Photographer hopes to tell story through images

For Austin Seback, taking photographs means more than just capturing a beautiful moment. With his photography business, Austin Michael Seback Photography, Seback hopes to tell a story with every image, whether he is shooting family portraits, hikers climbing new peaks, or an estate for sale.

“I always really enjoyed photography in high school and I would always take my parents' cameras on our trips and document the adventure,” Seback said. “My favorite thing to do is storytelling. I like editorial type work where there's a subject and a story to be told, whether it’s a hike or a raft trip or an engagement. It’s where adventure and lifestyle photography come together.”

Before starting his business, Seback worked in water rights in the private and public sectors for 10 years. While Seback is thankful for the skills he learned during this time, he loves being able to pursue his true passion of photography.

“In every trip, there are moments that are never going to happen again, like being in a house that I’ll never be in again, or a sunset or a sunrise above a landscape. Who knows if it'll ever be exactly like that again? That's what I love and what keeps me coming back,” Seback said.

Seback’s portfolio includes portraits, real estate, skiing and whitewater adventures, and landscapes. His perfect client is “somebody who really cares, has a vision, and is passionate about what they want.” Some of his past clients include Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center and Ski Magazine.

“[Friends of the Flathead Avalanche Center] are the nonprofit that helps to fund the Flathead Avalanche Center and they need more funding than they're given. So what we've been trying to do is show what these avalanche forecasters do all winter for the forest service. I'll go out with the forecaster for a day and I will tell the story through photos. I really try to show the landscape, but also the really small details,” Seback explained.

In addition to this work, Seback’s photographs were featured in an article which highlighted the housing crisis in Whitefish for Ski Magazine.

“The article was about housing in the west and how these places are kind of ‘loved to death’. They came to me with the pitch and said, ‘We don't really know exactly what we're writing yet, but these are the elements we’re trying to portray.’ For that, I tried to come up with a cohesive set of images that complement and help to tell the story.”

For his work in real estate photography, Seback offers photo, video, and 3D tours and floor plans to thoroughly capture the essence of a property. Seback is experienced in drone work and can provide aerial imagery and videography.

“On a 10,000 square foot home on 20 acres where we're doing photo, video, 3D tour floor plan and a twilight shoot, I'll be there for five or six hours,” said Seback. “I really try to search for the best angles and find the best attributes to tell the story of the property.”

No matter the project, Seback makes sure to go beyond just checking boxes on a shot list. Seback hopes to understand and bring to life the vision of his clients.

“I'm really passionate about my work and I'm really excited to help people capture a story of their own,” said Seback. “It's always my goal to do my best and to tirelessly search for perfection.”

To learn more about Austin Michael Seback Photography, visit seback.photography or check out his Instagram @austinsebackphoto.

Reporter Summer Zalesky may be reached at szalesky@dailyinterlake.com.