Meet Juliana Slemenda | Lifestyle and Brand Photographer

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

Hi Juliana, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I almost feel like I didn’t have a choice when it came to doing something artistic and creative with my life — I would never be happy if my job wasn’t fueled by those two things. Looking back I’ve always gravitated toward the arts and the few “desk jobs” that I worked made me feel completely stifled and unfulfilled. I need something that I can move with, something social, something fluid. Nothing against desk jobs, they’re just not for me personally!

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 first started thinking about photography when I was running social media and marketing for a small restaurant group — at the time I was taking all our social and marketing campaign photos just on my iPhone (and this was pre-portrait mode)! The spark first ignited there, and it has obviously grown and transformed over the years, but I’m so grateful to that experience because it’s made me think about brand photography with a different perspective. When I’m shooting for a brand or a blogger I’m working off of a shot list and a schedule, but I’m also thinking about what will be good for their IG stories or a post that we might not have thought about when we were initially planning the shoot. I always look for the little detail shots or surprise moments that might make for a great social media moment or show consumers a different perspective of the brand they love. Those photos often end up being some of the best.

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.
LA is a wild place because it’s so sprawling and each section of the city has it’s own personality. I love love LOVE living on the east side, if I had someone visiting we would go on a taco truck crawl FOR SURE, oysters and bubbly at Fishwives in Pasadena, order just about everything on the menu at Joy in Highland Park, stroll through the Huntington Gardens and the South Pasadena farmer’s market, and hit as many happy hours as possible. I love me a good happy hour!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by supportive people my whole life. It feels impossible to credit only one or two people with that special kind of love and encouragement that lets people truly build their dreams, but I will say this: I am continuously learning that it’s a CHOICE to share your world with people who lift you up. Your family, your partner, your friends, the people you work with and for, it’s all a choice. And the more mindful we are about the energies we seek and accept the more we can grow and flourish. I am extremely grateful to the people I’ve chosen who continue to propel me forward!

Website: www.anothercupcontent.com
Instagram: @julianascup

Image Credits
All photos by me, Juliana Slemenda // Another Cup Photography