Meet Samid Mirza

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Samid Mirza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Samid , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome to me is just inevitable. No matter how hard you try, you will always have that voice in your head telling you “you are not good enough.”

Moments like those I just remind myself, “So what, I’m still enjoying it”. To me, that is the mindset that has really gone me out of that pit of anxiety and self doubt.

It’s easy to compare yourself to other people or other photographers, but I think everyone has something unique to bring to the table. I remind myself that people do like my work. Even if it’s not a stadium full of people. I know I have supporters and to me, that is the comfort I need to keep going.

At the end of the day, if you’re not enjoying your passion or hobby, then you have to really ask yourself “why am I doing it?” I love concert photography and I’ve met some amazing people and formed strong connections that are just irreplaceble. You just got to enjoy the journey.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I just want to first say, thank you so much for the amazing opportunity to interview for your Bold Journey Series.

So my name is Samid and I am concert photographer who runs an Austin-based page called Mirzatography. Honestly this really began as a random 3am thought that just somehow took off.

I originally started off by doing a combination of night-time candids in Austin, plus some hints of concert photography. But then after photographing a few shows, I realized from both friends and a few artists that I photographed that I have a good sense of capturing the more authentic moments when it comes to them performing.

And honestly I feel that is what makes me unique, the sense of capturing the more authentic or natural moments from artists when they perform. Sometimes I think that we focus too much on getting the most perfect shot without realizing that, hey, even the most natural pictures of them still turn out amazing.

I also feel I have a personality that allows me to make those meaningful connections with the artists and even management teams. I sort of treat them as like friends rather than just points of contact.

In terms of what’s coming up, I do have plans of building a website, to build my brand even further and I do want to take advantage of all the exciting events that are coming up this summer in Austin.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Always be open minded and excited to dive into the unknown.

2. Don’t ever compare yourself to other people within your creative passion. Remember that will always have fans and people who will support/love your work.

3. (I legit read this on a fortune cookie from like 2016 and I still have it on my phone)
“Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest”

On the subject of concert photography itself, start off with those local shows within your area. But don’t just focus on photographing the shows themselves, actually connect with the artists and show them how much you appreciate their work + ways for future collaboration. At the end of the day, we’re all humans openly expressing our creative passions and should we all show that love and support to each other.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Honestly I would love the opportunity to collaborate with any publications/blogs (either print or oline) out there, particularly focused on music and concerts. I strongly believe I have a lot to offer to really capture the essence of the local Austin music scene and I am someone who loves to connect with others as like friends to me.

Alongside any local music artists in Austin, Texas; who are looking to hire a concert photographer for their upcoming shows in the area or maybe even for creative assests e.g. album covers, promotional shots, social media posts etc.

You can contact me via:
Instagram: @Mirzatography
Email: [email protected]
Number: 832-298-4010

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All photos are taken and edited by me, Mirzatography

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