We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Versace Hardy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Versace, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? We’d love to hear the backstory the illustrates how you grew your brand.
In 2021 I left my full time job to pursue photography. This was a difficult decision as I didn’t have a safety net to jump into but I craved the freedom of an entrepreneur. One of the largest obstacles I faced was not having a full time income to support myself and my passion. After several months of being unemployed, I decided to get back into working a 9-5 in order to support my dreams. Shortly after starting a new job in March of 2022 my business started to scale. Many of my clientele came from referrals from friends and family. This year alone I was booked for maternity sessions, large events, engagements, New York Fashion week, and lifestyle shoots. I would bounce from different platforms such as instagram, tik tok, and facebook to find clientele as well as to reach out to individuals to collaborate with. In general I learned how to operate my camera. studio equipment, and social media accounts through trial and error. I educated myself on business tactics, photography gear, and how to build conceptual pieces by watching youtube videos, reels, and networking with peers in my field. As a result, my work started to look better and this made me feel confident as an artist.
There were obstacles such as peers not wanting to collaborate with me due to my skill level, social media count, and my overall tenure in this field. Regardless of the negative comments and rejection I never gave up. I continued to reach out to future prospects and worked countlessly to enhance my photo taking and editing skills. I would say my biggest advice to anyone who starts a business is to keep learning, stay consistent, and to never give up.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Versace and I’m a lifestyle/fashion photographer from Brooklyn, NY. After graduating college, I decided to start my creative journey. Initially, I created an instagram account to display photos i took on my iPhone. After a few months I upgraded to a professional camera in order to take my photos to the next level. I’ve always enjoyed traveling, fashion, meeting new people, and capturing pivotal moments in one’s life. I can create a wide variety of high-quality, organic, and captivating content to enhance revenue growth for my clients. My services include photo packages, creative direction, videos, and edited reels for businesses, brands and individuals. Ultimately, my goal is to create photos that will last a lifetime.I believe my personality and perspective sets me apart from others. At times I find myself being inspired by small details like colors, locations, garments, magazines and people. Small details and everyday life are what drive me to fulfill my visions. Lastly, I’m extremely proud of the conceptual pieces I created this year as well as my ability to overcome my fear of approaching strangers in the street for photos.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients has been through referrals from friends, family, and work associates.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect about being a photographer is knowing I helped someone feel good during our small interaction. Although I may be unsure of the adversity someone is facing , I know one session can help boost their overall mood and confidence.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: world.ofversace
- Facebook: Versace Hardy
Image Credits
Images by Versace Hardy
Self – portrait by Marlon Dalton