Today we’d like to introduce you to Zoe Prinds-Flash.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Minneapolis and picked up photography as a hobby in high school. I remember bringing my camera everywhere, photographing the people around me, and teaching myself anything that I didn’t find intuitive on Flickr forums. I think the first few jobs I had were senior portraits and by the end of high school, I landed a wedding. I remember being conflicted about whether or not I wanted to pursue photography as a career path and go to art school and I think that insecurity stemmed from not wanting to “ruin” my enjoyment of something by monetizing its practice. I decided to pursue a degree in Psychology in college while continuing to pick up gigs like live music coverage and music portraiture. Two years in, I switched gears and moved full-time to an art degree with the clear direction: freelance photographer. It’s been 11 years since that decision and 7 since becoming fully freelance.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The struggles of freelance life often feel self-inflicted, which, in my experience, can lend easily to some sort of imposter syndrome. I’ve struggled since the very beginning with managing a healthy work/life balance and dealing with some of the anxious side-effects of hustling for your gigs. A productivity mindset can be harsh– I’ve noticed the tendency to internalize feelings of failure when I’m not as busy, and will probably always struggle with not always associating busyness with success. Most of my friends and family who are in salaried or hourly positions have the security of a regular paycheck. I trade this security for freedom– being in control of my schedule, the ability to plan heavy shooting weeks so as to travel by the following, and most importantly (to me), choosing work and creating projects that fulfill & feed me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a portrait and lifestyle photographer–I have photographed everything from baptisms to live birth. Weddings have always made up a large percentage of my workload, but I have enjoyed seeing a shift in the last 5 years to more of an equal ratio of a wedding to non-wedding work. I’ve been told that I have the ability to capture a person’s essence or the energy of a room. As a visual feel-er, I think I am most proud when I am able to demonstrate this– synthesize feeling into a visual form. The form is also extremely important to me– as the daughter of an architect and a writer, I find myself helplessly drawn to shape, structure, and gesture.
I am quite social and in my personal life have the tendency to be a “connector”. I enjoy making people feel at ease, and crafting experiences for others to enjoy. So, in the fall of 2021, I opened a studio and art gallery in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis called The Pink Slip and have been enjoying feeling out the role of facilitator and curator. This venture is also important in that it allows me to create a space that creates space for and addresses politics and social/climate justice.
I feel most proud when I look around a room and see people moved and motivated. I feel most creatively satisfied when I’m a part of something collaborative and connective.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Minneapolis deserves credit. It’s a small town, and I’ve been able to sustain my business by navigating and networking within the interconnected arts communities here. Also, being the optimal age for the dawn of social media was instrumental– learning how to take advantage of word of mouth in a digital landscape is something I think all of us as creatives have benefitted from. A few notable people include Dessa who opened the door to documenting music for the next almost 2 decades, Shanai Matteson who I still collaborate with hired me for arts events before I could legally drink a beer, my friends and family who have amplified my work and celebrated me, colleagues who inspire me and challenge me– particularly Crystal Liepa, Graham Tolbert, Nicole Feest, and Brad Ogbonna.
Contact Info:
- Website: zoeprindsflash.com
- Instagram: zpfff
- Twitter: zpfphotography
Image Credits
Personal Portrait by Arran Walshe
