We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Izzy Leto . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Izzy below.

Izzy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

I am beginning the process of doing photography more professionally and I have been working with clients around the city. As someone just starting, it has been difficult to figure out fair pricing for my photoshoots. For the most part, I do the set design, shooting, and editing myself. I source materials for the set or buy them for shoots, I do my best to use what I have available to me but sometimes that is not possible. I currently attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and have access to the studios there which makes everything a lot easier, I also get access to editing software through school. Throughout this process, I have been severely undercharging myself for my work. I struggle to feel that I can charge my work at high prices, I worry that people would not pay that much for my photos or that it would be a barrier. I want to make my work accessible to people but I also want to be paid fairly. Recently I had a client ask me what my prices were and they told me that I needed to charge more and they gave me a price that I never had imagined I could receive for my work. It was very eye-opening for me, I knew photography was hard to make money off of coming into this but it gave me a bit of hope for the future.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Izzy Leto and I’m a multi-disciplinary artist! I work in mediums ranging from drawing, painting, and sculpture to fashion, textiles, digital/film photography, and screen printing, I work in whatever medium I’m feeling inspired by at the moment and experimentation and play drives a lot of my work. My drawings/paintings and sculptures primarily have themes of healing, growth, self-reflection, childhood, and memory. However, my photographic work is not as conceptual.

I am currently a sophomore at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and am studying Fine Arts. Outside of school I am working towards doing photography more professionally and have worked with many clients around Minneapolis to make their vision come to life. I am very inspired by fashion photography and surrealism, I tend to blend the two in my photographic work.

Growing up I was surrounded by a family of artists, my mother is one of my main influences and heavily inspired me as a child. She always supported and encouraged me to create, her dream was to go to school for art but was never able to.
Around middle school, I began taking art more seriously and practiced consistently. I decided to leave the public school system I was in after middle school and switched to an Arts High School in Eden Prairie Minnesota where I developed my artistic voice and style. After high school I knew I wanted to continue pursuing art, I could not imagine doing anything else. I had applied and got accepted into MCAD where I have continued to push myself.

Something I am proud of is my ability to keep an open mind and always be willing to try new things, whether that is in my personal life, my art practice, or during photoshoots. I love to work intuitively and am not afraid of a challenge or setback.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I have found that social media is an extremely helpful tool at the moment, it helps my work reach a larger audience. I have an amazing group of friends that support me and repost my work which also assists in getting my work out there. I have also grown my clientele through the clients I work with, after they post photos from our photoshoot, people they follow reach out to me or show interest. Throughout the past year I have also made an effort to get involved in the art scene of Minneapolis and connect with other artists. I think it’s super important to learn from others, collaborate and put yourself out there to meet people. However I am still very new to this and am figuring everything out along the way.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Art has always been something that I have been passionate about, no matter what I do that is art-related or creative I always feel at peace and or like this is what I am meant to be doing. The process of creating is the most fulfilling part for me because I truly enjoy it and I love the way it makes me feel. I also feel that I learn so much each time I create, whether it’s something I figure out about myself, a new technique, or a solution, the process of my art is so important.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Izzy_Leto

Image Credits
Hollie Legget