Meet Pippi Saya | Photographer & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pippi Saya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pippi, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Growing up in a Czech family, I was exposed to an array of talented artists. However, it was the hauntingly beautiful landscape and still-life works of Josef Sudek that piqued my interest in photography. So, when my dad gave me his SLR camera back in the 90s, I started using it like a paintbrush, drawing the world the way I saw it. To spare everyone a tl;dr, we’ll flashforward 20 years to 2020. My core foundation in life has always been Jesus, but I’ve always loved the Halloween “season” (pumpkins, bats, the sky in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown…) and have always been drawn to darker aesthetics. Random fun fact, I also LOVE mermaids.

During the pandemic, my relationship with Jesus strengthened, which led me to taking a leap of faith by going back to school to get my degree in photography, eventually turning what was once a hobby into a business. Never being one to shy away from trying something different, I also expanded my skill set into making stop motion videos, logo design and typography! By starting my business, I realized that I could take my quirky personality and paradoxical belief of loving Jesus, pumpkins, mermaids, and oddball aesthetics to reach not only those like who, like me, may feel like a misfit, but to also break the religious barriers by collaborating and creating work which embraces all our differences.
Regardless of what trend society is focused on at the moment, I’ve always held on to the idea of staying true to who you are across all areas of your life – let the critics refine, not define you.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Regardless of the time of year, my personal work leans towards dark, dramatic, and moody landscape photography – especially when compositing. However, sometimes I like to contrast that by tapping into my inner mermaid, designing colorful images. I like my work to reflect a spectrum of emotions, but always incorporate a bright area in my work/portfolio to demonstrate that light always overcomes the darkness. When it comes to my professional work, I’m open to working with an array of aesthetics across photography and design – especially since I love a challenge and want to continue to grow as an artist!

Speaking of challenges, this journey has been nothing short of one. From deciding to start this business in my late 30s, tackling working full-time while going to school and getting rejected more often than accepted, I learned patience (which is something I’m still working on!) and confidence are key. Just because someone doesn’t like your work doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough, so don’t give up! One of my favorite movies is What About Bob, so when I face rejection, I remind myself of when he says, “if I meet somebody who I don’t think likes me I say to myself, ‘Bob, this one is temporarily out of order.’ Don’t break the connection just hang up and try again.” Words to live by!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First stop would be my favorite restaurant for drinks and tacos – Don Cucos! Their #13 meal along with some margaritas is the best way to unwind. From there, we’d venture to Descanso Gardens to decompress, grab some coffee, and enjoy being out in nature. At some point we’d then go to Irvine Park Railroad to experience their pumpkin patch, hop on the hayride, and take some photos. Finally, no So. Cal trip would be complete without a trip to the beach, so I’d take them to my favorite, Doheny Beach and finally ending our adventures at where else, but Disneyland! One of my favorite things to do is grab a beer, sit on Buena Vista St. in California Adventure and people watch.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, all praise and glory go to Jesus. Without Him, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am now. I also thank Him for blessing me with my amazing husband, mom, and late dad. They stuck by me on the days when I wanted to give up thinking I couldn’t do this (especially my husband Daniel for consoling me the night I fell apart on the kitchen floor!) and encouraged me to keep going. But most importantly, they’ve always served as my inspiration. I love them more than coffee and pumpkins combined!

Website: https://persnicketypumpkinsphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/persnicketypumpkinsphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/persnicketypumpkinsphotography

Image Credits
Pippi Saya – Persnickety Pumpkins Photography