Hidden Gems: Meet Justin Scarpace of Scarpace Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Scarpace.

Hi Justin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Photography for me started back in middle school when I got my first Polaroid and developed a fascination to be able to freeze time inside a photo that could last forever. I began picking up disposable cameras right after that and found myself to be the unofficial photographer at little family gatherings and camping trips.

It wasn’t shortly after as I progressed into Highschool age and developed a passion to photograph my friends helping them update portfolio pictures for their acting or modeling.

I got my first gig, where someone actually paid me to shoot their quinceanera where I made $500 for a hard days worth of work at the age of 17. With that money, I invested it back into my business as my passion became a reality that I could make money doing what I love.

I took a few courses at my local community college that really helped me develop my understanding of photography and lighting but I still remained focused on self-taught learning as I would critique my work and want to better myself.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest struggle, which can be related to any industry is the competition. Unfortunately in my experience, when I was starting off, a lot of photographers are taken advantage of and forced into doing a lot of free photo shoots.

I had a few companies and big influencers who would use either my lack of experience or their “CLOUT” to peer pressure me into shooting a “collaboration” which basically means I would not get paid but get “Exposure” and experience.

At first, this was okay since it was valid and necessary to grow, but promises were made and never followed through.

As I grew more confident with myself and my work, I would filter out opportunities that would take advantage of my time while only benefiting the other party.

This definitely was a lesson that had to be learned in the business world that can sometimes be ugly, but necessary to understand and value clients that share the same respect for my work.

Some advise I wish I would of paid more attention to in the beginning would be, don’t underestimate your potential, charge what you find to be fair and work will come to you in good time, and continue to grow your business while having fun doing it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Scarpace Photography?
I officially launched Scarpace Photography as business back in 2015 with my passion turning into a business. Being able to capture customers feeling confident with themselves and helping business promote themselves in professional and creative prospective while having fun doing so is my goal.

No matter the situation, success is my priority to bring dreams to life with the images I capture.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Living in the surrounding LA area, I love the unlimited creativity to express fashion and beauty with support from locals, but what I dislike the most is the traffic during rush hours, like any Californian.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.scarpaceproductions.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/scarpace_productions