Today we’d like to introduce you to Zuzu Valla.
Zuzu, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always like taking snap pictures of people and the life around me on my phone. Whatever it was a party, trip or just coffee with friends, wild action or mystery atmosphere. It all started around 11 years ago. But the phone cameras at that time wasn’t what we are having now, it was blurry, and sometimes you cannot tell what is going on in the image. I have changed my phone 3 times and I still wasn’t happy, even the man at the shop was joking that he is happy I am not his girlfriend as I am never happy 😀 Then my sister suggests my life-changing idea to buy a DSLR camera. So I did and there is where my true passion began. On the beginning, I was taking pictures of everything around me. I remember I woke up 4am so I can capture my town in the morning and during the day. I am originally from Slovakia and I moved to the UK, so I wanted to show my friends and family my new town through my eyes. I take pictures of flowers on sunrise, an old sofa in the middle of nowhere, a graveyard, and skaters in the town, I was taking pictures of flowers, animals, and buildings, I was trying to find out which kind of photographer I am.
And then my friend asked me to take pictures of her in our bath, we had a beautiful bath in the middle of the room, we used candles and the atmosphere was very tender, I felt that I was expressing my feeling through my friend and that was the moment when I know that I want photographed women. I was photographing women for almost 8 years, I had a series called ”In the bath” where I was photographing different women in different baths with different flowers or milk inside. Or I photographed models I stopped on the street, I saw the girl and I know is HER, I also photographed loads of ginger girls with freckles, I was fascinated by them, there was something mysterious around them so I just simply didn’t have enough to try to capture that energy. My favourites are twins Chloe and Leah and Rose. It was always just me and my model and a bit later my great friend and body painter makeup artist Suzanna.
Only 3 years ago I had an opportunity to working on a fashion editorial with big team, and I just failed in LOVE!! The atmosphere on the set, people chatting and laughing, watching the preparation and creative people doing the magic and then I saw the incredible clothes which were a piece of art itself, I knew I founded my new home. Since then, I am in the fashion industry and I will fulfill it. I love what I do, it is my passion.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I am often smiling when talking to people and all they see is the image, but what is behind the image only people who are inside know. It is all hard work, I am working constantly if I am not putting a team and ideas together, I am researching, learning or watching YouTube videos, that how I learned everything.
It is hard work, especially if you are working with a big team, you have to work with different personalities, and not everybody are always easy to go, and you are there to manage it (laugh)
And even though I always trying to set some boundaries in between my work and my life is hard because photography is my life 😀 but I am lucky that I got the best husband I ever could wish for, he is helping me with everything, from correcting my emails, setting up the studio, drive me to the location, helping with lights through foot massage after a long day shoot or bringing me food when I am busy with editing. He is a big visionary helping to make my ideas even better, he is also a photographer, and he use to be my model on the beginning, that how we started dating, he always pushed me to do better and always told me the truth, which was annoying on the beginning (laugh).
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a self-taught photographer originally from Slovakia. Since the beginning of my career, I was fascinated by unusual-looking women and I felt that it is almost my duty to show the world that every woman is beautiful. I define my own recognizable signature style, exploring multiple layers of distinctive human beauty, focusing mainly on fashion, portraiture and commercial photography. I like to push the boundaries of the industry and magazines in terms of beauty standards, often working with models with disabilities. My work has been exhibited in Paris, London, Hungary, Iran, Spain and Slovakia.
Clients: British Vogue, Vogue Portugal, Vogue Italia, Photo Vogue, Dazed, Art + Commerce, Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam, L’Officiel Baltic, L’Officiel China, L’Officiel Scandinavia, Darkus Magazine, Schon!, Vanity Teen, Hunger, The Vanilla Issue, Pap Magazine, Sticks and Stones, The Wall Group, Anon, Giorgio Armani, Gaia Wise, Bora Aksu, Girli, UOMA Beauty
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Yes definitely! I realized that people was closer together than ever, even if we was told to keep the distance. The humanity and understanding for each other was deep and real, I wish we can stay in that spirit forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zuzuvalla.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zuzu.valla/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuzu-valla
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VallaZuzu
Image Credits
1. For L’Officiel Baltic @lofficielbaltic Editor in chief: @ligazemture Photographer: Zuzu Valla @zuzu.valla Videographer: Jacek Lemieszek @jaceklemieszek Model: Stacy Michuki @missmichuki @titaniummanagement Stylists: Daria Chez @chez_style & Yal Keenan @yalk_style MUA: Bryanna Angel Ryder @bryanna_angel_mua Hair: Laura Chadwick @hairbylaurachadwick 2. Photo Vogue Italia Photo: @zuzu.valla Model: @shronkeyhonkey Mua: @ryanna.mda Using @westbarnco and @illamasqua 3. Cover Story for L’Officiel Scandinavia Team Credits: Photographer: Zuzu Valla @zuzu.valla Model: Julia Bregalda @_juliabregalda Agency: NEVS Model Agency @nevsmodels Producer: Melody Rawles @melodyrawles Styling: Rebekah Roy @rebekahroy_ PR Agency: Widebrand Group @widebrandgroup Hair: Timothy Furssedonn @timothyfurssedonn using @mop_hair_products Haircare Makeup: Linda Burns @thelindaburns using @officialbyredo 4. BTS LFW Bora Aksu @diya_prabhakar Styled by: @leithclark Wearing: @bora_aksu Hair: @neilmoodie using @biolage Makeup: @janeen.e.witherspoon using @uomabeauty Casting: @noah__shelley Production: @ant_waller PR: @annanicolebrennan @hydradesign__ Live performance / song by @gloriaendresdeoliveira @antikdantel 5. Photo Vogue Italia Photography: Zuzu Valla @zuzu.valla Styling: Ally Lux @ally.lux Graphic Design / Retouch: Lauren Cremer @lozfolio HMUA & Nails: Jona Brokeri @jo_jo_bzmua using @maccosmetics Model: Liza Bilal @liza.bilal via @w_modelmgmt Words: Ally Lux @ally.lux Creative Assistant: Leopold Albert @leopoldalbert__ Photography Assistant: Simran Kaur @simran_k_01 Fashion Assistants: Afonso Albano @vegetarianlegend & Nicole Tabalba @ntabalba 6. Outtake from Vogue Portugal @vogueportugal @lighthouse.publishing Editor in chief: @sofia.slucas Art Direction & Photography: @zuzu.valla Photographer assistant: @sara_carpentieri_ Stylists: @chez_style @yalk_style Model: @livi.deane Agency: @zebedeetalent Make up & Manicurist: @bryanna_angel_mua Hair: @laurenbellhair Set Design: @ghost.them.on.set Set Design assistant: @eyeswalking Retouch: @ismagilova.retouch 7. Vogue Portugal @vogueportugal @lighthouse.publishing Editor in chief: @sofia.slucas Art Direction & Photography: @zuzu.valla Photographer assistant: @sara_carpentieri_ Stylists: @chez_style @yalk_style Model:@laurenhilaire_zebedee Agency: @zebedeetalent Make up & Manicurist: @bryanna_angel_mua Hair: @laurenbellhair Set Design: @ghost.them.on.set Set Design assistant: @eyeswalking Retouch: @ismagilova.retouch 8. RuPaul’s DragCon Exhibition Jaida Essence Hall @jaidaehall The winner of Drag Race S12 on BBC
