April Staso
April Staso
Commercial Photographer
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
www.aprilstaso.com
instagram @aprilstaso
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am a commercial photographer who has a passion for creating colorful, graphic, clean, and minimal imagery for clients in the fashion, beauty, and product industry. ”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I have always had a passion for the arts. I was big into fine arts in school as a kid and always had a camera around my neck documenting my life. After High school I ended up at a 4 year university working towards getting a fine art degree. I wasn't sure where that would take me as a career and so eventually I found myself in Seattle looking into a commercial photography program. I had known photography was a passion of mine, but never imagined it could be a career until I discovered Seattle Central's Creative Academy and all the amazingly talented photographers that were coming out of the program. I graduated from the program in 2015 with a commercial photographer degree and went straight into freelancing. My dream was to move to LA . I'm coming up on my one year anniversary here and I gotta admit, I am living the dream. Every day just keeps getting better.
How do you stand out in your field?
I prioritize my clients needs to the best of my ability. I go above and beyond for them. I make sure every single one leaves happy every time, leaving 5 star reviews across the board. My images are very clean and crisp. My lighting is always on point and I know what I'm doing. I have the ability to shoot a variety of things as well, which makes me very versatile.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I am currently working on my second shoot with a new pharmaceutical company. We are shooting some fun colorful product photography flat lays with hard shadows. Its truly my ideal kind of product photography.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I love producing colorful, graphic, fun, clean, minimal images. Like this:
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I would love to focus more on Fashion and Beauty work.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Networking and getting myself out there. Getting out from behind the computer has always been my biggest struggle. I'm new to LA and i'm nearing my year anniversary here and need to meet people to make myself more visible in the market.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Help me send out emails to potential new clients.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Value your worth always.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Learning great networking tips.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Looking for more beauty and fashion clients. Projects that inline with my vision of what I want to shoot: Colorful, fun, graphic, minimal and clean shots.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
My ideal client is someone with a similar vision of the kind of imagery I want to create. Someone in the fashion or beauty industry. If its product, someone who is interested in shooting something fun and colorful with hard shadows. A large team is always amazing to work with. Getting to collaborate with a ton of talented creatives and being part of a team is really where my passion lies, regardless of what the content we are creating is.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
My rate varies on the project, the company, the scope of work, and how passionate I am about the project.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
I love to communicate via email and usually direct people to that avenue. Ideally giving me a rundown of the scope of the project, an idea of the budget, and a moodboard or inspiration photos.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Keeping my eyes and ears open for the unexpected possibilities.
This member profile was originally published in September 2018.