Meet Sam
Sam Comandatore is the founder of Eighty Eight Photo, a Cleveland-based wedding and portrait photography studio known for its blend of candid storytelling and creative portraiture. With a background rooted in internet culture and a start in retail studio work, Sam’s journey into photography is anything but traditional. Since launching Eighty Eight Photo in 2014, he has built a brand focused on authenticity, connection, and adaptability—values that carried him through the challenges of the pandemic and into continued growth. Today, Sam is recognized not just for his technical skill, but for the humor, heart, and perspective he brings to every client experience.
Unlike many creatives who trace their passion back to childhood art classes or fine art degrees, Sam’s introduction to photography was rooted in internet culture and skateboarding.
“I feel like a lot of people have this really cool backstory… mine’s quite different. I think I was born to be a troll,” Sam laughs.
As a teenager, he was active on Myspace and Tumblr, curating his own aesthetic and learning basic coding to customize pages—an unexpected but formative step into visual storytelling. Later, a job at a retail portrait studio taught him how to work with people, streamline workflows, and deliver under pressure. Eventually, as many photographers discover, someone he knew got married, and he was pushed into photographing his first wedding.
“Honestly, it’s probably not my greatest moment. Weddings were one of the scariest things in the world that I ever did. But there was enough to capture me.”
Image © Eighty-Eight Photo
Building Eighty Eight Photo: From DJ Collab to Full-Time Studio
After getting married in 2012, Sam connected with the DJ company from his own wedding. They wanted to start a photography division, and Sam became the lead photographer. When that company disbanded, he took a leap and launched Eighty Eight Photo as a solo venture.
“I was fortunate enough to have it pan out well.”
By 2014, weddings became his full-time focus. Today, he operates out of a brick-and-mortar studio near Cleveland, offering both portrait and wedding photography, with a signature style rooted in genuine emotion and unpredictable moments.
Image © Eighty-Eight Photo
Navigating COVID-19 with Communication and Community
Like many in the wedding industry, the pandemic hit hard. Sam’s wife was pregnant, weddings were postponed, and the world was full of uncertainty. Instead of waiting for chaos to unfold, Sam took a proactive approach.
“I reached out to a lot of local vendors here in Cleveland… we created a webpage, sent it out to everybody. Here’s what we’re going to do in terms of rescheduling.”
By prioritizing communication and predictability, Sam provided his clients and vendor partners with a sense of stability. Behind the scenes, he used the downtime to rebuild his website, implement automations, and deepen relationships with editing partners like Evolve.
“We kind of took it as a little bit of a vacation time. But we worked hard on the backend.”
Post-Pandemic Growth and Finding Balance
As the industry surged in 2021 with postponed weddings flooding the calendar, Sam and his team had to adapt quickly. But the roller coaster didn’t stop there. With changing economic conditions and a more saturated market, staying steady became the goal.
“The transition out of COVID has been insane… predictability is almost non-existent.”
Instead of chasing massive growth, Sam has focused on maintaining a consistent stream of clients, refining his customer experience, and building a brand that resonates deeply with couples looking for both artistry and reliability.
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Image © Eighty-Eight Photo
Why Sam Stands Out
At Eighty Eight Photo, Sam brings more than technical skill—he brings perspective, humor, and a genuine care for his clients. His journey proves that there’s no single path to success in photography. Whether you start with a camera in a retail studio or on a skateboarding forum, what matters most is your ability to adapt, connect, and create work that means something.
“There’s enough consistency to get efficient… but enough surprises to keep it interesting.”
Image © Eighty Eight Photo
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