We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marshall Haque. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marshall below.
Marshall, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
A risk I’ve taken? I think other then to express ones self, taking risks is what been an artist is all about. To keep pushing yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone to learn more about art or even yourself. For me, I could say something big like when I said yes to being the official photographer for megacon in Orlando, but what I’m going to say is the first portrait shoot I ever did. Because without that first step I wouldn’t have made that bigger step to megacon. The first step is always the biggest risk because it’s the only thing deciding on if you make that second one or not. At the beginning of my photography journey the one subject I always told my self I wouldn’t shoot was portraits of any kind. I was just too scared of the judgment of anyone I’d photograph. I had no confidence in my self, but after I graduated from college I realized that it was now or never. I scrolled and scrolled on instagram and DM’d every cosplayer that came across my screen, telling the who I was and offering my photography for free. When not one but multiple accounts answered I was excited to see all the yes’s that would flood my inbox but I was instead seeing no’s. Not until there was one “yes”, a cosplayer who was new to the cosplaying scene. I thought perfect, someone who may not judge me for my skills. It didn’t stop my nerves from hitting my the days coming up to the shoot but I never backed out and stuck with it. The shoot happened and with it so came more of that imposter syndrome but it didn’t come to when I started editing that the shoot actually went well. Sure, I sweat through the whole thing I was so nervous. But I was proud of all the photos I had taken, and so was the cosplayer. From then on it was just a matter of “taking another step” and then another. And from then on I shot cosplayer after cosplayer and later even did a wedding. I consider that my favorite “risk” I have taken.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My artistic journey didn’t start with photography, it actually started with drawing! As a kid growing up I always had an interest in drawing and it was usually the only thing I did in my free time when I wasn’t making stop motion lego short films. Being born in Mexico and moving to the states when I was young, my family never stayed in one place. We moved a lot and with that I got to first hand view and understand the different communities in America and a sense of wonder started to grow. I would draw anything I could see, and even made my own self made comics in elementary school that I would give to the different kids to pass around and read. As I started getting older and learning more about art and myself I started to grow an interest in photography and cinematography. Once I got my first started camera I spent most of the time I used for drawing and turned it into learning how to take simple photos and how to make them visually interesting to look at. I would set up different items in my kitchen like a pot of flowers or a coffee cup and just try to see how I could take the most interesting photo I could with what I had set up. As I started to learn the subjects themselves got more interesting themselves. Taking photos of my pets would turn into sitting in the garden and taking photos of any kind of insect I could find. My photography and artistic journey sat here for a bit as I was in high school but when looking for colleges I found a film school in Florida, which was across the country from where I was in Minnesota. One thing about me is when I have my mind set on something I do everything I can to make it happen, and next thing I know, I had my entire family traveling down to Florida with me where I went to Full Sail University. The school itself was okay, but I was put in a position where I got to play with the real deal when it comes to camera equipment and lighting and with that I found my self being the cinematographer in every school project I was apart of. Full Sail also put me in a position to meet some amazing friends, some I will have for a lifetime. With my newfound knowledge of the technical side of film and cameras, once I graduated I found the confidence to actually go out and start making my passion and hobbies into a job. One thing came from another and I found my self photographing weddings, and shooting music videos and making more friends along the way. If I had told Marshall from high school I had done all of this he wouldn’t have believed me. The type of photography I found my self most drawn to was cosplay. The cosplays people are able to pull together tell a story in itself and when that is put together with photography or cinematography, I have the time of my life putting it all together. I pride my self on becoming friends with almost everyone I work with because I find that, that is where some of my best work comes from. I never wanted to be a photographer who limits his shoots to a strict time frame or a certain amount of photos returned because if I’m shooting and there’s still art to be made then why would I put a stop to that? This is something I’ve told my self I would never change because I started my journey having fun with a passion for art and having fun while I create, and it is something I will bring with me throughout.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The age old question for artists is “Would you still be doing this if no one was watching?”. And I like to thing that I would. I love making books filled with my photography and having it be for no one else but me to really look at and appreciate the pictures I’ve taken, as well as the journeys I’ve been on and the people I have met. But if I were to ask what the most rewarding thing is, it is seeing other people appreciate my work. Seeing the look people have when they see I have captured something for them to cherish forever always makes it all feel worth it and it pushes me to create and capture more. Seeing someone use a photo I have taken as a profile photo or even just posting about it or framing it in their home always feels rewarding. This is especially magnified when I am photographing a wedding. Knowing I am there to capture a very special day between two people so they can have and cherish the photographs forever almost feels magical. I recently got engaged to my amazing and beautiful fiancé, and my brother and one of my best friends captured the moment for me, and knowing I get to have that forever is wonderful. If any of the people receiving my photographs feel an ounce of how I felt getting to keep that memory forever, then I am more then happy to keep doing what I do.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I always felt that I was given the short hand of the stick when it comes to being pushed on social media of any kind. I grew my following slow and steady, even till today. Moving around so much my entire life it was always hard to make and keep solid connections and friends as it always felt like I had to “start over”. It does come with its upsides though. For one the following I have created feels close to me, like I have created my own close community of people who enjoy my art and know me as a person a lot closer then if I had too many people to talk to or get to know. My advice for anyone feeling like they can’t grow fast enough or can’t get any views is to remember that going at your own pace isn’t a bad thing. Trust the process, the people that do follow you, interact with them and soon it will feel more like a community then just a list of followers. Don’t be afraid to take that next step or go out of you’re comfort zone because as you’re art changes and grows and evolves, so will the people interacting with you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallhaque/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@visualshotz845
