Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaiah Vela.
Isaiah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
First, I’d like to say, hard times make you realize where you are supposed to really be in life, they don’t say pressure makes diamonds for just any reason, they say it because it’s fact. I am not at all saying that I am a diamond, but in fact, I am attempting to instill confidence in whoever is reading this article. For anyone who is in a hard or negative space right now, just remember all it takes is an idea, a plan and the motivation to better yourself. That pressure you feel, it is what it takes for you to create your own diamond appearance, experience and future.
Now with that said, I’d like to introduce myself, my name is Isaiah Vela, better known as “Zay” or “ZayD,” and I am the sole owner and operator of Zayd Productions, a company that aims to capture its client’s memories and help create their client’s vision in any way possible. In short, I am a photographer and videographer here in Austin, TX. I wouldn’t say this all came to be by accident, but in a way, it could be viewed as that. Growing up I was never interested in cameras or taking pictures of people, it wasn’t until after I graduated from high school that I became interested in this area, and initially, it was only a hobby as I still was working a full-time job.
This journey truly takes off due to some of the talents of my closest friends, one being a professional dancer and the other being an upcoming music artist. I began to film my friend, who is a dancer, when he asked if I’d be willing to help him put some content out into the world. Of course, I agreed as I am willing to help my people in any way possible. So, my videography journey began with an iPhone and iMovie. My photography journey began simply with me being a natural photo taker with my iPhone. Soon I was always the go-to for any of my friends who wanted impromptu photos taken while we were out. That turned into me using basic filters to create more professional-looking photos with my iPhone to me beginning to use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to edit the photos I had taken.
As time passed, I eventually invested in my first professional camera and took my hobby to new heights. It wasn’t until last year when Covid took over the world and I lost my job and was put into a difficult position that I decided to take my hobby and turn it into a profession and start my entrepreneurship journey. Along with enormous support from family and friends, I am now able to be my own boss and freely explore the benefits of being an entrepreneur. For anyone who is looking to become their own boss and take the same journey as the other entrepreneurs in this world, my advice to you is to DO IT! But, know it will not be easy, you will face some of the hardest times ever, you will work more than someone who works a 9-5, it is endless. Once you understand all of that, that is when you will know why so many of us choose this path.
Getting to where I am today was not easy, but with faith, help from the man above and my friends and family, I am here, I am doing something that I love and I have so much more in store, ZayD Productions is only the beginning. I strive for so much more, not only for my benefit but for the benefit of my family, my friends and anyone who has helped me along the way!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The decision to go from working for someone else, to working for yourself never leads a smooth road. You learn so much about yourself, both positive and negative. The positives are always going to come from you learning lessons from all the negatives. The struggle truly comes from the unknowns, you are in new territory, an area of life that you aren’t familiar with, and that can be scary.
I struggled financially ever since I lost my job and decided to work for myself. I struggled with making decisions because every decision I made directly affected me and I didn’t want to make a decision that was going to put me in a difficult position. I struggled with time management at times because now that I work for myself, I don’t have to answer to anyone. So, it can become really easy to let yourself waste a whole day just because you can, and that’s a very bad habit to fall into. The moral of the story is, there will always be struggles, you will always get knocked down and have to find your way again. But, that’s what it’s all about, that’s how you learn. You have to just keep moving forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a videographer and photographer, truly I dabble in all sorts of areas. My videography includes areas such as producing music videos, commercials for small businesses, dance videos for professional dancers, dance instructors who teach classes, athlete highlight reels and vehicle video edits. My photography includes portrait photography, such as family and individual, engagement photography, wedding photography, and vehicle photography. If I were to choose my specialty, I would have to go ahead and stick with the areas that got me to where I am. Meaning my specialty in videography would be music videos, I truly enjoy creating a story for music, music of any genre. In photography, I would say I specialize in portrait photography, specifically individuals. I enjoy working with one person and capturing their beauty and bringing out their qualities.
I can say I’m pretty well known for my portrait photography, I’ve been praised many times for my photos. People favor my ability to capture their beauty at certain angles and really bring a photo to life. I am truly most proud of myself, and I don’t mean to sound selfish, but anyone who has taken such a journey, they would understand. I am proud of the growth and lessons I have learned throughout, I’m just proud to make it this far and be where I am and who I am.
What sets me apart from others in my profession, I feel, is the time I take to create a vision for whatever type of shoot I am about to do. I’m big on creating a vision, I feel like to be creative you have to be able to see the beginning and end as well as everything else in between. When it comes to videography, I like to take the time to create a vision, a story for what I’m about to film. Everyone likes a good story and that’s what I like to do, create a story that viewers can enjoy.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy? Well, I can make it simple and say the process of creating something is what makes me happy, and while that is true… I can also say that isn’t the sole thing that puts a smile on my face. What makes me happy is seeing others happy, when I see someone smile at the work, I produce for them, that’s what makes it all worth it. Seeing that person happy with their photos or with their videos and knowing that they understand what it took to create that vision, that’s what makes me happy. Everything is just a vision, its a story, everyone has a story and if I can capture just a piece of that story and be a part of it just for a little while, then I can say, well my job is done here…
Pricing:
- “Z Photo Pack”- 1 Hour Single Location Photo Session, 30 Downloadable Edited Images $275
- “Get a Pic of My Car!” Photo Pack- 1 Hour Single Location, 25 Downloadable Edited Images $250
- “I Need A Commercial” Film Session- Single Location, Up to 3 Hour Film Session, Up to 2 Minute Commercial $475
- “I Make Music Sometimes” Music Video Package- Single Location, Half Day on Set $300
- “Seen My Dance Class?” Video Session- Single Location, Up to 2 Minute Promo $130
Contact Info:
- Email: info.zaydproductions@gmail.com
- Website: ZayDProductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zay_d_productions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zaydproductions
Image Credits
Kareem Moore, Terrell Clark
