We recently connected with Vernetta Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Vernetta, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Growing up, I was introduced to art at a very early age. My family took the time during the summers to take us to Philbrook and Gilcrease Museums of Art whenever there was a new exhibit. They also took us to musicals, and shared with us the power of visual art, and music, however it was my father who was instrumental in my interest in photography.
My father spent time in Europe when he was in the military. This is where he developed an appreciation for art. He bought a camera in Germany, that camera was his pride and joy. He took all sorts of amazing images of architecture, his friends, and just everyday life. I was absolutely enamored with his camera and his images-often dreaming of these far away places.
My parents then subscribed to National Geographic, and that’s when my love for photography really took flight as I enjoyed the imagery, and the travel to far away places thru visuals.
Consequently, my parents purchased a small camera for me when I was 12, but I felt like I wasn’t quite technical enough and soon lost interest; however, I maintained my appreciation for the craft.
Fast forward to college, I took a class in art appreciation and literally lost my mind! I learned about sculptors, painters, photographers, and so on. This is where I fell in love with the Surrealist and Cubist art movements. I fell even more in love with the Dada Movement, and felt I wanted to create works of photography that told stories.
Vernetta, 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 am Vernetta Thomas. Currently, I am a Photography Instructor for Collin College and for UNLV. I was also a guest instructor at Otis School of Art and Design in L.A., and I have been working with companies doing photography and branding since moving back to Dallas. I am also tutoring on Wyzant which is going quite well. In my spare time, I enjoy cycling, photography, reading, and camping.
After 22 years in the corporate world of working as an accountant and paralegal, I decided that I was not a corporate personality. Even though I was quite successful in the corporate environment, it was unfulfilling. I knew I had always had an appreciation for art and went to as many plays, musicals, concerts, and exhibits as my heart could stand, so I woke up one morning and decided to take a hiatus from my job and travel.
I went to London and from there, to Paris, at which point I spent a month in Europe. I was in heaven! I spent the next 7 years in Europe in 3-month increments learning and executing film photography, working with artists, spending time understanding film development, composition, and shooting architecture, street, and lifestyle photography. Upon each return to Dallas, I had a multitude of photography exhibits in galleries, and had made enough money each time to pay my rent and bills in advance in Dallas, and return to Europe for 3 more months, while maintaining my job as an accountant, and just taking a leave of absence twice a year to further explore my craft.
As time passed, I decided I could not stand being in a corporate environment another day and that I simply did not want to be a corporate puppet any longer. As a result, I decided that I was going to go back to school for photography. Having a fear of failure, having to leave my corporate comfort zone and having to learn a new type of photography, digital photography, I had to believe in myself enough to understand that I could transition to a field that had been calling my name for many, many, years.
The time had come. I continued to work full-time as a contractor by day and attended college classes at Collin College by night. I attended college for 2 years and earned a Digital Photography Certificate. I then returned to Collin College for another four years with a degree in Commercial Photography, and a minor in Graphic Design.
Upon completion, I ended up teaching photography at Collin College in Plano, Texas. I also got an opportunity to instruct photography at UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas, and at CSN (College of Southern Nevada). I ended up teaching at Collin College for 5 years, at UNLV for 5 years, and at CSN 1 year. I then came to the conclusion that this art form would not be enough to sustain my lifestyle after coming from corporate. Hence, instructing at the schools, so I also landed a job with a company out of San Francisco, California- a company by the name of Cozymeal.
My job at Cozymeal was to shoot the up and coming chefs in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as critique their food, shoot their creations, and their kitchens. I taught in the evenings and weekends, and shot the chefs during the day. I was in heaven! I thought, “Hallelujah, I get to shoot not just instruct!” I was in heaven, until the Pandemic hit. Once the pandemic hit, I was in shock. My Cozymeal job ended, and the colleges shut down until further notice.
Fast forward to 2020, I am now back instructing photography at Collin College and live stream at UNLV. I am also a guest instructor at Otis School of Art and Design in L.A. I have been working with companies doing photography, and branding as well. I also tutor on Wyzant, which is going quite well.
Problems I’ve solved for my clients would range from coming up with innovative solutions on their photoshoot and branding, suggesting story telling, not just posing, and making them feel at ease before and during the shoot, the fact that I listen to my clients, and work as a team player with them sets me a part from many. As one that provides a service being a good listener is paramount, understanding what the clients thoughts are and making suggestions that compliment their ideas.
My proudest moment, and there have been many, was being resilient-not giving up during the pandemic and trying times. The opportunities I have had since being back in Texas have been nothing short of amazing!!! As a result of my experiences,I feel that I am better equipped at handling being derailed by whatever life throws at me. I also feel that I have been successful at reinventing myself. I am now doing what I love to do, instead of what I have to do to make a living!
I want potential clients and fans to know that my photo shoots are an experience, my clients laugh, sometimes cry, they are an intricate part of the creative process, I want them to feel that they are contributors to the success of the shoot, my clients are the stars!
Currently, my work revolves around shooting chefs, food, and lifestyle. Food photography is my passion. Street photography is my 2nd passion. Telling stories in both these areas of photography is simply magical.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The mission is to be the best as a human being, be patient, understand that people are not at their best at all times, and that we can co-exist if we take the time to understand one another.
The goal is to continue to self improve, as we do this, we can be the best for the people that we service.
I think that thru art, this has been executed so many times, and as artist we must continue to showcase in our work the changes that can be made to make us better humans and the world a better place.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I built my audience thru doing charity work in the early days, I worked with DIFFA fundraising, I would contribute my work for auction, and the funds would go to DIFFA. I worked with AIDS Services of Dallas, I contributed photography for one of their brochures. I finished a photography project for Southwestern Medical School, these contributions are just to name a few. I felt to get visibility, I needed to make contributions to charities that meant a lot to me, and now social media is another avenue.
I use Google Analytics to see the direction I am going in business wise, and I base my market strategies on the analytics, much of the time.
Anyone just starting out I would say, contribute to charities that are near and dear to you, you will get the visibility. Always be kind and stay humble. Know your target audience, understand how to use social media to reach your market, use direct mail campaigns, have a really strong portfolio.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.capturethis2.com
- Instagram: vernettam100
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/v-t-61b6b931/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vt_photographer