Meet Whiskey Shotz | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Whiskey Shotz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Whiskey, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been one to follow my heart and pursue my passions. Life is too short to not do what you love. Since I was a kid I have always loved music and photography and I knew whatever I do in life, I want to be surrounded by art and creatives such as myself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Photography has definitely become a passion of mine and I believe the amount of artistic love put into my work shows. What keeps me going most is not just that it is fun for me to do, but also the joy it brings people. It’s most rewarding when people are excited to see the photos from our shoots or events I’ve worked on so that they can post them online and show their friends. I also love the collaborative energy in photo shoots with all the amazing models, makeup artists, and lighting designers I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

A large portion of my business also grew from doing club and event photography. Like concert photography, working through crowds of people in the dark with colored flashing lights can also be challenging. You really have to be ready for anything, adjusting your settings and communicating with people quickly while being friendly and approachable. This would require me to work late hours at night and I’d still have to get up early for work and post edits the next day. Shooting at events can be so fun though, so I’d still have the adrenaline going through me from the night before to keep me going through the next day and get ready for the next long night.

What I had to learn apart from working really hard all the time, was that in order to keep doing what I love, I would have to find a life balance. I hope it shows by the volume and quality I put out that people see how much passion and dedication goes into my craft. I feel proud of my work when people share my photos of themselves. My overall goal is to create memories through photography as it is more than just still images but an experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to eat, so I would definitely hit up all my favorite Mexican food places, like Campos Tacos, Salsa & Beer, etc. Los Angeles also has amazing taco trucks all over the city. Some great places to hang out and shoot photos would be El Matador Beach, the Old LA Zoo in Griffith Park, and Woodley Lake Park by Sepulveda Dam. A nice hike around Agora Hills area at sunset is a beautiful escape from the city and a great way to clear your mind. On a Wednesday night, it is always great to hit up Boardners in Hollywood for Club Wenzday’s Party. Beautiful dark vibes, great music, and friendly people who love to dance. For brunch, we’d hit up Bon Vivant Market & Café in Atwater Village, where they have a cozy atmosphere and delicious cuisine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Going back to my roots as a musician and composer, all of my friends were also musicians and played in bands and Los Angeles. I would go to their shows at night to shoot photos of their concerts and take pics of us all having a good time. Concert photography has a lot of challenges with movement and lighting, so it was a lot of good practice to build a foundation on, and I loved every minute of it. So a shout out to all my musician friends following their dreams and living the hustle to do what they love. Also a shoutout to DJ Xian Vox for hiring me for my first gigs as a club photographer shooting LADEAD events.  I learned so much from that experience and made a lot of fond memories.

Website: https://WhiskeyShotz.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/whiskey_shotz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhiskeyShotz_

Facebook: https://facebook.com/WhiskeyShotzPhotography

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5xW0xX1aQBp8tfzx7ej-og/videos

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskey_shotz

Image Credits
@dane_rising @hellish_snow_fox @kbackwoods @neadune @skiesmarie @spoopy_goth_girl @katiekillsyou @uncompliant