Meet a Subject: Moshe Zusman

The final installment of my Meet a Subject series looks at the time I have spent assisting DC portrait/headshot/you name it photographer Moshe Zusman. It has been about a year since I took the plunge and committed myself to full time independent freelance photography as my sole source of income and I have learned more about portraiture and, more importantly, the business side of photography from a few months working with Moshe than years of handling a camera on my own. 

The first few months of my entrepreneurial voyage were relatively busy. I was occupied with the multifaceted responsibility of establishing a business entity (just hire an account. Seriously), figuring out what it is that I would be doing photographically speaking, conceptualizing a brand, building a couple portfolios, growing contacts and generally adjusting to the strange ebb and flow of independent employment. I wasn't, however, doing a lot of photography. I heard that this was pretty normal in that pursuing photography as a business means running the business first and foremost with a bit of photography here and there. I also heard from a very trusted friend that the winter was coming, and the months can be slow. 

Incredibly slow. Slower than I ever imagined. As in, no income or much in the form of prospects for over 6 weeks throughout January and much of February. "Fuck" - I thought, this isn't working. I already need to make some drastic changes to my game plan. These changes came in the form of two very important activities: the first was a portfolio review of a small collection of work that I had been putting together over the past few months. This review was a bit of a reality check but still encouraging and spurred me into devoting more energy towards my editorial photography interests. An area I thought I would stay on the periphery of while making a living out of other photographic areas. 

Other photographers await the fate of their portfolios..

The other big event was researching and reaching out to more established photographers in the area for feedback, guidance and assisting jobs. Every single list of "how to make it as a pro" notes the crucial importance of time spent assisting other photographers before being fully self-sufficient on your own. Holy Crap, I thought, I missed a big step here. A bit of research lead me to Moshe Zusman, a photographer's name I had come across numerous times before but never met and who's photographic interests, on the surface, seemed a world a way from those of my own. An astute friend of mine was a bit surprised to hear I was working with Moshe, given our different styles of imagery, but that is one of my favorite aspects of working with him. What's to gain from working with someone that does the exact same thing as me? Instead, we both bring our respective perspectives to the table and in turn (hopefully) influence each other. 

Plus his studio is a few short blocks away from my apartment. Convenience has been a massive influence on many of the choices I have made in life, good or bad. 

The motivation to pay my dues and actually learn from someone else as opposed to blindly hacking my way through the jungle of business came at a very opportune time, too. A post appeared on Moshe's blog calling for "Hooligan Associate Photographers" to join their esteemed ranks. I'm a bit of a hooligan, I thought, so this could be perfect. A quick email to the team and I had a meeting with Moshe within a few days. 

Assisting is great. Taking care of the grunt work and letting Moshe do his thing has taught me a lot about the production side of nearly every aspect of the job. He has also provided indispensable advice on how to find an audience, land gigs and maneuver through the minefield of treachery that is always lurking near the independent creative. He even lets me photograph from time to time, whether it be behind-the-scenes style reportage or testing out lighting set ups and B-Roll at paid gigs. 

Reviewing the days catch on location

Moshe does not do makeup 

Moshe is neither the painted dog nor photographer depicted in this photo

Corny test photo of the lighting setup I used for the opening portrait. 

It ain't bad, this collaborative lifestyle, it ain't bad. Main takeaway: build your network of trusted cronies and collaborators, adapt & constantly absorb ideas from those around you. 

"Why is this hipster looking dude using a film camera?"

Previous installments from the Meet a Subject Series: 

The Man We Call Shrake

Jo Ann Block

Eric B Ricks