Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassy Athena.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had a passion for taking photos to document memories. After high school, I attended Glendale Community College and played basketball. I was taking a photoshop class one semester and had a professor in one of my classes encourage me to take his motion graphics class in the spring. He had a big love of basketball as well and was the first person that really showed how my love of sports and art could be merged together. I made video highlight reels of the men’s basketball team and continued doing this when I transferred to Cal State Northridge a couple of years later. I eventually saved up enough money to buy my first somewhat professional camera and tried photography. After graduating in Animation, I worked in the visual FX industry for a couple of years but struggled with enjoying the work I was doing. In 2011, the NBA went on strike (The Lockout) and a lot of players needed places to train. They started coming out to Los Angeles and I heard about a local men’s league that NBA players were joining to play. Here, I met so many players and would bring my little camera and share some of the moments online and with the players. As word spread, some of the players would invite me to capture their private workouts, parties, and events. After the lockout ended, no media outlet would hire me because they didn’t view me as being a “professional photographer.” This made me continue to build relationships with the players and capture them in their free time. With Instagram starting up and other social platforms taking off, I continued to take full advantage of being my own media outlet. Now, almost ten years later, I have built relationships with players from high school to the NBA, as well as so many music artists and entertainers. I have truly been able to become my own media outlet and do something I love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Any path to success is not going to be smooth. It’s about being able to embrace the challenges and learn how to navigate when things seem impossible. All of the companies and outlets who turned me down just pushed me to build my own brand. Also, being the only female lifestyle sports photographer who works with so many different high profile players can intimidate and challenge a lot of other people who want to do what I do – and although there have been many times where I have truly wanted to call it quits – I just knew this was something I couldn’t live without.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Because I created my own job position, it’s hard to describe exactly what I do. I document the lifestyle and sports of the biggest and most talented basketball players in the world. I am known for building relationships with these players and their families and capturing moments that can live on forever. What sets me apart from other photographers is not only the photos and videos that I take but the relationships I build with people.
Because I was sharing my photos on the internet, I knew that people would be sharing them and might not give the proper credit for taking the photo. I came up with a watermark of my name and would include it on all of my photos. As my photography continued to grow, a lot of people were exposed to my photos and my watermark became a staple in the basketball community. People have said, “You’ve made it when you get a photo with a Cassy Athena watermark on it.”
Last year, I decided to take this one step further and make t-shirts that had my “Cassy Athena” watermark on it. I gave them to a few players and was not sure what the reaction would be. To my surprise, it has now become a huge demand from players and fans all over the world to wear these shirts. Players constantly wear them everywhere from workouts to NBA games and more! I was also able to do a jersey exchange with Dwyane Wade this season for his last season playing. It has taken my brand to a whole new level.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
The most important piece of advice I could give is to never give up and to turn what might seem like the odds being against you to your advantage.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wearathena.com
- Email: cassyathena@7x.media
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cassyathenaphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cassyathena
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/cassyathena
- Other: www.instagram.com/cassyathena
Image Credit:
Portrait photos of me: Corey Butler, All other photos: Cassy Athena
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