ABOUT
A few of my favorite things include my daughter, Enrica; my wife, Elizabeth; and the works of Helen Levitt, Irving Penn, Roy DeCarava, and James Van Der Zee. The writings of Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, and Howard Zinn, as well as the music of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, and Nina Simone, are a steady and constant inspiration. I enjoy using Deardorff 8x10 field cameras, practicing platinum and palladium printing, playing baseball, riding fixed-gear track bikes, and hosting backyard barbecues.
As a photographer, I use light, connection, and intuition to create portraits that honor people as they truly are—seen, intense, joyful, complicated, and human. My work is a reflection of the personal connections I make with my subjects, drawing out their unique stories and experiences. I am especially drawn to overlooked stories and lived experiences. To me, the camera is a powerful tool for revealing truth and fostering transformation.
My journey in photography began in childhood and continued through my studies at the Art Institute of Boston (now Lesley College of Art and Design), as well as my time spent studying in Italy and at the Maine Media Workshops. My professional practice is diverse, encompassing editorial, commercial, and fine art photography. I've collaborated with a diverse range of clients, including Advertising agencies, universities, nonprofits, and business-to-business organizations. Additionally, I teach and engage with communities on projects that extend beyond the frame.
My work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harvard Ed Magazine, Mother Jones, CBS Watch, Ralph Lauren Magazine, and Maine Home + Design, among others. I've received awards from Communication Arts, LensCulture, One Eyeland's Best of the Best, and was named one of Lürzer's Archive's 200 Best Commercial Photographers for 2025. Maine Magazine included me among the "60 Most Collectible Artists in Maine," and the 121st Maine Legislature honored my contributions with a formal proclamation.
My images are in the collections of the Portland Museum of Art, Colby College Museum of Art, the Farnsworth Museum, the David Driskell Collection at the University of Maryland, Bates College Museum of Art, and the Center for Black Visual Culture at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
This fall, my work will be featured in Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: A Reframing - a 25th Anniversary Edition of the landmark publication by Deborah Willis. The accompanying exhibition, opening November 2025, includes images from a new generation of Black artists alongside photographs that chronicle our history - from rare antebellum daguerreotypes to Harlem Renaissance elegance, civil rights struggles, and digital-era expression. Through these spellbinding portraits, the show affirms photography's power to reimagine Black life in the African diaspora and American history. A refined art sensibility and an emphasis on environmental portraiture mark my style. I draw from tradition but trust the moment. I'm endlessly curious about people's lives and the forces that shape them.
Peace,
Séan
SELECT CLIENTS:
Northern Light Health
United Insurance
Visit Portland
Jackson Laboratory
Coastal Enterprises Inc.
J.P. Morgan Chase
Cathay Pacific Airlines
Possible Health/ Nepal
Atlantic Rethink
CTP Boston
Eastern Bank
Norway Savings Bank
Bangor Savings Bank
Harvard Radcliffe Magazine
Harvard University Magazine
Harvard University Medical Magazine
University of Virginia Magazine
Atlantic Magazine
Ralph Lauren Magazine
Mother Jones Magazine
Down East Magazine
Yankee Magazine
Boston Magazine
Adweek Magazine
Consumer Reports Magazine
Competition Magazine
Colby College
Bowdoin College
Trinity College
Berkeley School of Music
Maine College of Art
University of Maine