Today we’d like to introduce you to Breonca Alyssa Trofort.
Breonca Alyssa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Art has been in my life for as long as I could remember. Growing up, I always admired my older cousins that were both athletic and artistic, and naturally I just wanted to do everything like them. I began drawing, painting, and playing basketball, and the better I got the more serious I became about creating. My curiosity for photography began arising while watching my cousin make mini movies, featuring my twin sister and I. In middle and high school I was in the magnet art program for drawing and painting and began merging my way more into the photography and cinematography realm. I saved up my money and bought my first digital camera in middle school and I took it everywhere with me (it was like having your favorite necklace that you wore everywhere). When it came time to decide what I wanted to major in for college, my photography teacher advised me that if I kept working hard that I could become a great photographer and make a career out of it. So I took a leap of faith and I decided to attend Virginia Commonwealth University, where I received my bachelor of fine arts in 2013. During my college career, I participated in numerous internships and assistant positions. which provided me with the opportunity of learning more about the photography field and all the possibilities that I had access to. After graduating I moved to Atlanta, GA where I began interning and assisting. I always believed that to be the best you must remain a student and to place yourself in situations where you can learn from the best. From there I decided to take another leap of faith and decided that I wanted to shoot full time. It’s been a blessing to make a living by doing photography and to still be able to mix my passions for both sports and photography.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing in life comes easy, especially when you want to be an artist. This road has felt like a roller coaster, from the highs to the lows to being upside down wondering WHY did I decide to make this decision. But in all it has definitely been worth the ride. I have learned so much about myself in this process, realizing that everything happens for a reason and what is meant to be will be! Having that mindset has allowed me to never seem frustrated or down about a situation and to always have a positive outlook. Like most artist, there have been opportunities that have been snatched from me, days when I felt I may not have enough money to make rent, moments where I wonder if I should just give up and work a regular 9-5, and then I sit back and laugh. I made this decision to follow my heart and my passion and I knew for sure that it wasn’t going to be easy and that I wasn’t going to let any negative circumstance stop me from achieving everything I want to accomplish as a photographer.
When you look back, what are you most proud of?
So far, the proudest moment of my career has been winning the PDN The Shot competition last year. It’s a competition that I have followed since college and I kept telling myself, one day I will win this, and last year I am proud to say I did!
Every story has ups and downs. What were some of the downs others might not be aware of?
I think artist constantly go through a struggle, mentally or financially. I believe, once you are able to control your mental state, things tend to fall in place. At first, that was the biggest struggle, having to fight the constant thought of not being good enough and not being able to be financially stable. But I’m a firm believer in speaking positivity and claiming what I want out of my career, and working in faith and watching it all fall in place.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe Atlanta is a great place for me career wise, not only because of the opportunities here but also because it’s a central location where you can travel anywhere. I think like every city, starting out is always the most difficult part, but I recommend Atlanta because the cost of living is reasonable (in comparison to other big cities), but it’s also a growing industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.balyssatrofort.com
- Phone: 3052131959
- Email: info@balyssatrofort.com
- Instagram: @bee_alyssatrofort
- Facebook: facebook.com/balyssatrofort
Image Credit:
1. Model Canicka Cabarras
2. Model Robert Hamilton
3. Model Ryann Bradford
4. Model Taryn Nycol
MUA Anthony Prather
Wardrobe Superdope Closet Q
5. Olympian DeeDee Trotter
Hair Gajarah Hair
6. Angel McCoughtry – Atlanta Dream Basketball Player
MUA Alex Butler
7. Keith Carlos – America’s Next Top Model
Wardrobe Paige Jeter
8. Andrew Chetcuti – Olympic Swimmer for Malta
