We were lucky to catch up with Irene Rofail recently and have shared our conversation below.
Irene , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is always something I have struggled with, no matter what medium I am working in. I feel as though it is a natural part of working as a creative. At what point am I no longer an amateur artist? When does the feeling really go away? If I am being honest, it never really went away. It took me a really long time to realize that being an artist doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to create something perfect, sometimes the real beauty is in capturing the imperfections and the moments surrounding them. It will take a lot of failures, and a lot of trial and error before finding something that is the best fit for you.
I have always been a creative person, I have tried many different mediums and worked many different fields over the last ten years before I really found my love for photography again. Sometimes all you can do is work hard, and put out the best work you can, the success will follow, and with that so will the validation of becoming an expert in your field.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a photographer and content creator at Studio 1415. I moved to the USA from Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania in 2011 to attend Ringling College of Art and Design where I got my BFA in fine arts. This is also where I met my husband and now business partner. Before college, I spent my whole life in Dar-es-salaam, which has had a great influence on how I create content today.
During Covid my husband and I decided we wanted to start something of our own and opened our business, based out of Sarasota, Florida. We started with photographing one restaurant, and it grew from there. Today our Studio specializes in food photography and we work with a variety of restaurants in the Tampa bay & Orlando area.
I have found that working with restaurants has really sparked my creativity and passion for photography and really created room for me to grow as an artist. The fast pace of the restaurants, the passion that each cook puts into their food and the pride that comes with creating a perfectly plated dish are just a few parts of what makes each day as a content creator that works with food so special. I really enjoy capturing the different overall energy of the place. Being able to capture what makes each place so unique is a big part of what we do.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would definitely say that looking back on my journey as a photographer and my growth over the years, there are many qualities and skills that impacted my business. I started out with very little skill in the field and no classes in the subject, and it took many years to find a specialty and a lot of failures and mistakes along the way. I tried many different types of photography before I landed on food photography. The truth is it is not easy, the journey is long and can be difficult but always push through and I truly believe good things happen in the right time.
Another important skill to have when working as a content creator in a fast paced environment like restaurants is being able to make a split second decision and work well under pressure. You always have to be aware of so many moving parts, and this translates into all aspects of life.
Be flexible, things rarely go as planned, this is something you have to accept if you want to be a successful creative, you have to adapt and be able to work around obstacles. Work with people, be kind, and work hard the rest will come together.
We have built our business up entirely from word of mouth. I believe this is because of our relationship with our clients, we do not just want to be another contractor, we want to get to know you, work with your vision and really understand you because we feel that is the best way to capture your story.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I would not be where I am today if it was not for my husband Ferenc Beleznay. He is one of the most skilled and talented photographers I know and has truly taken the time to teach me everything I know about photography. He has always had a passion for photography, and spent many years working as a lifestyle photographer for a department store. We met during my time at Ringling College of Art & Design. I have always been fascinated by how he could capture such beautiful moments and I always loved photography but never really thought of it as more than a hobby for myself. I didn’t think I had the skills to be able to do it professionally.
I started out by assisting him on photoshoots, when I realized this was something I really enjoyed it and I had a good eye for capturing genuine interactions. He really helped me foster that creativity and gave me the tools I needed to be able to become the artist I am today. Having a great support system is the key to growth, always having someone to rely on and that you can trust really helped me grow and build the confidence to make the shift and do this as a career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studio1415.com
- Instagram: @studio1415.media
- Facebook: @studio1415.media
Image Credits
Irene Rofail & Ferenc Beleznay – Studio1415
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