Meet Melissa Zink | Commercial and Advertorial Food and Beverage Photographer

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

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always knew I wanted to explore a creative path, but for a long time I did not know which avenue was the one I wanted to pursue. I’d worked in my prior career in the restaurant industry for quite awhile, and knew I desperately wanted to find something to connect my love of food and beverage while allowing my creativity to flourish. I also wanted to work for myself, set my own schedule, and be free to create. I’d been slowly building up my business skills, assisting, and learning about what would be needed to make that leap. Once Covid hit and everything shut dow, I decided it was time to let go of my previous career for good and jump head first into my business. Without my full attention, I knew it would never prosper into anything successful.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always loved stories, especially those that revolve around food, eating, or drinking. And I love food! I thought my path would eventually lead to a career in food writing, it seemed like such a natural segue from the restaurant career I had and so in line with what I was doing at the time and where my headspace was. I started the most basic way I knew how at the time: I took classes in writing and journalism and changed my college major to fit. But along the way something didn’t seem to gel, and I looked for other avenues to weave those narratives while also following my desire to create. I took a few photography classes after graduating, and immediately knew this was the outlet I needed. A photograph has the potential to tell a story with such immediacy, and to create a lasting impact on one page. I had no idea how difficult it would be to get where I am, nor did I realize how much work would be necessary in so many other areas that had nothing to do with making beautiful images. I also never imagined how expensive starting a photography business would be. My income was pretty great working in restaurants, I live in one of the top food destinations in the world and giving that up was not at all easy. I had to start at the bottom again, assisting part time for pennies while hustling to pay for photo school, supplies, and gear, not to mention rent, bills, and the rest of my life. I took photography jobs for free because I thought that was how I broke into the industry, exposure would get the right eyes on my work and I would be set. I learned quickly that was the way to burnout, resenting the work I made, and not actually making a living doing what I loved. But being so new meant not many brands wanted to take a chance of an emerging freelancer with no paid client work behind them. It wasn’t until about 2 years in I finally got my first paid shooting gig; and it took several months to figure out contract writing, marketing strategies, proper outreach (including etiquette behind marketing), pricing, and all the other business aspects that don’t come naturally to a creative. It’s taken a lot of trial and error, a ton of learning, and many anxious periods of financial instability to get to a place where I’m making enough to live off my photography. Determination, grit, and perseverance have gotten me where I am; and I continue to need that to this day. As difficult as it’s been, I can’t imagine every doing anything else. My love for creating with my camera keeps me going when I want to give up. I put my heart and soul into every image I make, and that translates into not only the highest quality for my clients, but a raw emotion and beauty that shows in the results. I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and of all the work I’ve created, but especially of all the growth both my work and character.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d start with a hike in Tonto National Forest exploring the Native American historical sites and admiring the cactus fields. Then I’d head over to Pizzeria Bianco (early was they fill up fast!) for some of the best pizza I’ve had! You can’t visit Phoenix without a visit to the Phoenix Art Museum, then swing by the Heard Museum for an incredible afternoon of modern art as well as Native American and Southwestern art as well. Then it’s off to Los Wong for delicious Thai food, the spicier the better. The Desert Botanical Garden is another must see, and Highball cocktail bar remains a frequent pit stop.

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?
All the freelance photographers struggling to gain their footing in the industry deserve a huge shoutout! It’s such a difficult industry, especially with the pool of talent growing exponentially every day. All who manage to just keep going in spite of the struggles and setbacks are the ones really deserving recognition.

Website: https://www.melzink.com

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

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/melzinkphotography

Image Credits
Melissa Zink Photography