Meet Sasha Sofia | Student and Photographer

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

Hi Sasha, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I am usually pretty quick to giving up when something I am doing or working on does not go well or just isn’t working out the way I had hoped it would and that really slowed me down from being successful and confident in my work. I think that learning to appreciate the process of taking photos has helped me improve and feel a lot more confident in my photography and ability to make a career out of my photography. Another huge thing I do is remind myself that it’s ok to take a step back and figure out what I want to do or photographs for a short period of time instead of constantly taking photos without a break.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I started doing photography a few years ago, I never imagined I would be where I am right now. It started as just something I was doing to pass the time throughout my days, and now its something I feel genuinely called to do by God. I used to not even be able to look people in the eye when I was talking to them but because of photography I can go up to a random stranger on the sidewalk and ask them to do a photoshoot with no anxiety or fear whatsoever. Everyone has artistic gifts whether we think we do or not. It just takes us stepping out a little and trying stuff out to figure out we might be passionate about something and we never knew it was in our field at all. I always was a kid that loved music and art but I never tried to figure out if I was any good at either of them and because I set my insecurities and self doubts aside and took a photo of that flower in my front yard that one day, I now feel like I have a specific purpose in my life. It’s a lot easier said than done but we can all do anything if we put just a tiny bit of effort into it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego is one of those cities where you can get the best of every world location wise. There’s the beach, the city, the mountains, and the desert. If I had to choose the best spot in the city to go to, I would have to go with Sunset Cliffs. It is arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the entire state of California. The ideal plan would be picking up some exquisite Mexican food from a local restaurant then mobbing to the cliffs to watch the sunset or if were going during the day, to watch the surfers.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom is my top shoutout when it comes to my photography dreams and career. My mom has been my number one fan and motivator to pursue my love for photography and to make it a career rather than just a hobby. My close friends have also been extremely influential in my photography journey. I honestly would not be where I am and as excited as I am to do photography if it wasn’t for the love and support I receive every single day from my best friends.

Instagram: sashaphotographs