We recently connected with Ed Hafizov and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ed, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
When most creatives hear “CRM,” their eyes glaze over. Five years ago, I was one of them. To me, CRMs were for cold-callers in suits, not for offbeat photographers chasing waterfalls or filming Mitzvahs on the dance floor. But as my business grew, I realized that spreadsheets, sticky notes, and even platforms like ShootQ , Tave, HoneyBook, 17Hats were holding me back. They were rigid—designed more for industry averages than for unconventional studios like mine, where I might be editing an underwater maternity session one day, a dudeoir series the next, or pitching a high-energy Mitzvah shoot in between daring engagement concepts.
That’s when I discovered Zoho One. At first, it felt like I was stepping into a toolbox meant for large corporations. And it kind of is—Zoho isn’t built for photographers specifically, which is why it’s not well-known in our world. But that’s exactly what made it so flexible. With a bit of tech-savvy and a background in economics, I was eager to put in the time to mold it into a powerhouse that fits my chaotic, creative business. From customized lead pipelines to automated follow-ups based on my own logic, website visitor tracking that scores potential clients, AI chatbots that cover me while I shoot, and a full-blown knowledge base that integrates across channels—email, SMS, social, and web chat. I run booking, billing, analytics, forms, and even social media cross-posting from one unified platform, all for one low fee. I’m saving hundreds per month versus juggling a Frankenstein of individual apps. For solopreneurs or lean teams like mine, it’s not just efficient—it’s a quiet revolution behind the scenes.
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?
I’m Ed Hafizov, also known as Zorz—creative director and lead photographer at Zorz Studios, a boutique photography and filmmaking studio based in Manhattan. I work across New York City, the Poconos, and anywhere a client’s vision dares to take us—from Alaska to India. My specialty? Creating alluring, offbeat, and emotionally resonant work that challenges comfort zones—both mine and my clients’.
My path into photography was as non-linear and bold as my style. With a background in computer science and economics, I started off in a corporate setting, but the pull of creative storytelling—especially visual storytelling—was too strong to ignore. What began as a personal exploration eventually evolved into a full-time career nearly two decades ago. Since then, I’ve embraced a fearless approach to photography, shooting everything from underwater maternity sessions and dudeoir portraits to elegant weddings and high-energy Mitzvahs with a music video twist. I’m proud to say my work has been recognized by Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Maxim, Adobe, and more, and I’ve earned awards from Fearless Photographers™, Rangefinder, and Grace Ormonde’s Platinum List.
What sets me apart isn’t just lighting technique or post-production wizardry—it’s how deeply I dig into each story. I don’t settle for cookie-cutter poses or generic smiles. I want to make art that sticks with you, something that feels like you but bolder, deeper, sometimes even a little uncomfortable—in the best way. I combine editorial flair with raw, real emotion, whether I’m working with a bride in stilettos or a soccer-playing Bat Mitzvah girl in cleats.
I solve a core problem many clients don’t even realize they have: playing it too safe. My mission is to create work that defies trends, avoids clichés, and becomes something personal, timeless, and often daring. I’m most proud when a client tells me, “You made me feel something I didn’t expect,” or “I’ve never seen myself like this before.” That means we’ve done more than just take a photo—we’ve made a statement.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Photography didn’t start as my career—it started as a side hustle born out of a creative itch I could no longer ignore. I spent over a decade in the corporate world of pharmaceuticals, specifically clinical research. It was stable, structured, and intellectually engaging… but it wasn’t me. I come from an artistic background—I used to draw and paint—and after years of spreadsheets and protocol reviews, I felt this intense pull to create again. So in 2006, I bought a basic SLR camera, not to start a business, but to reconnect with that part of myself.
What happened next surprised even me. I joined a photography community (this was pre-Facebook), and one of the members modeled for my first shoot. Her friend followed. The third shoot? A paying client. From there, word-of-mouth and referrals took over. Shoots got bigger, more diverse, more daring. Before long, I was juggling two full-time jobs: corporate by day, photo shoots and editing by night and weekend. I traveled nationally and internationally for clients while still clocking in at my day job. It was unsustainable—and I had to choose. I picked passion over guaranteed financial comfort. That leap gave birth to Zorz Studios.
Scaling up wasn’t fueled by venture capital or trendy ads—it was persistence, personalization, and a refusal to stay in a creative lane. Every bold maternity shoot, offbeat engagement session, or stylized Mitzvah video became part of the foundation. It’s been nearly 20 years since I picked up that first camera, and I’ve never looked back.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Hands down, the biggest contributor to my reputation wasn’t just my art—it was my corporate background. I spent 11 years in clinical research within the pharmaceutical industry, and for the last 5 of those, I was pulling double duty—working full-time in the corporate world while building my photography business on nights and weekends. It was basically a decade-long bootcamp in responsibility: standard operating procedures, brutal deadlines, team meetings, performance reviews, status updates, follow-up emails, and supporting a field force of 100 while managing a team of my own. That experience taught me how to deliver—on time, with clear communication, professionalism, and business ethics baked in.
So when I transitioned into photography full-time, I didn’t show up as just another creative with a camera—I came in as an artist on business steroids. Clients weren’t just hiring someone with a unique visual voice; they were hiring someone who actually answers emails, meets deadlines, shows up early, plans obsessively, and follows through. That combination of right-brain artistry and left-brain discipline built trust fast—and trust is the backbone of reputation in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zorzstudios.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/zorzstudios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZorzStudios
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zorz-studios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZorzStudios
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ZorzStudios
- Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/zorz-studios-new-york
- Other: http://pinterest.com/zorzstudios
Image Credits
Zorz Studios