Here have this lovely behind the scenes photo of one of my shoots with @eminence while she was visiting me in Vegas. As i've gotten "older" i've started to care more about comfort over "fashion" I guess you could say, but these (out of focus) active sandals from Teva are the most comfy and they have GOLD GLITTER STRAPS, I mean... thats fashionable if you ask me. ;)
Life is CRAZY, as usual. I feel like I say that at least once in every blog I post. I suppose thats just my little added touch to talking about myself and my life. I am currently in limbo with trying to get my photography business finalized so I can try and make it my full time career! It's happening, slowly but surely and some of that is in part to many of you. Those of you who support me and my work here for Suicide Girls and those who even follow my non-SG photography elsewhere. I have been taking photos since I was in the 7th grade when I started "Publications class" working on the school newspaper and yearbook. I was quickly directed away from my previous love of writing and directed towards the world I saw through a camera lens. I continued with Yearbook into high school where they then were offering Film Photography classes and I left my heart in the darkroom. I spent two years aimlessly learning what I could about film photography before it slowly began to fade... I haven't shot with film in many years but i've had a camera pretty much attached to me since then. I started doing commissioned photography when I was a senior in high school. I did some of my friends Senior Portraits, and I even shot my own! Here I am 10+ years later and really wanting to make this passion i've had for this art my full-time career.
When I get back from my trip to New York I will be purchasing my state business license and making everything official. It just kinda stinks how EVERYTHING costs money and the majority of that money is going to the government because they have to stick their noses into everything and anything that anyone does. So, as soon as I get the money to do so, I will be taking that next step.
I am also going to look into taking a few photography and lighting courses just for fun somewhere in town. Not sure if I want to look into a college course or look elsewhere, but we will see where that takes me. Majority of what I know about shooting was learned in high school, or self taught via the interweb. I shoot COMPLETELY manually, most of the time even manually with my lenses as well. I am a Natural Lighting photographer and always have been but i'm looking to broaden my horizons and maybe dabble with some lighting equipment here and there!
Being an artist isn't easy, but it's definitely so rewarding. When you can feel proud of the images you shot and when your clients are happy- it's such a great feeling. Capturing memories, feelings, brief moments in time, there's just something really special about that. And the opportunities to create are so endless. I'm grateful that as a photographer I am able to work in many different areas, shooting for SG, doing boudoir, weddings, family, abstract, you name it- i'm up for trying it. Some days this work stresses me out, its hard to enjoy the beauty of the work that goes into being an artist and photographer when working two other jobs, having a wife and 7 animals, things get busy, they get hectic, and staring at a computer screen is sometimes the last thing I want to be doing, but I always find the silver lining when i'm able to come back to the passion I have thats burning inside of me for this work. I know that along the lines every meltdown, every uncertainty, every let-down will be 100% worth it. I know that the passion will continue to fuel my fire and take me far with this work.
Thank you for your support and love.
Always, Zen
