Meet Jesse Watrous | Photographer & PhotoJournalist

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

Hi Jesse, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I would like to reframe the question to discuss the path to success through balancing (or bridging) my chosen career with day jobs. I believe that a bridge is built on a foundation of humility, persistence, and patience. One must remain humble and open to day jobs while tenaciously pursuing career opportunities. In my opinion, this is a winning formula for success, especially if you throw patience into the mix. One of my inspirations for this formula is Harrison Ford. He is humble, tenacious, and patient, along with a great work ethic. When he received his acting break in Star Wars, he continued his day job as a carpenter, at which he was quite skilled and took great pride in. What made me admire Ford was a remark that he made at the end of an interview with Barbara Walters, after she said “May the Force be with you”, in which Ford replied, “Force yourself”. To me this meant “Create your own luck with hard work.”, or as I prefer to say, ”The harder I work, the luckier I get”. These have been my guiding principles to balance my work life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Photography and Media is my specialty, which broadly includes: celebrity, still, portrait, events, films, tv shows, commercials, as well as press/media related events. I am an accredited photojournalist, photographer and film producer. I have worked with several online and print media companies, produced an award-winning short film, and have several projects next year as a photographer and producer. I am currently working with Easily Amused Group productions – www.EasilyAmusedGroup.com for film projects. I am very proud that my work has been acknowledged and grateful for the quality of people that I have within my network. I have been fortunate to come across a lot of talented indie artists including but not limited to models, actors, and filmmakers. How do I set myself apart from my competitors? One word – NETWORKING. I’ve met a lot of photographers (and indie artists in general) who struggle with their businesses, in large part because they lack the ability or drive to reach out and make connections whenever possible. They miss important opportunities to promote themselves in person, hoping that their work will be sufficient when potential clients see it. I’ve been down that road, which has taught me that networking efficiently is what helped my business fast forward like nothing else I’ve done. As Wayne Gretzky said “You miss the 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” Arriving at my current level of success was not easy. Dreams and aspirations always come with challenges, to see if you can overcome them and make you a stronger and better person. One of the many lessons that I’ve learned is to be PATIENT. We are all guilty of wanting things “right now”, it is everywhere in this current era we live in, from fast food restaurants to the current technology. But receiving something quickly doesn’t always mean that it’s worth keeping. I enjoy working tenaciously to achieve my dreams, to learn from my struggles so I know what to do the next time I encounter it, to feel the pride of my many accomplishments. All of these things take time and patience, and some rewards are much more deserving when it is finally achieved. In my business and profession, what I want people to know and experience is that I love what I do, I am very passionate about it, and that my clients will receive the best quality and service. My clients’ confidentiality is very important, just as their trust in me and my ability to do my job. I treat everyone with respect and dignity, and expect the same in return, no matter what their status is.

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?
When people ask what to do in Los Angeles, I always point out the tourist attractions: Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, Universal City Walk, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier, and Venice Beach. If people want something that’s different and fun, I recommend the following: Visit LA Farmer’s Market and The Grove, driving through the neighborhoods in Beverly Hills to look at the Mansions, The Magic Castle, Museum Row, LA Convention Center, Downtown LA, shopping on Melrose in LA, shopping on Abbot Kinney Road in Venice, and shopping in downtown Old Pasadena on Colorado Street.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to Thank my Family. With my career being unpredictable, from working strange hours and traveling, to locking myself in my office to finish multiple client projects to the point that they don’t see me for days – they have supported me no matter what I was doing, with love and understanding. They all know that my work is my joy, and by working tenaciously, I am creating a better future for us. I also want to Thank my Business Partner, Sam Moszkowicz. He has been my biggest supporter in all aspects of my business. From finances to important meetings with celebrity clients, he has helped and guided me through many obstacles, stopped me from giving up, and has been my biggest fan of my work.

Website: www.JesseWatrous.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/JesseWatrousCom
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JesseWatrousCom
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JesseWatrousCom
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Image Credits
Copyright ©️ Jesse Watrous