We were lucky to catch up with Alexej Matejka recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexej, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

I think the biggest challenge regarding profitability right now within the industry is that everyone has a camera on their phone. Photography is no longer seen as a skill worth paying for because non-photographers think that all that photography requires is a decent camera. In reality, being a good photographer requires so much time learning how to use the gear you have, learning how to edit, retouch, pose models, work with light, create and explain your vision, and so much more. I have had people ask me to take photos of them for free on more occasions than I can remember. I have been pursuing photography for more than five years and I find it extremely disrespectful when my skills that I have honed over time are reduced to a hobby. Photography is an intricate art and deserves to be treated as one.

Alexej, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I vividly remember the first time I took a photo and realized this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was in my grandmother’s backyard and snapped a photo of the shadow her bird cage had created. I have been obsessed ever since. I spend every moment I have available to me planning my shoots, talking to other artists and photographers, looking at art, editing, and promoting myself. Telling stories through my art has always been important to me, and I spend a lot of time regarding my shoots making sure everything is perfect and telling the narrative I have in mind. Making people feel beautiful and hearing them gasp when they see the photos we have created is the best feeling.

When I am not taking photos, I am writing. Writing has been my safe space in the darkest times of my life. My favorite thing to do is make people feel things when they read what I have written, drawing inspiration from my own experiences with heartbreak, abuse, and love. My favorite thing I have created is a zine of my photos and writing called “Soulmates to Strangers” which is a story based off of a heartbreak I experienced last year. They say a photo is worth a thousand words, why not have both?

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would have discovered the value of fine art earlier. Artists such as René Magritte, Meret Oppenheim, and Bruce Davidson have shaped the way I view art and photography, as well as writing. I think in the age of digital art and social media people forget about the value of seeing a physical piece of artwork. Walking through a gallery and experiencing the art physically is so incredibly important to your artistic journey. Getting your work printed is also extremely important because having your artwork in your hands make it feel so much more real.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is both incredibly stressful and incredibly fun to participate in as a creative. I post my work on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Most of my photography and model friends I have met through social media. Interacting with other artists is incredibly important to me and I feel very grateful to be able to do that. To have connections with artists that live in different countries, have different experiences, and cultures is a privilege I do not take lightly. Conversations with artists of different mediums and capabilities has helped me grow so much.

However, it often feels like a burden to cater to an algorithm that does not care about the value of my art. Sometimes I feel as if I am a slave to the whims of the app. I will post something I spent hours creating and it will be tossed into the void of a thousand other random posts. The posts that get the most traction will be something that I didn’t expect to be seen or appreciated, and it can be demoralizing. I believe many artists begin catering to what they think will be seen and slowly lose their creativity.

My advice is to take a step back and evaluate what you are trying to achieve. There are ways to quickly grow your audience on apps like Instagram and TikTok such as shock value and leaning into trends, but eventually that will drain your creative spark, so tread carefully. If you want to grow quickly, do research on the quantity and times that will be best for uploading videos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexejphoto.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexej_photo/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexej_photo
• Other: https://alexejphoto.bigcartel.com/ https://open.spotify.com/show/6ChqRJIetJ7rWrqa6Io4Mz?si=f83c88a98c9b41ac

Image Credits
Personal photo: Cameron Reed and credit to the models:

• @itsqueenoumy
• @ang3laya
• @arek.ayu97
• @zoriabreaux
• @adaizzy & @sarahwallaa
• ash.modeling17