Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lee Solo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lee, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The process and evolution of my knowledge isn’t something I think could have be sped up in any way really. I’ve never been much for schooling in the formal classroom, but always found success in practical application, and it’s been an interesting road to where I’m at now. I don’t think I would be the person I am without that path, including all the obstacles of life that came with it.

I think inevitably every skill I’ve ever learned becomes useful, but I know my early interest in music production and audio engineering gave me a foundation to build off, and while that was thrown for a ringer in 2015, it’s funny how it came back around years later (and back into it now ever since with video production).

But to be honest, so much of what I know in my current field of photo and video, is self-taught, along with a ton of youtube-university! So I don’t think there’s any excuse to not learn more in today’s world, as the education is right there for you to take!

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

Well my name is Lee Solo, or ShotBySolo, and I’m most known as a photographer/cinematographer who’s originally from Toronto, Canada. I’ve spent the past 6 years living between Toronto and Vancouver, as well as some time in Los Angeles, Cancun, and Europe, getting to do what I love to do as my living. But it’s a constant hustle!

As I was mentioning before, I worked as an audio engineer/producer for 10+ years, but then when my recording studio burned down in 2015, and one of the only working things left was the new DSLR camera I had just bought, so I took it as a sign of where to go next in life!

I was focused on just photography at first, and then progressed into the world of video production in 2018, and been hooked on it ever since. I love the ability to bring even more emotion and storytelling when combining moving-pictures with the art of sound design, and I know there’s so much more to learn and explore.

The business I have been operating since 2016, Shot By Solo, has grown over the years to include a Universal Music, Cineplex, CBC TV, Discovery & History Channels, Def Jam Recordings, and many more as previous clients. And something that keeps clients coming back is not only the quality of work in the final product, but even more so, the experience of working together. Being able to connect with a variety of people and personalities is crucial in projects going smoothly.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I think one of the biggest lessons of adulthood is the need for resilience, because the hard truth is no one is going to do it for you but your damn self.

I know some who follow me already heard it many times before, but the string of events that took place in 2015 really set me on a different path for life. My apartment building went up in flames and I had to go out the 3rd floor window, falling to the concrete below, but fortunately was not seriously injured, though all my stuff was torched/water-logged. But 8 weeks after that, my mother passed away from cancer at 58 years old. Then my dad passed away 4 years later. And in the midst of all this, I discovered, abused, and eventually quit alcohol.

As much as life has thrown me curveballs, I’ve somehow persisted to bounce back, and have to thank my parents for instilling that tenacity in me. I wouldn’t be who I am and where I am without those events in my timeline, so I utilize that as inspiration in going forward.

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

Easily the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is freedom, but it comes with some caveats. I love being able to capture people and places with my cameras, and enjoy stepping into their lives for a short or long time, while not having all the responsibilities of their lives haha. That all said, the more my business has grown, the less I’m able to focus on the creative side of things, and need to center in on the business goals. So with my future outlook of scaling up, delegation of roles will look to balance things more for my team and myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shotbysolo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shotbysolo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shotbysolo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shotbysolo/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shotbysolo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/shotbysolo
• Other: https://vimeo.com/shotbysolo