Black Hills State University’s alumnus Seth Gudmunson has proven himself in the competitive world of Los Angeles in the field of photography.

As a recent photography graduate, Gudmunson has made his way up the ladder, but not without effort or struggle. Gudmunson tells of his pursuit and passion for photography when he first arrived in California.

“You have to be willing to take a risk. There are no guarantees. When I came to California after graduation, I spent only four days out of two months working. If I didn’t start working more, I would have had to take a loan out from my parents or pursue different work elsewhere, but I finally started getting calls back from photographers who I had been calling for weeks.”

His reckless abandon has allowed him to pursue his dream with the knowledge that his hard work and sacrifice would pay off.

“In this field of celebrity portraiture and fashion photography, you have to prove to everybody that you can produce a good product. Even if you show them a portfolio, they need to see a client list before they let you shoot.”

Gudmunson has had the opportunity to assist on shoots with some of the most prominent artists in the fashion industry including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, and GQ. The connections he has created are priceless and have helped him as he has moved from freelance photographer to professional assistant for the well-known photographer Norman Jean Roy.

“Out here it’s as much who you know as how much you know.”

In his position with Norman Jean Roy, Seth is the one who is on location first, setting up everything from lights to backdrops and delegating tasks out to other assistants. There are typically four to six other assistants on site. When Norman finally walks in, Seth has everything just waiting for him to take the pictures. It could be said that Seth knows more about the shoot and what is going on than anyone else on set.

When asking Seth what he took away from BHSU that has helped him in his career, he said that BHSU has taught him how to stay organized, which has prepared him for his assisting jobs.

Seth offers advice to the upcoming graduates to look beyond their surroundings.

“Students need to realize there is more out there in the world then just SD. There are hundreds of different genres in photography. There are not just weddings and senior portraits. Some people think they are stuck just doing what everyone else is doing around them. If you are willing to take a chance and risk it all, then you have a greater chance at becoming a success.”

Another contributing factor to Gudmunson’s freedom to pursue his dream is his family.

“The support of my family has been the biggest key factor. They have never stopped me from wanting to do something. Even though they knew there were risks, they have let me explore life. Now, I am getting a full time position with one of the top photographers in the world.”