We recently connected with Elizabeth Zuluaga and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It was my first semester in College and I needed to take an elective. I already had a full load with all my classes I had chosen thus far so I decided to take a dark room photography class to balance things out. I knew I loved taking pictures and I always loved the arts so I was very excited to have these 3 hours each week dedicated to something that brought me joy.

Our first assignment was a freebie. We were told to walk around campus and take pictures of whatever we wanted and then come back and develop the film ourselves. We would present our work the following week to the class. As I wandered around campus, I came across a guy smoking under a tree. He had a mohawk and was very punk rock. I asked him if I could photograph him and he politely obliged. I think I took three photos and was then on my way.

The following week as we all presented our work, I got lots of positive feedback on my photo of my punk rock guy and it was displayed in the glass case located in the hallway of the building. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue photography and so, I did.

Elizabeth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I help elevate brands with unique, beautiful imagery to showcase on their websites and social media platforms. So many brands are doing incredible things, but so often they do not have professional photos to show off their business in the best way. That’s where I come in! I help brands strategize the photography they need most, whether it’s portraiture, product, fashion or lifestyle images. There’s a styling element to things, moodboards, a lot of communication, vision and forethought.

I was definitely always that girl with a camera in hand, but it wasn’t until College that I discovered my true love of photography. I knew then that I wanted to pursue an artistic career and I’m so glad I stuck to it. My passion for styling, fashion and portraiture led me to focus my business on commercial and branding photography with a focus on lifestyle, fashion and sustainability.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the community it has brought me. Society tells you that being an artist is a lonely, solitary life, but that doesn’t have to be the case at all! Early on in my photography career, I didn’t know how to seek my peers out and I didn’t surround myself with other creatives. I felt so alone in my pursuits and it made the journey anything but fun and inspiring.

However, about six years ago I moved from Los Angeles to Seattle and everything changed. I joined Facebook groups, learned how to get involved in community events and I started saying yes to any invite I got. Soon I found such an array of beautiful artists who share in the arts with me and understand what it means to run a small business. We support each other and celebrate each other’s wins. This kind of community is something I wish I would have fought for from the beginning because it has been such a game changer for me.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My audience is small, but mighty and it took me a while to embrace that. I used to feel like the amount of followers dictated my value in the industry, but it actually has absolutely nothing to do with it. Once I realized that if I just focused on who WAS following me and spoke directly to them, I would have such a bigger impact on my community and potential clients. I started worrying less on a perfectly curated feed and more on creating great work. Each week I plan out the week’s content and spend my energy writing about what is currently inspiring me, showcasing my latest work, blogging about things that bring me joy and ultimately bringing people into my world. I get personal, I say what I mean and I share things I feel add value, not fluff. If you can do that, your audience will begin to trust you and keep coming back for more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizabethzuluaga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellyzuluaga/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethzuluagaphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-zuluaga-2496798/