Meet Zavia Ahmed | Photographer, Artist, Content Creator

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

Hi Zavia, what makes you happy? Why?
What makes me happy is seeing others pursue their passions, dreams and doing what they love to do. I enjoy helping others see the potential in themselves and understand you could do anything you set your mind to.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Brand and Lifestyle Photographer. Existing in my pursuit of all that is great and delivering my service to my clients is exactly what sets me apart from my peers. Booking the Staples Center has to be my most proud moment in my career so far. I was offered the opportunity to shoot Kelly Clarkson for a magazine. It’s amazing because I actually landed that job from someone who works for the magazine company. I supported their personal brand by doing shoots and promoting their business free of charge. I’ve learned that in any business endeavor, you may lose some before you win some. I wasn’t booking magazines right off the get-go. I did many free shoots as a way of getting my name out. I also had my fair share of rejection or redirection, whatever you want to call it. But, I’m thankful for that because out of those losses I learned the lessons that are vital for a successful business foundation. Being uncomfortable and getting knocked down is never easy. So, when everything falls apart, as humans, we naturally go back to the basics. Everything falls apart, we have to rebuild from scratch. Whenever the growing pains wore off, I took whatever lesson and worked with it. No, it was not easy. I overcame my challenges by remembering my “Why?”. My experiences and influences have guided and reminded me of my “Why?” one way or another. I’m thankful for all the ways people have supported me, whether it be someone I have known a long time or a complete stranger. A few takeaways.. I’ve learned to be persistent and keep an open mind. Rejection is a form of redirection. Follow that compass faithfully and you’ll be directed to everything that is for you. I don’t believe in competition with others but it more-so competition within myself. Others may have a vision of their own, that doesn’t necessarily have any correlation to the vision I have for my business or my life. And, that’s ok. My brand is set to capture the visual that each person has for their own brand. I’m so passionate about connecting with awesome, creative and talented individuals. I love hearing people’s story and identifying with them because it is a respectable journey. We all found a way to turn our joys and pains into something we are proud of.. and I think that’s tight.

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?
If I were staying in the city for a week in North Hollywood with my friend I’d make sure we got an Airbnb. It’s the best option for being in and out of the studio and I know a few people out there. I’d probably set up plans with friends in the city and collaborate. I’m always being inspired so we’d dig into conversation about our ideas and goals while we roam Melrose, indulge in art museums, see Art District. These are all places I’d take them. I like to go out and have experiences to be inspired and it’s exciting when I have someone to share aspirations with. It’s cool to have that. To eat, we definitely gotta get Raising Cane’s together. I’d take them to the beach, my favorite is Newport Beach down in Orange County.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank all my people’s that believe and support me. I’ve been inspired by many of my talented friends over time by just being around to see their process of them creating whatever they may be creating. Whether its skateboarding, photography, basketball, music, gaming, fashion design, painting, screen printing, videography, modeling, etc. It opened my eyes to what is possible when you see others that can do it. Shoutout to my family, friends and supporters. Check out my new single featuring my brothers J.star & Kvngdrilly on all platforms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zavuno/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqVKHFrEHutoc28Eh6domPg

Image Credits
@Zavtography @Nohelyxvalencia