Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Guzman.
Hi Brian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was always taking photos with those disposable cameras we would get from Walgreens for field trips. However, I didn’t really get into Photography itself until around Junior year of high school when for a project, we had to make a website that would reflect our dream jobs. For me, Photography was considered something interesting, and exactly that, a dream. Eventually in 2019, after graduating high school and going into nursing school, I used my photography to make some extra money on the side. Everything was going well until around July of 2020. We were mid covid, My nursing classes became distance education, and amidst everything, my mother was terminally ill. She eventually passed around mid-July, I stopped going to school, and bills were coming up so I decided to just take the leap and lean all the way into my photography. About a month later, I was doing studio Photography with one light and learning as much as I could. I spent the next year learning as much as I could about business and mastering my craft. Around early 2021 I met my mentor John Gress, a Chicago-based photographer, who has been helping guide me through the process of learning and mastering lighting. At the same time, I was working for a camera store learning all about the equipment. I’ve come a long way from where I was a year ago and I continue to work towards my goals of doing beauty and fashion. I grow with every shoot and that is one of the best feelings by far.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road unfortunately. As I mentioned before, My mother passed away in the process and for a while, it felt like my career and future got swept from under my feet. After a long time battling the loss of a job and working non-stop on my photography, I’m finally in a spot where I can really see the progress and I’m really happy with where I am going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a portrait Photographer specializing in Beauty, Fashion, and corporate headshots. I am generally known for my knowledge of; and use of studio lighting. Studio Lighting is one of the most important things in Photography, yet it’s the hardest and least sought-after skill in photography.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
One of the happiest moments I always have in Photography is seeing the growth in my work and knowing how much work, sweat, and tears went into it. As far as clients go; I get extremely excited when a subject thinks they don’t look great and then they look at the picture and their whole expression and mood change. They almost turn into a different person per se.
Contact Info:
- Email: brianguzman@shadowstockphotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowstockphotos/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shadowstockphotos
