saving digital memories: behind @captain.sterling's lens
posted on 09.01.26
for the month of september, we're excited to feature tristan green - also known as @captain.sterling on instagram! he specializes in professional photography of keyboards and desk setups, while also dabbling in content creation and design. from chic photos to cinematic videos, we're going behind the camera to get to know him a little better. welcome, tristan!
setting up
for anyone discovering your work for the first time, could you introduce yourself and share one fun fact about yourself?
hey there, my name is tristan. i go by captain sterling online. i’m a full-time content creator, wedding photographer, and product photographer who happens to love all things keyboards.
one fun fact about myself is that i love pumpkin spice lattes, and i’m so excited for fall to roll back around. it’s my favorite season.
selecting a subject
photography can involve all kinds of niches, but what makes keyboards especially fun to shoot for you?
i think for me, what’s so exciting about keyboards is seeing how far a designer can push a theme on a keyboard or keycap set. it truly makes every single build different, not only in looks but in sound and feel too.
this makes for a perfect photo subject since you always have some new element to try and feature in the photos. occasionally, i’ll even shop around for supporting props to really dial in a theme for the photos too.
we all know you have a professional camera setup for taking photos, but what do you like to reach for to capture your day-to-day moments?
this is actually a great question. i hate taking out my professional camera gear from the office because it just feels like work.
my daily carry camera is actually an old fujifilm X100F. it still has the film simulations, so i can get that retro feel in my images. even then, sometimes i just carry my iphone 17 pro when i don’t even want to fuss with carrying a bag or camera around my shoulders.
the best camera is the one you have with you anyway, right?
if someone looked through your camera roll, what would they find the most of besides keyboards?
pictures of my son or pictures of my coffees.
i’m sure my family is quite happy with the constant life updates i send them. it’s cool to keep everyone in the loop on all of his little accomplishments. however, i can’t say the same about my friends and the constant photos i send them of my latte art.
i take photos of my latte art daily to try to study where i can improve and keep tabs on my progress. coffee is a whole different beast of a hobby, but i love it so much.
life in motion
what does a perfect saturday look like for you?
a perfect saturday may be going to the donut shop with my son, making lattes for my wife and i, and going to the park to play, or staying in and watching movies.
i love taking my weekends to really soak up time with my wife and son. they’re truly the most important things in my life.
if you could keep one osume collection forever, which would it be and why?
maybe mori? i always loved the earth tones of that set specifically. i’m a big fall guy, so i always gravitate toward that color palette.
that is easily one of my top five osume sets so far!
designing from memories
if you could design an osume collection around a personal memory, what memory would it be?
wow, this is a tough one.
part of me wants to say the various aquatic trips we would go on with my late father. whether it was trips to the water park, fishing on the boat, or spending days riding around the lake, a deep lagoon color palette could be fun.
otherwise, maybe my snowy visits to colorado. the snow skiing, snowman building, hiking, and bundling up in all of the thick clothes. i’m a sucker for a snowy mountain view.
connect with the creator
you can find more of tristan's content on instagram @captain.sterling!
looking to integrate osume products into your setup? get inspired with some of tristan's favourites
