The Artisan Obscura Tribe

Artisan Obscura is one of the fastest-growing camera accessory companies in America, and the reason we’re fast-growing is because we slow down. We slow down to create beautiful, hand-crafted products, and we slow down to create a community of photographers and artisans who interact with the beauty of the world.

As my good friends (and Artisan Obscura founders) Steve and Preston say, Artisan Obscura is “homegrown and home-based.” It’s homegrown – each Soft Release and Hot Shoe Cover is crafted here, in Denver Colorado...  and it’s home-based – when you contact us or comment on our social media feeds, you’ll hear directly from me.   

I’m Drew Jensen, the owner of Artisan Obscura and my commitment to the values of “homegrown and home-based” is deeply ingrained in everything I do.  From a young age the values of hard work, honesty, and respect have been a driving force in my life. 

I am a detail-oriented observer, a coffee fiend, an outdoor enthusiast, and a strong believer in the hand-crafted vs. mass-produced. 

And if I had to describe myself in one word, I would say I'm an artist. 

In Kindergarten our class was assigned ‘paper bag book reports’ where on one side of the paperbag we would have to write a summary of  what we read and on the other side recreate an image of our favorite scene from the book. I always spent way too much time on the visual art side vs. the writing side! I’m constantly inspired by the visual and physical things around me. 

In middle school and high school I lived for my advanced art classes in ceramics, drawing, and acrylic and watercolor painting. At the end of my senior year in high school I was awarded the Senior Class Artist Of The Year by the Art Department. The teacher that presented the award was not pleased that I was going to be obtaining my degree in Forestry and made the bold prediction that by the end of college, I would not have a Forestry degree, but an Art degree…

She was right! 

I lasted one semester in Forestry school, where much of my time was spent outside taking photos on my camera. Second semester I transferred schools and completed my Studio Art Degree with a concentration in photography. It was during this time that I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Florence, Italy and my passion for photography continued to bloom, inspired by my surroundings.

I moved to Denver, Colorado with my wife in 2014 where I was fortunate to connect with fellow photographers--and founders of Artisan Obscura-- Steve Stanton and Preston Utley. Long story short, I fell in love with the story of Artisan Obscura, and worked at the company for almost two years before Steve and Preston presented me with opportunity to take complete ownership. I of course was ecstatic, and officially took over in March of 2018. 

The majority of my career has been as a wedding photographer, however Artisan Obscura and it’s community have become something much bigger for me. I have a passion for  inspiring people like you to create beautiful art.  

“We don’t make the world more beautiful through our photography, but we can share it’s beauty through our imagery.”  

That’s me. Maybe you see a bit of yourself in that description. I hope so! 

Artisan Obscura is for the dedicated photographer. 

It’s for the person on the street capturing the grimy textures of life and living. 

It’s for the kid unpacking their first camera who’s unknowingly stepping into a lifetime apprenticeship to a craft. 

It’s for the outdoor enthusiast who hikes up to the top of the mountain in the dark to make sure they can capture the sunrise. 

The family documentarian that captures the real, unposed moments. 

The seaside dwellers that are inspired by the rhythm of the open waters. 

The film photographers, keeping the age old tradition alive. 

This, my friend, is the reason Artisan Obscura’s motto is “Inspire your craft.”

Thanks for joining me. Over the next year, I will be releasing tutorials, spotlights, and community events. It’s all meant to grow the Artisan Obscura Tribe of artists.  

I’m grateful for the love for art, passion, photography, and craftsmanship that connects us from all over the world.  

Prepare to be inspired.