitter: twitter.com/makewondersww
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXpweoej-o-c37G1p744iw
Image Credits
I shot the photos except for the photo of myself, that was taken by HQ Lou.
