THE STORY OF ZORZ
In 1987 a 12-year-old boy, fond of drawing, played a grown-up and made up a whole lot of publishing company to give official-sounding home to his fantasy warriors, action heros, monsters, comics, and doodles. My childhood happenings helped me make up the secret name for it, Zorz. No longer did my artwork have to remain unsigned; self-made comic books proudly started with "Zorz Pictures presents"—just like real movies and comic books! To a boy, it was a big deal. Drawings became more sophisticated and realistic with years and took various iterations but Zorz Pictures remained a mere fruit of imagination.
At age 21 I moved to the US and settling into a new adult life forced all things art be placed aside for a decade. It wasn't until 2005 when in the midst of the digital revolution I decided to give my creativity a new life by switching from paper and canvas to camera viewfinder and Photoshop. I bought my first entry-level DSLR, Canon Rebel XT and joined one of the pre-Facebook era photo sharing communities, Fotki. This is where I honed my technical skills within a closed small group, accumulated first followers, and found my first clients, both private and commercial. Zorz Studios re-incarnated, with the word's plural usage giving a nod to future hopes for expanding photography to digital art and old-school painting. Portraits and beauty remained my forte reflecting in fine art and fashion photography. Later, I was invited into the wedding industry which I stormed with my fashion-oriented and action-packed vision. As I continued working with the commercial clients, my private clientele grew not only through the word of mouth but also expansions within their families.
At age 21 I moved to the US and settling into a new adult life forced all things art be placed aside for a decade. It wasn't until 2005 when in the midst of the digital revolution I decided to give my creativity a new life by switching from paper and canvas to camera viewfinder and Photoshop. I bought my first entry-level DSLR, Canon Rebel XT and joined one of the pre-Facebook era photo sharing communities, Fotki. This is where I honed my technical skills within a closed small group, accumulated first followers, and found my first clients, both private and commercial. Zorz Studios re-incarnated, with the word's plural usage giving a nod to future hopes for expanding photography to digital art and old-school painting. Portraits and beauty remained my forte reflecting in fine art and fashion photography. Later, I was invited into the wedding industry which I stormed with my fashion-oriented and action-packed vision. As I continued working with the commercial clients, my private clientele grew not only through the word of mouth but also expansions within their families.
OUR TEAM
My solo jack-of-all-trades performance predictably ended. Marrying me in 2015, Lara arrived to the US and joined the studio as the assistant and associate photographer. She also took over the initial bulk post-processing, leaving detailed enhancements and artistic manipulation to me, and being an accountant by trade, oversees finances. I still had too many projects to handle, among them—studio's daily newspaper Zoracle Daily launched in early 2016. Thinking of outsourcing it once aggregation and publishing were ironed out and constantly receiving offers for help from my retired but savvy and diligent mother from overseas, I decided to give it a try and was proud to see how well she mastered the new skills, from research and syndication to social media management. Her ambitious and successful self-teaching English to keep herself busy came in handy.
Ed Hafizov
Founder, lead photographer and videographer, creative director
Ed is an Android fanboy, tries to learn to play piano, and swam in winter.
Lara Hafizov
Videographer, associate photographer, photo editor
Lara is a fairy, homeschool teacher, plays guitar, and sings in the choir.
Zagya Hafizova
Studio's daily newspaper editor, social media manager
Zagya learned Russian in high school and English—in retirement, also gaining the social media clout.
OUR CLIENTS
Zorz Studios provides a refined and caring service to both private and commercial clients, along with volunteering for nonprofit organizations. The scope is insanely broad...
For private clients, it ranges from an inspiring young model to a Hollywood top director, from Arab Christian diaspora in Israel to a US state governor and foreign minister, from an indie singer to Bollywood superstars, from kids in the world's largest slums to moguls and billionaires, from an elopement wedding of four visiting NYC from Dubai to a 5,000-guest celebrity wedding in India, from high school photography class students to grieving mothers losing their newborns, from a toddler gymnast to a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, from young people stepping up their online dating game to romance anniversary sessions in Monte Carlo, from a client admittedly impregnated after husband seeing her boudoir photo book to those bringing their maternity sessions to underwater caves in Mexico, warm sun of Santorini, Greece and snowy mountains of Alaska, from a ballerina in couture salon to goths in an abandoned prison, from a chained angel to a Phoenix character with her wings set on fire...
Commercial clients and nonprofit organizations have their own unsurpassed flavor and striking impact. Below are just some of them.
For private clients, it ranges from an inspiring young model to a Hollywood top director, from Arab Christian diaspora in Israel to a US state governor and foreign minister, from an indie singer to Bollywood superstars, from kids in the world's largest slums to moguls and billionaires, from an elopement wedding of four visiting NYC from Dubai to a 5,000-guest celebrity wedding in India, from high school photography class students to grieving mothers losing their newborns, from a toddler gymnast to a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, from young people stepping up their online dating game to romance anniversary sessions in Monte Carlo, from a client admittedly impregnated after husband seeing her boudoir photo book to those bringing their maternity sessions to underwater caves in Mexico, warm sun of Santorini, Greece and snowy mountains of Alaska, from a ballerina in couture salon to goths in an abandoned prison, from a chained angel to a Phoenix character with her wings set on fire...
Commercial clients and nonprofit organizations have their own unsurpassed flavor and striking impact. Below are just some of them.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
BORN IN USSR CALLS HIMSELF RUSSIAN YET HE'S TATAR WENT FOR KAYAKING AND MODERN PENTATHLON USED TO SWIM 50m WITHOUT AIR FELL IN MANHOLES TWICE IN HIS CHILDHOOD EXPELLED FROM ART SCHOOL FOR POLITICALLY AMORAL EXPRESSION STILL LEARNED TO DRAW AND PAINT DREAMS IN FINE ART WORE GLASSES FOR 10 YEARS NO PLUMBING, HEATING, OR HOME PHONE TILL AGE 15 SOLID AND STRICT EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOL PART OF SCHOOL'S PRIDE–CLASS OF ADVANCED ALGEBRA AND PHYSICS LIVED IN ROMANIA SKIPPED CLASSES THERE TO SIT IN THE MISTY FIELDS AND READ WANDERED MILES AND MILES WITH HIS DALMATIAN IN FORESTS CHASED BOARS WORKED IN MOSCOW IN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CIRCLES MOVED TO USA THREE YEARS OF NIGHT SHIFTS AT A SMELLY JOB SPENT 16 YEARS IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES MAJORING IN ECONOMICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND BIOLOGY WORKED TWO FULL-TIME JOBS WITH 4-HR SLEEPS 12 YEARS OF CORPORATE MENTALITY IN A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY QUIT SAFE SOLID CAREER TO ADVANCE HIS STUDIO FEELS ECSTATIC FACTUALLY LAUNCHED HIS STUDIO AT AGE 12 DRAWING COMICS, FINE ART, AND TATTOO DESIGNS NEVER ASKED WHY "STUDIOS" IS PLURAL BUT ALWAYS ASKED THE MEANING OF "ZORZ" NEVER ANSWERS DAY-TRADED AND INVESTED IN HIS 20s FOR FUN BURNED IN MARKET CRASH OF 2000 OWNED A CAR HE BOUGHT BRAND NEW FOR CASH FOR 12 YEARS HAS TWO TEEN DAUGHTERS HAS HAD A MASCOT AT WORKPLACE THROUGH THREE CAREERS FROM SMELLY, TO CORP, TO STUDIO CARES FOR ANIMALS AND ECO SAVES INSECTS CANNOT FISH OR HUNT ADVOCATES FAUX FURS NOT VEGETARIAN YET BUT WIFE IS VOLUNTEERS AND DONATES NOT LITTLE TEACHES PHOTOGRAPHY TO AT-RISK AND HANDICAPPED YOUTH SHOOTS ANGELS NEVER DONE DRUGS NOR SMOKED DOESN'T DRINK COFFEE OR BLUE COW LOVES TRANCE AND HOUSE MUSIC IMMERSES IN CLUB DANCING... LIKE INTOXICATED MIXES WITH EQUAL DAILY DOZE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC AND OPERA ADORES FINE ART AND OLD MASTERS DOES NOT OWN A TV CLUELESS ON MOST SHOWS AND GOSSIPS FIGHTS OWN CULTURAL ILLITERACY BY FREQUENTING MUSEUMS FASCINATED BY BALLET DREAMS OF LEARNING DEUTSCH AND TO PLAY PIANO ENJOYS SILENCE AND SOLITUDE LOVES RAIN RUNS 25 MILES PER WEEK ONLY DOES COLD SHOWER YEAR-ROUND MORNING SWIMS IN THE OCEAN SLEEPS ON A HARD FLOOR AT TIMES DESPITE SELF-EMPLOYMENT STARTS WORKING AT 6 AM EVERY DAY CAN MOVE HIS EARS VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY LONGS FOR BACKPACKING, CAMPING, AND SKIING FOND OF DIVING AND BEING UNDERWATER OVERCOMING HIS FEAR OF DEPTH HIS ONLY FEAR TOLERANT TO PAIN ALLERGIC TO WHINERS OCCASIONALLY OBSESSED BY ORDER AND NEATNESS CONSIDERED A MILITARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER SON OF A DETECTIVE PREFERS VISITING INDIA TO ITALY ADORES STYLE AND ELEGANCE IN FASHION ENJOYS SHOPPING FOR LADIES SHOPS FOR WEDDING DRESSES WITH HIS BRIDES FAVORITE MOVIES: "GLADIATOR" AND "THE LAKE HOUSE" RESPECTS MANNERS AND CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS OPPOSES THE POPULAR PHILOSOPHY OF EGOCENTRISM NATURALLY SHY BUT OVERLY SENTIMENTAL AND CONFLICTINGLY IMPARTIAL RARELY CURSES OUT LOUD FREE FROM WORRIES OF PURSUING WEALTH ATTRIBUTES THE STATE OF HIS WORK TO TRYING HARDER AND MERE LUCK NOT TALENT AS MANY ARTISTS, SOMETIMES UNCERTAIN ABOUT HIS ARTWORK OFTEN THINKS AND EXPRESSES HIMSELF EPISTOLARY LOVES TO WRITE... MORE THAN NECESSARY THANK YOU FOR READING ALL THIS
(Business version here.)
(Business version here.)
Zorz Advantage
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