We were lucky to catch up with Andrey Boltyansky recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Andrey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

I think that we always view fear as this strong reaction to terrifying situations without ever considering the little, quieter fears that can hold us back in so many ways. If I was starting over, I would have begun this process years ago. I don’t regret the years I spent working other jobs instead of pursuing my photography full-time, but I definitely wish I’d committed to it sooner. I could have gotten to where I’m at today much quicker, not with more money or equipment or clients, but with more courage.

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 father was a photographer in Ukraine in the Soviet Union when he was my age. He developed film in his bathtub and traded his college professors photography sessions for good grades. Many years later, he bought me my first camera and I’ve done my best to continue the tradition.

I’m not necessarily developing film in my bathtub, but I’ve recently decided to pursue my photography full time which is an opportunity my dad never had. I have worked in construction and marketing while growing my business for years on the side.

I specialize in weddings and portrait work, and on the commercial side, I do architectural and interior photography. I’ve recently worked closely with Airbnb, which was a treat! Many of my commercial clients are architects, interior designers, property managers, and realtors.

One of the things I love doing across all of my specialties is capturing warmth and naturalness. Both relationships and living spaces have those essential qualities within them, but the real trick is making them shine.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I’d say it’s two-fold. The first thing is that being a creative is still work and it’s still a job and it still gets old sometimes. Where others might joke that it’s not a real job or that it isn’t hard, the truth of the matter is that it’s just as hard and frustrating a job as any other at times. That being said, I do still love it!

The other aspect is that self-doubt is pretty much an unavoidable part of the job. No matter how good you are, there are others all around you who are much better or more experienced. Thanks to social media, you’ll be exposed to that all the time. The trick is using those feelings to drive yourself forward and improve and never let them hold you back.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I’d say this is #2 on the list of things I wish I’d gotten in on early and sold quickly. Unfortunately, early retirement isn’t looking too good for me.

#1 would be Bitcoin.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.swankyboltstudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swanky_bolt_studios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090329027334
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrey-boltyansky-04051567/

Image Credits
Andrey Boltyansky