Meet Liz Devine | Photographer

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

Hi Liz, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think about it, everything has been a risk, especially choosing a career in photography and then moving to NYC to pursue a full time career in photography. I moved to NYC in 2014, before that I had a full time photography job in Portland, OR which I got right out of college, I was very lucky. When I moved to New York I went full time freelance for the first time, something I would never have the confidence to do now but so glad that braver, younger and more naive Liz had the courage to move across the country and take the biggest risk of her life. That first year I was busier than ever, I had an agent, my social media work was getting traction and jobs were flowing in. That all dissipated and I was left wondering what I got myself into. Everything I’ve learned about running my own business I’ve learned in the last ten years and I’ve taught myself almost everything. When you go to art school they don’t really explain that more than half of being a freelance artist is running your own business, which isn’t something that comes very natural to an artist brain like myself. So the last ten years have been a lot of learning and growing from mistakes, but the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I have to be my biggest advocate because no one else is. Knowing the worth of my work and getting compensated fairly is much harder than you would think and I spend a lot of my job educating clients on what fair compensation means. I used to say yes to every job that came my way, no matter how much money but I was also desperate. As my career grew I realized I was still in that mindset and realized I was letting myself be taken advantage of in many circumstances. It took me a long time to find my confidence but now I walk into every job feeling like a boss.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always had a hard time describing my photography or putting my style in a category because its evolving and changing over time. I guess I would say I’m a lifestyle, travel, event photographer. I just love taking photos, I always have. I want to capture everything because it’s my way of sharing with the world and telling stories. I truly can’t believe the places I’ve traveled because of photography, I feel so grateful. I’ve been all over Mexico documenting Agave distillation, Colombia to document the weavers of the Wayu community and my favorite place, Peru. Through these opportunities I’ve been welcomed into homes, met beautiful people and learned so much about different cultures and its left me feeling humbled.

I hate to say it but a lot of the opportunities I’ve had are because of luck or people I know, one job leads to another. I try to have a positive attitude and make every shoot as enjoyable as possible, and guess what, people love working with fun and talented people. But it’s taken me about 10 years in New York to feel like I’ve finally established my career, the pandemic was a HUGE set-back for me. But I’m back on track with a lot of regular clients who I love working with.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question because I feel like I have a part-time job called “Devine Tours”, where I’m the official tour guide for friends and family that visit New York. I honestly have too much to share but I’ll try. 1. Day 1: We start in Chinatown, we get some delicious dumplings from the unassuming grumpy old ladies in the alley, then a pork bun. We then walk down to Oculus, which is one of my favorite buildings in NYC. From there we check out the 9/11 memorial fountains of the footprints of the buildings. We then weave into Wall Street, then make our way to the Staten Island Ferry, the best free activity in the city. We take the ferry and get the shots of the Statue of Liberty.
2. Day 2: Washington Square Park, the best people watching. Then make your way towards Chelsea, go on the High Line, end at the Whitney for some great art. Have dinner at a great Italian restaurant in the West Village, too many to choose from. Then end the night with some laughs at the Comedy Cellar.
3. Natural History Museum and Central Park. Start at the museum, don’t miss the new wing they just opened up but the Wall of Biodiversity is my favorite place in the museum. Then wander into the park, rent a boat at the boat house, I think it’s only $25 for an hour, it’s the best touristy thing to do in the Park.
4. Brooklyn Bridge Park, great views of the city. Rent a city bike and go to the end of the park and get some pizza on the roof. Then get on the subway and head to Coney Island and watch a Brooklyn Cyclones game, go on a Friday so you see the free Fireworks show after the game. Then head to Luna Park for some rides.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Great question. I have to give this shout-out to fellow photographer and friend, Joel Barhamand. He is the person I go to whenever I have a question or need advice. He’s helped me so much along my journey into freelancing, I don’t think I would have survived without his support. Did I mention he’s one of my favorite photographers?

Website: lizdevine.com

Instagram: @liz_devine

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizdevine/

Facebook: lizdevinephoto

Image Credits
Liz Devine