We were lucky to catch up with Zusha Goldin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zusha , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned pretty much all that I know about photography from watching Youtube Tutorials and then applying them on the daily practice. I would type in “How to professionally retouch a portrait in Photoshop” and then watch the video again and again and again until I learned the technique. It really is about learning and then application. I wish I had found a photography mentor in the beginning stages of my career. I’d have grown so much quicker if I’d done that. I recommend to every single photographer to find a quality mentor and speed up their learning process. I think people underestimate how important people and social skills are when it comes to being a photographer. You need to be able to connect with your subject. By far, the biggest obstacle in my way when it comes to learning is not having the ability to focus. Between Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube there are so many distractions. If you can focus, you can learn.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Zusha Goldin, and I am an LA-based portrait photographer creating winning images for celebrities and business executives.

My story begins when I was but a wee little lad dabbling in point-and-shoot Canon cameras. I’m the youngest of 10 from an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish family, and so when my siblings purchased their own camera, naturally, I began to use it. For years I would shoot my friends and family for fun and would make short skits which I would act in, edit, direct, write, and film. I’ve always been interested in the photography scene. When I was almost 18, I made the executive decision to pursue portrait photography professionally, and I haven’t looked back since.

It’s been my dream to move to Los Angeles since I was 12 years old. It took until March 1st, 2020, to make the move over from the small community in Brooklyn, to move to the city of stars.

Out in LA, I knew I had to build a solid portfolio to be taken seriously, so what did I do? I did lots and lots of free work. Every creative knows that to build in the building stage of your brand, you must do free work to build a portfolio.

I networked like crazy, perfected my craft, and did social media content creation full-time. It’s been paying off with lots of blessings and amazing opportunities, which I’m so thankful for.

I began by servicing high-end clients such as top talent in the industry and CEOs and executives all around the southern California area.

What separates my personal brand from others is my authenticity. I believe that people want to connect and work with authentic people who aren’t going to BS them. When on a shoot with a client, I encourage transparency in order to get the best possible results. I firmly believe that part of being a good photographer is practicing real empathy. I always strive to put myself in the shoes of the person I’m photographing to ensure they have a safe, good, and, most of all, fun experience from start to finish.

I’m very proud of where I came from, and the obstacles put in my path, be it: self-doubt, depression, negative beliefs, negative habits, small-mindedness, etc., etc. I am proud that I still persevere with real grit, tenacity, persistence and the ability to not self-reject and not take “no” for an answer.

You can do anything you set your mind to (mostly within reason, we’re not becoming athletes, lol) as long as you create a vision, then a date to accomplish it by, then daily actionable tasks to get you to where you want to be.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My why is part altruistic and part selfish…

The altruistic part of my WHY is that I want to tell stories with my art, and I believe art is a way to inspire others to feel, to emote, and to live. I’d also like to “make it” so I can go on to give the opportunity to those who come after me. Something I love is being able to connect two creatives together to make symbiosis and collaboration. It’s one of my favorite things ever. I’d also like to be able to be in a place financially where I can hand out random checks to people who urgently need them, such as a single mom whose rent is due.

The selfish part of my WHY is that whatever I do in my life, I want to do the biggest, the best, the largest, and the grandest, and I want my art to be world-renowned. I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that I, too, want glory and appreciation for my work, and I’m honest enough to admit that. I want to create and be known for my creations. I also would like to secure complete financial security.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I owe so much to my amazing brothers and sisters and cousins and friends who show me so much support. I feel guilty at times that I have such an amazing support team surrounding me.

Whilst I can’t take full credit because there’s definitely an element of luck and the right timing, I do work EXTREMELY hard every day to build my brand, but there are a few individuals who have shown me kindness and helped me build up, and I’ll list them:

The D’Amelio Family with Charli, Dixie, Marc, and Heidi. They are genuinely some of the kindest and nicest people I get to work with!

Kelly Bush Novak of Team ID PR. A truly hardworking and kind person.

Craig Edwards over at Deadline Hollywood. Such a fun and kind person.

There are sooo many others but I fear the names would never end if I were to name everyone.

I’m genuinely so thankful for everyone supporting me!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zushagoldin.com
• Instagram: @zushagoldin
• Linkedin: @zushagoldin
• Twitter: @goldinzusha
• Youtube: @zushagoldin

Image Credits
Photography by Zusha Goldin for Deadline Hollywood Lily James Selena Gomez Sydney Sweeney Alexandra Daddario Ben Stiller Courteney Cox Patrick Stewart