Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Olsen.
Hi Sophia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I vividly remember the moment I decided to try out photography. I randomly decided to attend a high school extracurricular fair with a friend and there was a guy dressed up as a giant camera advertising the photography program and that was all the convincing I needed to join! I first started out on a 35 mm camera and I quickly fell in love with photography after that; I loved everything about developing the film and working in the darkroom. I shot on film for about three years before I began to shoot on digital. I was very fortunate to have amazing teachers who created such a great space to curate my style. I spent a good deal of time in that photo room during my time in high school. Looking back it is always so interesting to see how my style has evolved over the years. In high school I was always drawn to shooting landscapes, there was something about being in nature that was so compelling and I loved how each landscape was different and never the same. As the years have gone by I have developed a love for photographing portraits. I love being able to tell a story through my work and being able to capture people’s personalities in a photograph. Photography has always been a creative outlet for me and I love that I took a chance on it all those years ago.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In my opinion, there will always be challenges when choosing a creative career. I never expected that I would continue with photography past high school and make a career of it, but here I am! I decided on my first day of orientation that I was going to change my major to pursue photography and I never looked back! I think that one of the biggest struggles that I have faced is doubting myself and the art that I am creating. It is so easy to get lost in comparing yourself to other artists and their work and it is crucial to remind yourself that your vision is unique and that is a strength. Trying to create a career in this industry is also very difficult, I have struggled with marketing my work and charging for sessions. I recently also just began working at a studio and am so grateful for the opportunity! I get to work around and collaborate with other creatives and I now look forward to going to work everyday now!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have always used photography as a method of storytelling and photographing landscapes was my first way of creating a little world of my own. I was known for my noticeably empty landscapes that were characterized by soft lighting and colors. I loved photographing at golden hours and at dusk because the light would create the most beautiful otherworldly feeling and it rendered so beautiful on camera. When I first started photography to be so averse to taking portraits because I struggled with posing, but as I have become more comfortable with portraits I have found them to be such a fun challenge. I now love coming up with concepts and being able to bring them to life has been so rewarding. I still apply the same thought process I had when photographing landscapes to portraits and so my work is still defined by my love for soft colors and lighting! I think I have always been driven by storytelling and that has always been a constant when I am creating art and that has been the thing that separates my work from others.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I can say with absolute certainty that my favorite part of my city is the food! There are so many options to choose from here and it is almost impossible to run out of options. I can also easily say that my least favorite part of Houston is the traffic! I love that this city is huge and full of so many amazing people, but the traffic is mind-numbingly awful.
Pricing:
- 2 hour shoot – $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sophotozz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophotozz/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sophotozz
