Today we’d like to introduce you to Zharia Montgomery Venters
Hi Zharia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
For me, being creative has always been an extension of me and my identity. With photography though, it was one of those things I just fell into. Freshmen year of college I asked for a camera, originally just with the intent to shoot my friends and I over the years. It was meant to be one big creative project that would document me and how I changed over the years leading up to graduation. However, after not using it for a while I got this strong urge to pick it back up and start shooting. At the time, I was an executive board member of the Haus of Vision Modeling Troupe at Prairie View, so it wasn’t hard to find subjects. I started by studying how our lead photographer took photos and immediately followed suit. Seeing the results made me realize there were so many stories I was yearning to tell, and photography was my outlet to do so. Eventually one thing led to another. First I was taking pictures at a party, next I’m taking pictures for fashion shows, next I’m doing brand shoots, and next I’m in charge of making my own shoots! It was just one of those things I had to realize over time I was just made to do. However, what helped me become so successful at it was my previous graphic design skills. It taught me how to color grade, how to position, and how to edit. For that I am very grateful. I feel as if every outlet I’ve explored creatively has set me up to be great at the things I do today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has absolutely not been smooth sailing. For any creative your biggest enemy will almost always be yourself. I love photography and graphic design greatly so I never really cared about the clientele. I knew as long as I stayed myself I’d be fine and the clients will come. It’s never been about the money. The biggest thing I struggled with however was burnout and losing motivation. Sometimes you just get in a rut where you feel you need a break, you wanna stay in, or you want to put off a project. But on the flip side of that you know you’d feel like you didn’t amount to anything if you did that. In the beginning it was a constant battle of such, but eventually I had to learn how to balance both out and find a happy medium. Now, whenever I feel a burst of creative energy, I capitalize off of that. Meaning I do as much as I can while I have the energy, whether that’s setting up meetings with models, site visits, finishing graphic design projects, or organizing my photography concepts on Notion. I do it all while I can, that way by the time I’m starting to settle down I’ve finished a week to two weeks worth of work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Mainly I do photography and graphic design, but I do creative direct as well. If you were to ask anybody else though, they’d definitely say I’m most known for my photography. While I’m passionate about all of my talents equally, I’m most proud of my shoot Tender Love and getting my shoot Sunkissed featured on Culture Icon TV. Tender Love specifically will probably always have a special place in my heart. Like that shoot is literally my baby. It was my first time ever having a company sponsor a space for me, and my first time ever being able to build a concept from the ground up and watch myself execute it. It was amazing and definitely an unforgettable experience, I thank Sanman Studios greatly for offering me the opportunity to do such a thing! When asked what sets me apart from others though I always say my drive and my heart. I’m no stranger to being in a leadership position, so I’ve naturally become very organized and meticulous. I take those skills and I put those towards writing all of my concepts in extreme detail, making sure I’m managing my time correctly, and making sure that I do all of the necessary behind the scenes work to ensure I get the desired result. My goal is to always guarantee that I’m not wasting my time nor my model’s time. Plus I’m going to always do my best to give my models and enjoyable and comfortable experience.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’m always open to working with and meeting new people. Currently, I’m working on venturing out and building a stronger creative directing portfolio so I’d love to work with any brands or other businesses looking for such!
Pricing:
- Standard Shoot – $250/1 hour/20 photos
- Advanced Shoot – $400/2 hours/40 photos
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zhariamonae.com
- Instagram: zharia.monae
- Other: https://zhariamonae.squarespace.com
