#BehindtheSelfie with... Zuzi Seoka

Seoka sees life in more than black and white and says feedback is the breakfast of champions.

1. Where do you live, work and play?

Seoka: I live in Joburg for now – I’m a bit of a nomad. I work from home, the car and wherever my job takes me; and play everywhere!

2. What’s your claim to fame?

Seoka: People are at the core of what I do and that is something I don’t take for granted. Documenting people’s lives through my lens is a privilege and there’s a trust that clients place in me that cannot be broken. That and a lot of laughs to put people at ease in front of the camera.

3. Describe your career so far.

Seoka: I started out as a software tester for a company that designs and manufactures access control systems. Those that know me have that puzzled look on their faces right about now. After six months I jumped ship onto a container ship and spent the next seven years working for the world's largest container shipping line, first in customer service, then in sales as a sales performance analyst.

In 2013 I started out assisting a wedding photographer, carrying bags and soaking up all the knowledge she had to share. I would use any downtime during a wedding to put into practice all that she had taught me and to take photographs that I would ask her to critique. I think my enthusiasm paid off because before long I upgraded to a second shooter. It doesn’t sound like a big thing, but I now had the responsibility to photograph the groom and his groomsmen on my own, giving me full creative control. That was a defining moment for me, because that’s when I knew I could do this and more importantly, I wanted to do this. I also knew that it would mean relocating from my beloved Cape Town to make it happen but when I’m passionate about something, I do what needs to be done to make it happen.

I left the ship in 2014 to pursue the life of an entrepreneur, but I got cold feet eight months in. I jumped back into the rat race, working at the Loeries in 2015 as a creative officer and fixer. A year and a half later I went back to being a photographer full time. It has been an interesting and very challenging ride so far and I think the best is yet to come!

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Seoka: Spending time with my family – even my mom's hour-long venting phone calls infused with a little skinner; photographing people; good food and vino; road trips with good music; and laughing – I laugh all the time.

5. What do you love about your industry?

Seoka: I meet many interesting and inspiring people who unknowingly teach me something new when I listen to their stories.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Seoka: I check, respond to and follow up on mails; edit, edit, edit; plan for upcoming shoots; do my admin so my tax guy doesn’t call and reprimand me; update social media platforms and read up on what’s happening in the industry.

7. What are the tools of your trade?

Seoka: A curiosity and willingness to try new things and learn from different people, even those outside my industry, a big smile and lots of laughs and patience.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Seoka: Jide Alakija, Cedric Nzaka, ISeeADifferentYou, Yolandé Marx, and Jacki Bruniquel.

9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.

Seoka: Open the industry! I think those that have been in the game for a minute and are doing really well in their chosen field have a duty to mentor others and ensure that skills are passed on. There’s always a bunch of togs that will ‘b & m’ (b!tch and moan) about the influx of new photographers and how they’re diluting the industry. They need to build a bridge and get over it! Imagine if people stopped studying medicine and there were no new doctors coming up the ranks.

10. What are you working on right now?

Seoka: I’m planning for the new year and how to expand my brand beyond the borders of SA, I’m working on my design for my stand at the 2017 NWJ Bridal Fair in Durban and there’s also that endless stream of editing…

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Seoka: ‘Underwater maternity photography’, apparently. I’m not into trends or buzzwords unless they have a direct impact on my development in my craft.

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

Seoka: I don’t think I have a specific time or place where they originate. My brain is a constant hive of activity, with ideas coming and going. The good ones will make it past the realism check and the mediocre ones don’t. I’m inspired by all sorts of things and I’m constantly trying to find ways that I can differentiate myself from the next photographer.

13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

Seoka: My laugh is infectious and can be heard from a mile away.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Seoka: Definitely a technophile. I’m such a gadget-geek.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Seoka: Photos, photos, photos and too many apps.

16.What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack it as entrepreneurs?

Seoka:

1. Being an entrepreneur will test your limits and on many days you’ll feel like giving up. Remember why you’re in the game and get up every time you fall. Don’t be afraid of failure; if everything is always going right, you’re doing something wrong and/or you’re not growing.
2. Comparison is the thief of joy. You and your business will progress at a different rate than the next person/business. Focus on what you’re trying to achieve and stay committed.
3. Get a mentor! Having someone to sound ideas off, to confide in and to constructively critique your work will go a long way in helping you develop in your career. If you come around me with mad skills and I feel comfortable opening up to you, chances are I will hijack you as a mentor. It’s worked for me so far…
4. Stop doing free work for exposure. You’re not an intern and you cannot take exposure to the bank.
5. Stand for something or you really will fall for anything.
6. Don’t be so hard on yourself, failure is a part of this life we chose.
7. Know your worth.

Simple as that. Find out what Seoka does on http://www.zunophotography.co.za/ and follow Zuno Photography on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more.

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.