Moriah Ziman
Q What do you do?
“I am a photographer, content creator and strategist, creative director, and Co-Founder of a small creative studio based in Brooklyn.”
I do everything from producing shoots to social media management to event planning and more! I love being a part of any creative process and building teams that create beautiful work together.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I never thought that I would become a photographer and it was never a set goal that I determined for myself. I didn't study art or photography and just started freelancing in high school and kept going once I got to college. I was always into fashion and wanted to push my work in that direction, but growing up in the midwest it was a bit hard to pursue that industry. So, I shot whatever I could to gain experience, from politics to restaurants, and used that knowledge to inform my move to New York in 2018.
I had no job and just a single printed book of my work and was lucky enough to get hired onto a freelance photography job for the first 6 months of my life in New York. I shot with local bloggers, reached out to brands and influencers, and sent so many cold emails to anyone I thought would be interesting to shoot with. I snuck into fashion week shows and tagged brands on my Instagram in hopes of them seeing and liking my work. After a brief stint trying to make ends meet freelancing, I needed to get a full-time job to support myself and was hired at a designer handbag company to run digital content and photography. After working with them for a little over a year and all throughout the pandemic, I went freelance again in December of 2020 and started a creative studio with my brother.
Now, I am full-time freelancer and have my own studio space here in Bushwick! My brother and I are currently taking on new clients in the content creation/social media management/event production space and I am so excited to be doing what I love almost every day.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I like to think that I stand out by just being down to earth and honest with everyone who comes in to shoot with me. I try to make everyone feel comfortable in my space and don't like to just operate transactionally.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm working on building a client base for my creative studio, BrotherSister, and taking on some additional freelance photography work on the side and for fun! One project I'm working on now is for a fine jewelry brand that will be launching this fall.
Q What’s your style?
Some words that I think describe my style are honest, minimalistic, and natural. I don't do a lot of editing or retouching and really just try to reflect what I see in real life into my work. I love really personal portraiture :)
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Honestly I would love to direct more shoots and even try my hand at directing music videos or any video work in the fashion space.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I think the most frustrating thing for me is bookkeeping and tracking my expenses because I don't have a very organized mind when it comes to that side of running a business and it can be really hard for me to manage everything on top of the actual creative work.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Not really anything to do with my career but I wish I could have told myself to let loose more when I was in high school and college. I was really introverted and unhappy and wish that I had more open and freeing experiences when I didn't have any responsibilities.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would probably love to talk to an expert in natural photo editing and maybe creative direction. These are two things that I do almost every day but don't feel like I quite master them yet.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would probably love to talk to an expert in natural photo editing and maybe creative direction. These are two things that I do almost every day but don't feel like I have quite mastered them yet.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Photography, content creation and creative direction, event production, social media management, campaign production
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I would say my ideal client/job would be working with someone who has a lot of passion for what they do and understands the importance of collaboration and flexibility in bringing a vision to life. It's important for a client to understand what they want but also be open to trying new things to maybe push their ideas in a more targeted direction that makes sense for their brand/business/product etc. I work very personally with each client and it's not just about making content and getting paid.
Q: What is your rate?
For photography, I usually charge $450/hour, $1200 for a half-day shoot, and $2400 for a full-day shoot. For social media and content creation, I usually charge a monthly retainer starting at $1200, but am open to hearing each client's needs and adjusting the budget based on what is required.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Usually reaching out via email is ideal or through my website. Ideally, an intro should include a brief summary of who they are, what they are looking for, and a timeline.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Another photographer I really love is Youn Kim (who I've never met but I just love her work)
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Leaving my phone at home, listening to music, and taking a walk with my dog.
This member profile was originally published in July 2022.