Meet Ari Abramczyk: Freelance Fashion Photographer

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

Hi Ari, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In my experience, risk is a part of the photography business every day. It’s a risk putting yourself out there, and cold emailing/calling potential clients and collaborators. It’s a risk doing editorials, which not only don’t pay most of the time, but that you sink money into as an investment in your portfolio and relationships. It’s a risk when you start a personal project that takes your energy, resources and time, and I always wonder if it’s worth it. I try to just keep going, and believing that it’s worth it and it will work out for the best!

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 have always loved photography and art, and decided that I wanted photography to be my profession when I was 18. I went to Brooks Institute of Photography, which, at that point, was one of the top 5 photography schools in the world. I was freelance in Los Angeles for a while after I graduated, and was growing increasingly tired of the lone-wolf mindset of the photographers I met. I wanted a community, and everyone seemed so afraid to make friendships with people they considered competitors. I was eventually introduced to Neil (who is now my photography partner), and I was so happy to meet someone who felt the same way I did about collaborating. We started shooting together as a duo, and are now represented by Art Department. Our clients include Oliver Peoples, Abercrombie&Fitch, NYX Cosmetics, BCBG, Goop, lululemon, Lucky Brand and more.  We still love collaborating with talent and other artists.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ll create this trip as if there is not a pandemic happening, cause it’s more fun that way! I live in Culver City and I love it here. First, we would go get some amazing Indian food at Cali Tandoor and India Sweets and Spices, and then wander around The Museum of Jurassic Technology and have tea and listen to music. I’d want to show them Culver Hotel and Cinema bar for more live music in the evening. During the week, we’d take a little walk to the Interpretive Nature trail, up to the top of the Baldwin Hills Lookout, and over the new people bridge to Kenneth Hahn State Park. We would go to the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, eat and drink at Luggage Room, visit Highland Park for music at the High Hat, drinks at La Cuevita, and food at Joy, Hippo, or Highland Park Bowl. Let’s also show them Dockweiler beach at El Segundo, and take the bike path all the way to Manhattan beach. We can take the expo line to downtown and little tokyo, and they’d be very lucky to catch Nisei week or even a Ciclavia while they are here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my photography partner and friend, Neil Sharum. Our partnership is called SHARUM+ARI.

Website: www.sharumandari.com

Instagram: @sharum_ari

Image Credits
©SHARUM+ARI 2021