Surviving as an Artist in Boston: An Inspiring Story

Posted on February 15, 2011

Urbanity Dance sat down with the highly sought Boston dance photographer Liza Voll. Liza’s work has recently been published in the New York Times, the Boston Globe and Dance Teacher Magazine… In addition to being contracted for professional companies, Liza has become known for her student portfolio shoots – students get “wow factor” photographs for summer programs and college dance applications.

Liza’s connection to Urbanity is that she participates in the NEW Urbanity Dance Community Member program. The idea to interview Liza came about after the last “Late-Night Urbanity Dance Talk”. The topic of the night was “Surviving as an Artist in Boston.” The idea of being an artist AND starting your own business is daunting. We are inspired by Liza, and wanted to get inside her head for a few….

What is your background, and why are you interested in dance photography?

By Liza Voll

I have been a dancer for many years, training in classical ballet from age 3-17, dancing in a small rep company at Tufts, and now as a community member with Urbanity Dance. I’ve never been one to hide my emotions and I have a hard time sitting still for long, so dance is the perfect creative, athletic activity. Many of my closest friends are dancers, and I’m so excited to be involved with Urbanity as it’s an awesome group of energetic, friendly people who make me happy. As for photography, I started formally in high school with a class in b/w film, and then progressed quickly to digital in college. My first dance shots were of Sarabande, my college group, during dress rehearsals when I wasn’t on stage. I attended both Tufts University (for public health) and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and continued to shoot dance for my photography classes. Eventually I began networking with local dance schools (such as Boston Ballet School) as well as individual dancers, and shot many performances and dance portraits. I also worked with Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco for a summer and sold my first prints to the summer students of their performance. The experiment was so successful that the idea of photography as a full-time venture actually seemed possible. Two years later Liza Voll Photography was born!
I love photographing dancers because they can express such a range of things with their bodies. Emotion, athleticism, beauty –there can be so much content in a gesture and it’s exciting to try to capture that successfully in a two-dimensional medium.
What risks do you take every day?
Photography is a subjective product, there is no one ‘correct’ image. People purchase my photos to display as art and receive pleasure from viewing them. When I’m on assignment, I’m always running the risk of creating something that I like, but that no one else will, which would not be very profitable.I’m a very optimistic person. It can be difficult to put yourself out there in the public eye, but if you believe in the strength of your product and skill, there’s no reason not to go for it other than a fear of failure.
What resources have you found helpful?
Thanks to many organizations that compile useful information into one location, my experience moving into photography has been easier. The ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers), for example, has a publication, ‘Professional Business Practices in Photography’ that introduced me to many business concepts that were incredibly helpful. Their website provides resources such as legal advice, insurance information, access to a network of other photography professionals, and they frequently host workshops and seminars. Becoming knowledgeable about the details of your specific field is the only way to become competitive. Also, given my lack of formal business education, receiving advice from other small business owners about practical things like taxes, accounting, etc. has been invaluable.

Lines Ballet By Liza Voll

Did you encounter resistance from your friends and family about starting your own creative business?
Quite the opposite! My family and friends have been extremely encouraging from day one. Throughout art school I had never considered photography as a viable career option because I didn’t want to be a ‘starving artist’. Yet each semester my teachers would always comment how I seemed the most passionate about my dance photography over painting or design. This positive reinforcement, plus the ill timing of graduating and job- hunting during a recession, gave me the impetus to, in the genius words of Tim Gunn, ‘make it work.’ The only reason I would end up a starving artist was if I didn’t try hard enough –there are many successful photographers in the world, so why couldn’t I be one too?

Has it been worth it so far?
I receive the most enjoyment in life from accomplishing things. To be able to pay my bills and afford to do fun things as a result of my persistence and creativity with my photography is quite rewarding. Keeping a business viable involves so many different skills that there is a constant need for strategizing, creating, organizing, and then, eventually enjoying the rewards that a completed project brings –both financially and mentally. It’s also incredibly fulfilling to bring joy into someone else’s life through an image. I love looking at photographs and being transported back to a specific time, or remembering someone’s energy by looking at a photo of them enjoying life. I try to capture something fleeting in my images that will spark a simple emotion.

Do you see yourself continuing for now or finding something more “secure”? I am very excited to see where my photography career will go, and I love the flexibility of working for myself. I much prefer to work when I’m feeling motivated, and otherwise take time to go outside or take a quick trip home to Vermont when I need to mentally refresh.
I’ve made so much progress in less than two years, that I’m hoping in a few more I’ll have the luxury of choosing which jobs to take, perhaps traveling to shoot companies I’m in awe of, and working with zesty, creative people every day. I’ve already been published in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Dance Teacher magazine, had a full-page ad in Pointe, and photographed a dancer I love, Drew Jacoby. Here’s to a lot more of that and to moving forward!