We were lucky to catch up with Annie Schutz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It was very, very random. I was always really creative, was always involved in music and theatre, thought I wanted to be a performer all my life. But when I got into college and started trying new things, I ended up taking a media production class and my love for photography and film took off from there. My whole vision shifted, and set off on an entirely new career path, I haven’t taken my foot off the gas panel since then.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Well I’m 23-years-old, and a Tennessee native. I moved to the west coast when I was 14, and my life really changed. My parents were also extremely supportive of any of my creative endeavors and when I finally figured out that being a Photographer and Creative Director was what I wanted, everything really started to fall into place. I started working in sports when I was 20, as a camera operator in broadcast media—I was never a sports fan, but I formed a lot deep connections with athletes I met while in school, and that led to documenting a lot of their progress and lives as college athletes. That’s really where I found my love for photography. I graduated with a Film degree and continued freelancing with the NBA, MLS, NWSL, and various media outlets like ESPN, Red Bull, and The Oregonian.

I’m a really passionate photographer, extremely community driven and on a mission to authentically showcase athletes, especially those who come from marginalized communities. I’m a great action photographer, but what makes my work unique is I capture the whole picture, I look for my subject’s truths, and I share the whole journey. The story is the most important part of photography for me, and I really hone in on the best ways to genuinely connect fans with their favorite athletes. I’m extremely proud of my editing style, I don’t think anyone does it like me, I try to make my work stand out with the attention to detail that I give every image. Being a film student really gave me the color grading cheat sheet, so I really have to shout out my old professors.

Now I’m a full-time Producer for the NBA/Cleveland Cavaliers, and I freelance in the music scene as well, photographing concerts, festivals, and lifestyle with musicians.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My overall mission for my photography is to humanize athletes and artists, especially those of color. More often than not, Black athletes are seen as sources of entertainment and not people; it’s give, give, give, and I think that’s where connection and community starts to fall. So my work is to just remind people that these athletes and artists from marginalized communities are much more than the entertainment they provide for us. They’re talented, they’re passionate , they’re unique, they’re cultured, and they deserve to documented in a genuine and respectful way.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Just be yourself! Be genuine about what you care about, and put actual work into connecting with likeminded individuals!

I’ve never really thought of myself as a “presence” on social media until this past year. I think it helps that I just try to be myself? I’m not trying to be an influencer, I’m really just trying to share art that I’m proud of. And when you come to my pages, you’re going to get all of me. I’m Black, I’m a queer woman, I’m passionate about my communities, and it’s so important to me to be loud about what I believe in. I won’t tone myself down for anyone or any industry I’m a part of, so I think just keeping it real has help me grow on these platforms. Plus I’m hilarious and extremely charming, so, follow me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annieschutz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annieschutz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-schutz-304251186/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/annieshoots_
• Other: https://gondola.cc/annieschutz