Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Catherine Asanov. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Catherine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
Absolutely—I’ve been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work, but it definitely wasn’t like that from day one.
It was my high-school art teacher, Mr.Lark who saw a vision in me and helped me. Long story short there- he believed in me and pushed me so hard to the point where I won awards and landed a full scholarship to SCAD, and then graduated valedictorian. My journey has been long, layered, and built on years of persistence, refinement, and reinvention.
I started out like most creatives do: with passion, a camera, and a vision that was much bigger than my bank account. I was grateful to have some mentors along the way who allowed me to see what it was like running a business. In the beginning of moving to LA after college, I took on anything I could—test shoots, low-budget gigs, small brand lookbooks, assisting, you name it. Also a ton of smaller scale design work! I wasn’t making a sustainable living yet, but I was building a foundation: my eye, my style, and my portfolio.
My first major milestone was narrowing in on the type of work I wanted to be known for—high-fashion, elevated advertising imagery with bold color, strong concepts, and a luxury edge. Once my style became consistent and recognizable, bigger opportunities started opening up.
My second milestone was treating myself not just as an artist, but as a business.
I focused on tightening my brand identity ,refining my client experience, marketing consistently, building relationships
and keeping a consistent and fast turn around time and level to my clients.
This shift helped me transition into working with premium clients and household names—brands Sony Music, NBC, Ritz-Carlton, DreamWorks, Jennifer Lopez, Sunglass Hut, Badgley Mischka, Clergerie and more. That’s when my creative work officially became my full-time career.
Could I have sped up the process?
If I could go back, I would have set boundaries and charged properly from the start! I think there were some projects I invested so much of myself into that did not have the pay off… but some that absolutely did!
But every step—even the slow, messy ones—taught me something that shaped the artist and businesswoman I am today.
So yes, I make my living entirely through my creativity now. But it happened because I showed up consistently, invested in myself, built a distinct visual identity, and kept aiming higher. It’s a marathon, not an overnight moment—and it’s still evolving.
Catherine, 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?
For those who may not know me, my name is Catherine Asanov. I’m a Los Angeles–based photographer and director. I have a passion beyond photography where it collides with advertising, branding, and storytelling.
I’ve always been drawn to visual worlds—color, symbolism, fantasy, elegance, and the intersection of art and commerce. Photography became the medium where all of those pieces found a home. I started shooting when I was 16, experimenting in the darkroom with an 8×10 camera and creating conceptual nonsense which made sense- eventually that is! Over time, that curiosity evolved into a refined visual language—bold, cinematic, polished, and emotionally expressive—which eventually became the signature style my clients now hire me for.
How I got into the industry:
My career really began with saying yes to every opportunity that allowed me to create. I shot editorials, lookbooks, product campaigns, and passion projects that helped me refine my aesthetic. As I developed a stronger point of view, bigger clients started taking notice. Each step taught me more about how to combine artistry with strategy—how to make imagery not just beautiful, but effective, aspirational, and aligned with a brand’s identity.
What I do now / the services I provide:
Today, my work spans:
• Luxury fashion photography
• Advertising campaigns
• Branding, visual identity, and creative direction
• High-end product and jewelry photography
• Conceptual storytelling for emerging and established brands
• Web design and social media aesthetics
• Rebranding and full-scale visual makeovers
I help clients elevate their brand presence through imagery that feels intentional, premium, and emotionally resonant. Whether it’s a global campaign or a boutique brand’s first major shoot, my goal is always the same: to create visuals that stop people in their tracks and make them feel something.
What problems I solve for my clients:
Most brands come to me because they know what they want to feel like—but not how to visually communicate it.
I help them:
• define their visual identity
• create cohesive, luxury branding
• stand out in oversaturated markets
• elevate their perceived value
• communicate their story through imagery
• attract premium clients or customers
I blend the eye of an artist with the strategy of a marketer. Beautiful images alone aren’t enough—my clients trust me because I think in terms of brand growth, positioning, and emotional impact.
What sets me apart:
• A distinct, recognizable aesthetic—rich color, cinematic lighting, refined composition
• A background in both photography and brand strategy
• The ability to concept, produce, and execute full campaigns
• A focus on emotional narrative within luxury visual design
• A collaborative, highly prepared on-set energy that clients appreciate
• High production value and attention to detail
• The range to do both artistic editorial work and results-driven commercial work
Clients often tell me that working with me feels like having both a creative partner and a brand strategist in one- but also a friend they can rant to when life gets overwhelming.
What I’m most proud of:
Honestly—my longevity. Staying in this industry, evolving with it, and continuing to build a career that’s 100% creative is something I’m deeply proud of. I’m also proud of the trust I’ve earned from major brands, the young artists I’ve mentored, and the fact that I’ve built a recognizable visual identity in such a crowded space.
What I want people to know about me and my work:
My brand centers around transformation—taking ideas, products, people, or moments and elevating them into something iconic. Every project for me is an alchemy: a mix of color, emotion, light, intention, and storytelling.
I want potential clients and followers to know that I’m committed to excellence, but also to authenticity. I’m not here to churn out generic content—I’m here to create something meaningful, stylish, and memorable that actually moves the needle for their brand.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
My view on NFTs is very straightforward: I’m not a supporter.
To me, NFTs were a speculative trend with no real artistic, cultural, or long-term value. I’ve always believed that art already carries its own form of protection through copyright. We don’t need an energy-draining blockchain certificate to validate creativity. The environmental cost alone—massive energy usage and water consumption—makes it something I personally cannot stand behind. Instead of elevating art, the NFT movement often commodified it in the most superficial way possible.
I’m also very anti–AI art, and I say that with intention.
AI art has no soul, no lived experience, no emotion behind it—it is an algorithm remixing work that human artists created. It pulls from millions of copyrighted images without permission, and then spits out what is essentially a collage of other people’s intellectual property. That’s not innovation; it’s infringement. As an artist who has spent years crafting a distinct visual identity, I find the ethics of AI-generated imagery deeply problematic.
Art is meant to come from a human—our memories, our pain, our joy, our story, our voice.
AI can imitate style, but it cannot replicate spirit.
It cannot know what it means to create from intuition, instinct, experience, or emotional truth. For me, that’s non-negotiable. I’ll always stand for human-made art that is created with intention, skill, and soul.
If someone wants to invest in creativity, invest in real artists, real craft, and real vision—not digital shortcuts built on the backs of stolen work. As a tool- sure! But in my opinion there- people are mislabeling it as “AI” when it’s just a software enhancement.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
Funding my business wasn’t glamorous—in fact, it was extremely bare-bones.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I had maybe a couple thousand dollars to my name. There was no investor, no savings cushion, no family funding. It was just me, my vision, and whatever equipment I could afford at the time.
I bought the absolute basics—the cheapest things I could find that still allowed me to create. My first lights were budget lights. My stands were wobbly. My backdrop setup was improvised. Nothing matched, and nothing looked “professional” by industry standards. But I’ve always believed something important: light is light. If you understand how to shape it, you can make magic with almost nothing.
I learned to work with what I had… I stretched every dollar, and I put nearly all my income back into my craft.
Instead of waiting for perfect gear or a perfect studio, I focused on mastering technique, developing style, and building relationships. Clients didn’t hire me because I had the best equipment—they hired me because my vision came through no matter what tools I was using.
As my career grew, I upgraded slowly and strategically: one new lens here, a better light there… Everything was self-funded through shoots, grit, and consistency. Eventually got recognized and sponsored by Broncolor lighting who sponsored me as I did workshops for them.
Looking back, I’m grateful I started with nothing. It made me resourceful. It made me understand that creativity will always outperform gear. And it taught me that if you truly have the eye and the dedication, you can build a thriving creative business from almost zero.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.catherineasanov.com
- Instagram: @catherineasanov
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineasanov
Image Credits
All images copyright Catherine Asanov Photography