Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Zafra.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Matthew. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my journey into photo/video when I wanted to pursue a career in music during middle school. I always liked filming guitar covers with my mom’s point and shoot Canon camera and eventually purchased my first camera, a Canon t3i. I loved getting creative and trying to recreate the videos I saw on YouTube and the occasional Instagram photos, but I was always too shy to share anything. It was not until I was in an active band where we hired photographers and videographers that I learned there are people out there who do what I found fun for a living. I kept pursuing photography and videography as a hobby for about five years, working all types of different jobs in different fields that never seemed to provide me any satisfaction. I kept thinking if I found a comfortable job that could provide stability, I could continue using my spare time to be creative.
No matter where I worked, I never felt any satisfaction with what I was doing and eventually challenged myself to try to replace my income with photography. I ran across a wedding company who was hiring photographers and videographers for weekend weddings and provided immediate training, and I decided to jump on the opportunity and learn how to take my hobby into a profession. I was coming very close to accomplishing my goal when I was told everyone was being laid off at the desk job I had at the time, leaving me with nothing to do but double down on weddings and real estate photography through my own business, Mattventure Media. Throughout the course of a year, I have managed to shoot over 60 weddings and over 100 homes along with creating videos and photos for people on different occasions. Being able to create something that brings joy to someone’s day or just to capture something in the best light has given me an incredible feeling of accomplishment and I could not be more grateful to everyone who has made this possible for me.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in the media industry is very expensive and I am blessed to be able to own what I own, but I have a long and expensive road ahead of me. When I was laid off, I had the privilege of receiving a month’s worth severance package. During that time, I had to decide if I was going to go back to a regular job or if I was going to commit and grow my own business in the creative field. Things weren’t always great and I knew my girlfriend was worried about how we were going to pay for everything once severance and savings ran out, but I kept to my word and found a few companies needing photographers which fit what I was looking for. The hardest part about what I do is knowing there is no guarantee you will find a gig to pay the bills for the following month. In order to be comfortable, I have had to learn a lot about financing and planning. I am still growing my business to be able to support my household while I transition into going back to school full time, but I have an amazingly supportive girlfriend who has stuck with me and helped me through any hardship.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mattventure Media – what should we know?
Mattventure Media is a business built around showcasing the best of people, businesses, and events. I offer a wide variety of services from Real Estate Photography, Wedding Videography, Portraits, and Promotional Videos for people and businesses. I am known for carrying a lot of positivity with me no matter the circumstances. Currently, when I am not shooting weddings or homes, I have been expanding into more creative videos like workout videos for trainers. I am also expanding on vertical videos for businesses to market to mobile users while also creating videos of my day to day life on Instagram.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My ability to adapt and maintain a positive attitude is something I think is very important when working with all kinds of people from all different walks of life. Although I am relatively new to the market, I know there is a lot to learn and I am not one to be discouraged by any obstacles that come my way. I always aim to create the best content I can and push my limits to make something better than before.
Pricing:
- $80 for homes under 1000sqft
- $100 for homes 1000-2000sqft
- $150 for homes 2000-3000sqft
- $125 per hour photography session
- Videos range from $75 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mattventuremedia.com/
- Phone: (469)767-3634
- Email: info@mattventuremedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattventuretime/
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