Today we’d like to introduce you to Treysi.
Treysi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I never thought I’d become a professional photographer, but I’ve been always a good observer paying attention to small details. When I first opened my personal Instagram account all I wanted to do was taking photos of amazing views, places I liked, or people I came across. My college life and after was a lot of business studying, I wasn’t so much aware of my creative side yet, but in 2015 while having a random conversation with a friend, I got excited to take a leap and invest in a professional camera. Me having a business mind, I knew that I wanted to get return on my investment. The next day I purchased my first camera, I happened to meet a catering owner who wanted to work with me. That’s how I got into food photography in 2015, and I got much higher return on my investment more than expected.
Later on, I started to work specifically with restaurants through a good friend who introduced me to some restaurant owners. In photography, it is very important to build a good portfolio and that was my focus in the beginning. I wasn’t making a lot of money during those times but I was gaining a lot of experience. After some time, I realized while I was taking photos naturally just the way it felt right to me, there was a lot more to learn and build on my skills. There’s a huge difference between just taking photos and taking photos with knowledge and full intention behind the lens. I think that’s what sets a great photographer apart from a good photographer. So when I realized that I was ready to take my photography to the next level, I invested in online courses specifically in food photography. It was a game-changer learning from other people’s experiences and practicing with better knowledge. It is also very true that practice makes everything a lot better and definitely builds more confidence. Now being specialized in restaurant food photography for some years and working with many different kinds of restaurants in South Florida, I feel like I’m ready to give back and start sharing my knowledge and experiences with others. Currently, I am working on putting together an online course to be published on my website by the end of September 2021. It’s an exciting time for me and I’m very happy to be able to share my story right now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe there’s ups and downs in everything in life. Starting a business from scratch is not easy, but it is very rewarding. Doing what you love is priceless. In the beginning, there’s a lot of unknown but also a lot of faith. We all need motivation to keep going and pushing forward, so while I had some challenges like being rejected by some restaurants that I was reaching out, I always said to myself “ok no problem, next” and when the next person replied yes to have a photoshoot that always felt amazing! In the beginning, there were many times I felt like I was doing a ton of marketing work trying to introduce myself and show my work, but getting booked only a few times – it was a little discouraging. Only with time I learned how to manage my efforts and find a balance between reaching out and getting reached out. I had to change my marketing strategies in order to not feel burnout and continue doing what I love to do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in restaurant food photography and I am very proud of seeing my work published in many different outlets and bringing more businesses to restaurants, improving their branding and reputation, and increasing engagement. What sets me apart from others would be my business ethics, customer relationship, listening and understanding what’s expected and delivering the best results possible. I am very grateful to have a strong business mind and education before exploring my creative side because in my opinion, a successful photography business needs a combination of both creativity and business knowledge.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned along my photography journey would be that there’s always a way to push through challenging times to move forward and get to the next level in business. Every challenge brings an opportunity, and there’s always room for growth and development in both business and skills. Constant learning and practicing is the key to success.
Contact Info:
- Email: treysi.foodphotography@gmail.com
- Website: restaurantfoodphotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/restaurant_photography
- Facebook: facebook.com/restaurantphotography
- Other: pinterest.com/restaurantphotography
Image Credits
Restaurant Photography by Treysi
