Behind the Lense: Darian Thompson

Freedom can calm you. It is quiet, stress-free, and requests so little of us. There is something special about photographers. They have this eye for beauty that many do not have. Behind the camera, their eyes position steadily with the lens. The lens meets the mirror, and there is an image that is captured in a glance. It is said to be very grounding and balanced, with a sense of peace and serenity. 

Darian Thompson, creator of WeStanMedia takes pride in leading the life of his dreams. "Freedom!" It's the powerful word he used to describe what it feels like to pick up a camera and embrace upon his journey as a freelance photographer and entrepreneur. Darian has the vision to inspire others through motivation, encouragement, and empowerment. As a budding entrepreneur, he has found his passion as a photographer and consistently works on the growth of his business.

Darian strives to improve his craft each day. He has found the process to be rewarding and has learned the value of creating unforgettable bonds and connections through his work. Darian's drive towards his dreams is what caught our team's attention. His grit and perseverance are undeniable, and we believe that he is destined for greatness!

Check out more about Darian Thompson below.

We were amazed by his vision and how he uses his lens as a canvas to bring out the beauty in others.

 "The word that I would use to describe my craftwork in one word would be Freedom. Not only am I helping others chase a life of Freedom, but I am also deciding to live free every time I pick up my camera."

-Darian Thompson

 Darian's vision extends to traveling the world and documenting his travels by taking pictures along his journey. He shared that he hopes to take both images and videos of the exciting attractions and people he meets along the way.

What inspired you to start your photography journey?

 The story that got me into photography has always been quite comical to me. Here I am an engineering student in school, and I get set up to do an internship in Los Angeles, California, with AT&T. I just came off my best year of undergrad in school and was in the right place at the right time to land this job. I did get help from a guy named Brandon Long (shout out to Brandon Long) on getting my resume and presentation- ready if an opportunity like that presented itself.

With a little bit of luck, faith, and preparation, I found myself in Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a vibe and has many tourist attractions. So, while being out there, you want to take pictures, but I had a problem. I had an iPhone 5, and those pictures were not cutting it. So, I told myself that I want to get my hands on a camera. I wanted to go this route because I would not have to keep up with the new phones that come out every other year. I made that choice without even realizing how expensive cameras were about to be—fast forward a couple of months down the road to the springtime of March 27th, 2020. I finally got my first camera from a great friend of mine, Rahiem Thompson. Shout out to Rahiem. I will forever be grateful to him to help me start on my journey and never looked back ever since!

What Are Some Pros & Cons of Your Industry?

I am going to start on the cons because I always like to finish on a good note. The Cons of this industry is that people often buy into things that are popular or have credibility before they even give someone new in the industry a chance. That is not to their fault because they are looking for someone that holds that their brand will be presented to the world, and they must be picky about what they want. When you first start doing photography or even business anywhere, you must be resilient.

This is because I felt like at one point, people always look to find reasons, not to business with new businesses. Everyone says open your own business and own your own things, but when you do so, it does not always feel like the support is there, and that is why you must be resilient. If you are not, this is a dangerous con that can spill over into other aspects of your business—one of them being your pricing.

You must know your worth and not compromise on your pricing going forward if you want to continue to thrive. This can be hard if you do not feel like the support is there for your business. And that is ok! You must stay consistent and true to yourself, so you can start to put together the things that present the business well. This was and transparently sometimes is still a hurdle that I must get over from time to time. I now accept feedback with a grain of salt because I know that it can only help my business.

I say with a grain of salt because some people are not credible to speak on what I have for my goals with the company.

Most of the time, the people that have the most to say are the ones that are looking in from the sidelines. I am still willing to grow my company to the point where the business model and work that we have speaks for itself. The Pros of working in this business is the ability always to have a different day! You are never in a cubicle coming in day to day doing the same thing over and over.

You get to meet all sorts of people on the job, and that is exciting. Yes, you may get those occasional hard to work with customers, but overall, it's exciting to work with people because when they get out of their comfort zone, they tend to have a great time. It is more than just taking pictures; it is also building relationships with the community around you. As a photographer, you get to work on projects that can help progress people's journeys to achieve their goals following their passions. Through that connection, you create a bond that you genuinely want to see that person be successful in what they are trying to achieve.

What Makes You Different from Your Competitors?

 Here at WeStanMedia we are not just a freelancing photographer unit. We are building a family/ community where we can learn and grow from one another while offering our media services as a collective to other businesses. Yes, we still work with the everyday and occasional businesses. Still, we also work with other entrepreneurs with their businesses and even artists to have a platform to build their brand! You should check out our ArtistOnTheBloc segments on our YouTube channel when you get a chance.

We are a media team that will be able to scale our business to business in North Carolina and Texas if we continue to work hard and stay consistent in what we do. We are also a company that realizes that we won't be able to achieve success alone. We must work with one another even if that means working with our competitors. We are willing to work with another company to land or complete a bigger project. It is enough room for us all to be successful at the top. 

In his free time, Darian enjoys reading and indulging in self-development or financial literacy. He also enjoys listening to music and biking as an opportunity to stay healthy and maintain mental clarity.

To stay connected with Darian Thompson, visit his social media at: 

Instagram: WeStanMedia (Business)

Instagram: darianwiththatcanon(personal) 

Twitter: thekingdarian (personal) 

YouTube: WeStanMedia (Business) 

Website: Westanmedia.biz

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