06/02/2025
Thank you for the future, Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce
BACC Celebrates Women in Business
Today we celebrate, Rachel Hadiashar with Zing Studio Sherwood
How long have you been in business?
I have had a photography business for almost twenty years now. After completing grad school on the west coast, I went to Cambridge Massachusetts in a strategic move to be around the smartest people possible. I did part time administrative work at MIT supporting some genius professors while building up my own creative wedding photography business. I remember those days viscerally, the poverty of being just out of school- combined with the enthusiasm and confidence that comes from being in your 20s.
What brought you to this path?
I did photography as a hobby in my employment through grad school, I started taking photos of my coworkers for our brochures, and then friends started asking me to do their wedding photography. It was an interesting time in technology as digital cameras were just really coming on the consumer market and allowed those of us who couldn’t quite handle the chemistry of film photography to be able to check our work and improve on the spot. It really made the old timers mad! And we were all undercharging as well because we didn’t understand the basics of running a business and digital is FREEEEEE anyway right? Hahahahahaa.
What has been your biggest obstacle?
This really is an obstacle - doing work you love to do and that is fun for you, people think that they shouldn’t have to pay much or that they “only need one quick photo.” Most consumers don’t put together that the ability to efficiently get one great photo is the cumulative effect of years of experience, backed up by thousands of dollars of equipment, and that I am blocking off not only that workday but the admin time before and after to communicate and edit the photos. I don’t think creative folks are usually compensated for the work and life force they contribute to their clients.
What has been your biggest/proudest achievement?
My proudest moment is when I receive feedback from clients who sound surprised that they love a bunch of the images from our time together because they usually feel critical of themselves in photos. It is very difficult for me not to say I TOLD YOU SO!!! Because there are several skilled conversations leading up to, and during, my sessions wherein I create safe space and bring out people’s inner shine. I made a sign for my studio door that says “it is not your job to be photogenic, it’s my job to help you spread your light.”
Tell me one thing your wish everyone knew about being a woman owned business.
As a female business owner, I am disappointed that many companies still hire “dudes with cameras” to update their company photos. This takes the form of organizations who have always used their buddy or the friend of a board member to do mediocre photos — all the way to huge companies who pay top dollar for a commercial team to impress them with gear- who ultimately produce flat images that look like everyone else’s. As an independent photographer I do face pushback when I quote jobs. It’s not the gear or bravado I care about, my goal is to produce honest and insightful images that are just right for where that company wants to go in the next few years. I am curious about every client and want to draw out their personal best, no matter if I have five minutes or five hours with them. Ultimately my clients seek me out when they see my passion, curiosity, and irreverence because it helps them know they can trust me to keep it real.
