Today we’d like to introduce you to Faraz Rahman.
Faraz, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My fascination with photos probably started around the time the first iPod with a camera came out. I remember getting that iPod touch and because it was an iPod and not a cell phone, I didn’t have much use for taking it outside beyond listening to music but I ignored that part completely. Instead, I used it to take pictures and create memories. From there I graduated to my first 8 MP cell phone camera (a big bump from the .3 MP camera on the old iPods) to an iPhone 4S camera where I started messing around with videography and depth and creating pictures I found satisfying. I never saw myself as more than an enthusiast until 2015; late into 2015 something in me just sparked and I remember thinking “You can do more.” Then onward, began my obsession with photography.
I made it a goal to myself to save up to buy my first real camera, a DSLR. Bearing in mind I was about 13 at the time, this meant I had very little access to money, and being the hard headed kid I was (and probably still am) I did almost anything within my means to get that money. So I took my knowledge of electronics and started to repair electronics for other people. Cellphones, cars, and various electronics were my niche (and still is to some extent) prior to my growing ambition in photography, by using that to my advantage I repaired almost anything ranging from calculators to cars and invested in cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin.
It got to a point where you could say I actually had a side job refurbishing phones and reselling them to make a profit. All this though, was just so I could buy myself a camera; and that I did. I bought a Canon 700D to start and I got to take pictures right away. I started small doing what I had been doing with my phone before I took it to a larger scale. Once I was confident and mastered using my camera I bought a couple of lenses and got to take pictures and portraits of people. This became my business before I started the company. I really got my first “gig” from a family member, an uncle who just so happened to have a son getting married and just so happened to need a photographer (albeit they had also hired like 6 other professionals in case I didn’t deliver).
So I took my opportunity and to Canada I went, taking pride in that this was my chance to prove to people I had what it took. So I did my thing and as wedding photos are notorious for taking long times before actually being received, I finally understood why. There’s so much complex editing involved in crafting images and it’s miraculous how much precision is involved, luckily I had been very well acquainted with Photoshop (and basically the whole Adobe Suite) at the time and by then I had started an Instagram account that allowed me to show off my photos (@photosbyfaraz). This account really helped me because this is where I got my first “partnership” you could say with Saal-Digital, a media and print company that helped me create photo-books for my clients, including my uncle.
Then onward I started focusing more on actually making a business out of this because, no matter how hard I try I don’t like having to work under someone, ergo, I decided to work for myself. Towards the end of 2016, I declared the account @photosbyfaraz on Instagram a subsidy of FR Media & Production, focused on creating media of all types ranging from photo-books to films and advertisements, bringing me to where I am at now. I’ve made multiple deals and investments with clients all over the DFW Metroplex and have tons more coming in the future and I don’t see it stopping any time soon.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Sure it’s been a smooth road, but a smooth road still can go up and down right? I’ve had my share of struggles in this, most notably: time. I am currently a student in the International Baccalaureate Program at Plano East Senior High and it’s a lot for my plate. I am a teenager as well, meaning I have parents who at times aren’t the most supporting, understandably, and who at times are. They’ve pretty much drilled into my head that education is important and I agree, but I’m having fun and making money so maybe it’s the child in me that questions “Who’s to tell me not to do it?” I’ve had times where I had to turn down deals as well because school just gets so overwhelming, and because I own the company and am technically a freelancer, I can live with that. I can just reschedule whenever it is convenient for me and the client because I want to provide the best quality of work possible for my customer. I will never book a client when I have a lot going on because I try to expedite my work as much as possible because I know my client will want their product as soon as possible and that’s important to me. I am a perfectionist in my work as well, I want to get it right the first time and I try to work with my clients as much as possible to achieve that, including consultations and suggestions for locations, styles, as well as post-editing. Casey Neistat, a popular YouTuber, has a video called “DO WHAT YOU CAN’T” and I think that encapsulates my ideology entirely. I have always hated being told “No” or “You can’t” do this or that and pretty much everything I have ever done since that developed in my head was in spite of people telling me that I can’t do things. To that, I have always said: “Watch Me”.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
FR Media & Photography (as the name suggests) is a company focused on the production of media and photography. I offer photo shoots, digital media creation, advertisement creation as well as cinematography and video editing. All of these things are handled by me as a creative professional and I am most known for my photography as seen in @photosbyfaraz.
Collectively I’m most proud of the satisfaction of my clients. I (luckily) haven’t experienced any negative with my work and hope to never because I try to tailor the experience as best as I can for each of my customers to give them the most optimal product possible. I do get my fair share of constructive criticism however because I ask for it whenever possible when working with a client or just simply asking friends and family to tell me what I can improve on so I can practice and apply it the next time.
What sets me apart from the other photographers is that I heavily tailor the experience around the client. I try to do my best to accommodate anything the client is interested in, and this makes the experience far better for me as the creative and the recipient of the product. I have connections with a wide variety of companies and they all work hand in hand with me to get the best quality of work done for my clients. I strive for the perfection of quality and craftsmanship in my work and don’t allow for payment until the customer is 100% satisfied with my work. For me it’s not just about the experience or quality of work, it’s about intertwining those two together to get the best outcome possible and excel past the competition.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is being able to happily do what I want. It’s not so much about the money or status to me. It’s the ability to have the flexibility to enjoy and really challenge yourself in what you’re doing to genuinely make a mark in the world we live in. My success comes in the form of my client is pleased and surprised by my work, it comes from the portraits and wall decorations made and put in houses with my work on them. It comes from being able to put smiles on people’s faces when I work with them and to have been able to capture moments that are important to them that they will treasure for years to come.
Success to me is proving to the ones who doubt that ambition pays off and that limitations are only made from mindsets. More than that though, what will define success to me is enjoyably being able to do what I want and enabling other people to do the same while never having monetary concerns so I can give back as much as possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: work.farazr17@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/photosbyfaraz
Image Credit:
Faraz Rahman
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
