2020

2020

To tell you the truth I haven’t done a lot of work in 2020. Back in 2019 alongside with many others I was sketching my future like nothing could ever affect it.

Well, you know what happened.

And yet in hindsight I feel very grateful for everything that had happened to me during the Pandemic Year. I lost a lot of business. I lost a lot of business that I didn’t even have to be perfectly candid. The thing is at the end of 2019 we moved from Norwalk, CT to Seattle, WA. I didn’t know anyone at all and the gloomy Seattle weather was depressing me.

Let’s skip to the good part.

As a result of staying workless, friendless and basically hopeless for the first time in my life I started reaching out to people, offering my services basically free of charge, very often in a quid pro quo scenario. Before that I mainly photographed school kids in their senior year and consequentially their families. With half a country out of the job and the other half wearing masks 24/7 I had to pivot.

One morning, on the way to Bellevue Downtown Park I stopped by my favorite coffee house to get some beans (no fancy lattes for me during those times, had to brew my own coffee). That’s where I stumbled upon Stephanie Scott’s artwork and on the same day I contacted her! This has been one of my best decisions ever. Nowadays we continue working together, I met a lot of new clients through her or as a result of the photo session we did at her tiny (at the time) studio. I delivered about 20 photos to her after our first session in exchange for a painting of hers (the first of the Golden Leaf Series) and a coptic sketchbook. Stephanie Scott is now a successful full time artist, streamer, podcaster and a major inspiration for any self made woman in a creative field.

Every time I want to say NO today for an exchange like that I try to go back to this memory and remember how miserable those Seattle days can be when all the doors seem to be shut and locked from within.

I try to say YES and find the time for you.

Thank you.