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

Hi Petra, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process was never actually about coming up with a new business, but following what I like and admire. I was into photography ever since I got my first disposable camera as a child, and my parents couldn’t keep up with the amount of film I went through. From there I kept developing my interest in this hobby, but I never had any thoughts about starting a business as a photographer back in the Czech Republic where I was born and raised. I came from a 9-5 corporate job and did photography on the side when someone asked a favor, but deep down I always adored all aspects of photography. After I met my now husband and moved to the US, I had a few months to figure out what type of work I would do once I was legally allowed to work in the US. All my friends gave me the same advice: follow your dreams, it’s America, everything is possible! That made me stop and think. I wondered what the hell are my dreams? What do I really like? I pondered that question for a while until one day my husband asked me what I was truly passionate about. I was begrudgingly getting used to the idea of joining the corporate world again, when he told me “look at your phone, you have over 60,000 photos! You have an eye for this!” Also, our only fights are when I try to get him to recreate my photos on vacation, so the signs have been with us all along.

Taking this as a “sign”, I decided to learn as much as I could about photography. Unfortunately, at that moment COVID-19 hit and there were not a lot of opportunities for in person learning. I decided to improvise and began learning everything online from YouTube and as many digital workshops that I could find. Once pandemic restrictions softened, I started attending styled photo shoots and working as a second shooter with more experienced photographers. I realized first hand that it’s not an easy business, but I chose to challenge myself and adopt the mantra “if not now then when?” I started to ask friends and family if I could do photos for them to build a portfolio while I began to build my online presence, my website, and digital marketing strategy. One very important thing I learned is that everything changes month-to-month, so you always need to be open to upgrades. Once I made the decision to upgrade my photo equipment from my “learner” camera to a more professional model, everything started happening. I got my first few bookings, word of mouth began spreading, and here we are now!

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.
IT TAKES COURAGE TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER! It takes courage to be an artist of any kind these days, even if our sources and technologies give us a lot of options to get in the public eye, it’s still hard to keep going. The biggest lesson I learned was to stop comparing myself to others. Of course you can always look for inspiration in the beginning, but it can grow into imposter syndrome if you’re not careful. The thoughts of “what I can do better”, “why I did not come up with this idea”, and “I can’t continue” will creep up but fight that urge. It can be easy to become overly critical and dissatisfied with your work when there is always more you could achieve. We often focus so hard on everything we are not, that we forget to recognize how much we have changed and evolved to get where we are.

What am I proud of? I am proud of the fact I can do what I like, which is documenting people in love in all forms possible. When I am photographing weddings I always have tears in my eyes and shivers, that’s how I recognized I was doing something that I am supposed to do. And what sets me apart from others? I am European and without a filter, so it will always be fun!

So to sum this up: yes, it was hard. It is hard and always will be, but that is the journey we need to enjoy because when it’s easy and you are not nervous it’s not important for you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question! If I was not doing photography, I would definitely do some sort of event planning that allowed me to explore new places. I even have the perfect itinerary of the LA area:

For all the foodies, I would start with the ROW DTLA on Sundays where they host the Smorgasburg food festival. Here you can find some of the finest restaurants that I have ever had showcasing their best meals food-truck style. Beyond the food, the entire complex of ROW DTLA is awesome especially for someone who loves modern industrial vibes. For every other day of the week, Grand Central Market is also one big yummy parade on the other side of Downtown Los Angeles.

You cannot leave Los Angeles without visiting Disneyland or Universal Studios, I think these two places are always a perfect way to turn off your identity and be a child again.

As an artist, this city has absolutely unlimited options to explore so a visit to the Arts district is definitely in order! As you explore all the amazing murals, you can also grab a cold drink at a bar and play arcade games. The Broad and The Getty Center are must-do spots for art fans, and don’t forget Melrose Avenue and Venice Beach for a real west coast vibe for shopping and relaxing

All the classic tourist areas can easily be done in one day if you’re into that, but I would recommend taking time to explore areas outside the city like Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro with beautiful cliff views and a fresh breeze. Naples Island in Long beach is another gem reminiscent of Venice, Italy! Finally, a relaxing stroll along the Shoreline Village in Long Beach enjoying the marina views.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think that the biggest shoutout goes to my husband who kept pushing me to not give up and supported me in everything. I could also credit the educators and workshop leaders I learned from, but I would rather encourage people to follow their own vision since everyone has varying tastes and ways of doing things. Other shoutouts go to my friends, the people who posed for my first photos, and even those who thought that this hobby could not become my main income. I think I am the kind of person who likes to prove these kinds of people wrong!

Website: www.petrapersaud.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/petrapersaudcom

Facebook: www.facebook.com/petrapersaudcom

Other: https://g.page/r/CVel84Y2li_yEBA

Image Credits
Images of me taken by @growwildphoto

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