Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Zamora.
Stephanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Photography has always been in my life. My mom was always capturing the day-to-day, family vacations, and celebrations and kept photo albums for every year of our childhood. I used to (and still do) enjoy looking through those photos and reliving those memories. I got my first camera sometime in middle school. I mainly took photos of plants and stuff around the house, but I thoroughly enjoyed “playing photographer.” As my school career went on, I focused more on athletics and academics instead of the more creative hobbies but my love for good photos remained.
In 2014 I had a wild hair and moved to Los Angeles, the city of Angels and traffic. I knew one person and slept on her couch for four months while trying to figure out what exactly I was doing there. I finally began working at lululelmon Athletica in Studio City. Working for lulu gave me more creative outlets than I could have ever imagined. It put me in contact with people who encouraged my dreams and gave me opportunities to pursue them. Each store created it’s own content for social media. I began to put together mini photoshoots with coworkers and store ambassadors to highlight events or new products.
For my 26th birthday, my mom sent me my first DSLR Nikon camera and things took off! Connection through social media had started to grow and the relationships I had made in the community through lululemon helped me launch my business. I was creating content for lululemon but also other individuals in the fitness world for their own personal social channels. This also put me in contact with local fitness brands and I began booking photoshoots for any events they were a part of and also product shoots for their websites.
Me now, at age 30 – back home in Texas, my business continues to evolve, and so do I. I’m now a mom to an adorable nine month old son. My focus has definitely changed and the business I’m attracting reflects my new surroundings. I’m branching out into more family related shoots (birthday parties, events, family portraits). I love how I’m continuing to learn and grow as a photographer.
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?
Things like this aren’t always easy. I had a full time job and money to support my “hobby” in Los Angeles; however, the time wasn’t always available. Moving back home to Texas also presented challenges. I had to rebuild my network and find a new niche.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a lifestyle photographer. I love to capture the candid moments of events, family portraits, and everyday life. I also have a lot of experience shooting products (clothing, goods, etc). I’m proud that I have picked up a hobby and been able to run with it. I am self taught when it comes to all things photography. I still find so much joy in being creative and have a lot of fun with it.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The most important thing with any business is to enjoy it still. There’s that old saying if you love your work, then you never work a day in your life. I find that to be very true.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stephjphotography.com
- Email: stephjzamoraphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: @stephjzamoraphoto
Image Credit:
SJZ Photography
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.
