We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wayne Polk, Jr.. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wayne below.

Alright, Wayne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

If I was starting over, I wouldn’t do anything differently. The way that I was introduced to this industry helped me grow as a human. After years of FREElance work for family and friends, my wife pulled me to the side and told me I deserved to be getting paid for, what I called, a hobby. So, as any smart man would do, I listened to my wife and purchased an iPhone 12 to start creating content. As I mentioned earlier, entering this industry helped me grow mentally & spiritually, so I really wouldn’t want to get to where I am today any faster. God placed everything and everyone in my path along the way that allowed for me to mature, learn, and establish strong relationships with quality individuals. After being in business for a little over 1 year, I don’t think I could have started off with less capital than the purchase of an iPhone 12. Have I invested a lot more along the way? Absolutely! But I was blessed to start where I did to get me to where I am.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well, where do I begin? My name is Wayne Polk, Jr and I would consider myself a late-bloomer into the cinematography industry. I’ve always been the guy at events taking pictures and shooting video because growing up I watched my God-mother countlessly taking pictures as a professional photographer. I did have a small stint where I wanted to do photography professionally but video seemed to pull my true attention. My wife, and God, gets all the credit for how I got into this industry. Without my wife, I wouldn’t be where I am today. As we sat at home watching old videos I put together, she asked me why I haven’t taken the necessary steps to do this professionally. I truly didn’t have an answer for her other than that I just enjoyed doing it as a hobby. She looked me right in my eyes and said, “Honey, you’re good at what you do, it’s time for you to start getting paid for your talents.” Precisely 2 days after that conversation, I went to the Sprint store and purchased an iPhone 12 (I was an Android owner at the time). The video quality of the iPhone 12, at the time, was very impressive and gave me the ability to produce some quality footage. I reached out to an old classmate from high school that did professional photography and asked if I could tagalong on a wedding or 2 to get some footage to help build my portfolio. Without hesitation, Arminta McKinney of ArmintaMcKinney Photography, gave me the opportunity to use my iPhone 12 to shoot a wedding and a few holiday photo shoots. I posted my content on all social media platforms until one day, my now mentor, George Bucur, reached out to give me some subtle advice about a wedding I posted. I took the constructive criticism to heart and made the appropriate adjustments, one of which was to get some “real equipment” if I wanted to land professional wedding gigs. The saying is “It Takes a Village”, and my village was pivotal in my career advancement as my brother Edward told me he wanted to invest in me and helped me get my first professional camera, the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k. Since the day my brother handed me that camera, I have not looked back. Under the tutelage of my Mentor, I have made numerous strides to becoming the best Cinematographer possible. I take a lot of pride in shooting weddings because I understand how special of a day that is for all involved. I enjoyed every bit of my wedding day so I can only push to provide others with the ability to look back and enjoy their memories over and over again. Ultimately, I aspire to find my name in the credits of a major motion picture one day. Until then, I will continue to provide my clients with quality customer service and produce videos that are sure to knock their socks off.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to find my name in the credits of a major motion picture one day.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Knowing that something I have created will essentially last forever, bringing countless memories to my clients. Watching their social media posts that are talking about how much they love our work. And honestly, being on set with a lot of my clients, or on location at a wedding, and forgetting that I’m there to work because everyone is vibing so strong. Yeah, that’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PSCMImagery.com
• Instagram: @PSCMImagery
• Facebook: PSCM Imagery, LLC
• Twitter: @PSCMImagery
• Youtube: PSCM Imagery

Image Credits
Arminta McKinney Photography

Suggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.