My name is Vicky Scesa. I am a professional Photographer and Graphic Designer living between Panama and South Florida. I have a BFA in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Miami where I also thoroughly studied traditional and digital photography. I STILL LOVE FILM. My favorite camera is my 1950's TLR Rollei.
I started out freelancing as a Graphic Designer for large corporate clients. During this time I often found my self cutting and pasting travel stock photos into my designs. I felt ridiculous sitting at a desk designing for travelers using photos in my work which I should be shooting myself. At that point I didn't even have a passport let alone clients. Within the year after I graduated college and working in unrewarding corporate gigs, I began teaching camera and software lessons as well as shooting events for a local S FL studio. Soon after, I sent away for a passport and simultaneously began traveling and working as a professional photographer. Through that time I continued designing and began shooting everything I was offered. Weddings and social events, products, real estate, etc. I reached a personal peak and took a look around, with a little help from an Art Director at a temp job where I had been designing for a week where I thought to my self this isn't so bad, and the money is good. I interviewed with the man who changed my life..who's name I can't even remember. He asked me, "Where do you see your self in 10 years"? I paused, and pronounced, "I see my self as a commercial travel photographer". His reply, "Why aren't you doing it? Why don't you go to NY?" "Huh? So I don't get the job?"
A couple months later, Billy Joel sang a song to me in the car one late night and I had ALWAYS been in a "New York State of Mind". As a high school kid I attended the School of Visual Arts in NYC on scholarship. I knew that I would have to land there at some point and WORK. So 3 days after my encounter with Billy, I loaded the CRV and headed North...during Winter.
I graciously landed on my uncle's couch in Queens and working my powerbook to the bone, applied to EVERY creative job in NYC. Within 2 weeks I was interviewing for a job in apparel graphics and hired on the spot. I could now feed my face, rent a room in my friends 1/1 apt with 3 dogs, buy a mattress to sleep on and live to tell about it. The job was of course freelance so I was given some freedom to explore what I was really there to do, shoot. So little by little I fell into a groove of teaching students throughout the city, shooting events and headshots, etc. The summer months went by fast and the apparel business took a turn for the slow. Lucky for me shooting was picking up and NY Fashion Week was around the corner, and I would be there. My break came when I was randomly hired on the eve of opening day at Bryant Park by a small PR agency out of NJ with a very big client..a co-sponsor of the event. And so I arrived, shooting celebrities, decor, runway ALL OF IT on a no restrictions pass. The next week I took my first trip to Europe. Coming back to a freezing NY, and no new work, I had yet another epiphany, maybe I should go home? So the day after Thanksgiving, after almost a year living in the city and enduring all of the trials just to BE there, I packed it in and drove to M I A M I, where it all started. I found a great apartment which had a gallery attached where I would later exhibit my work. I continued traveling, teaching and shooting (mostly small time).
And to the now, as always by accident, I picked up a job shooting as a contractor for the Miami Dolphins & stadium. My gig was to capture the game as an event. Here I acquired a celebrity portfolio, learned about professional ETHICS on a global scale (or lack there of), and gained some field time..I've never been a big sports fan but an experience none the less.
Most recently, life offered me the opportunity to move to Panama. So here I am, still teaching and excited to work on MY OWN ART.
I'm currently working on my UPDATED SITE, check it out soon.
