Ever dreamt of travelling the world while pursuing a career you love? Meet Orion Zuyderhoff-Grey, an ambitious photographer who has carved out a freelance career that marries his love of travel with his creative passion.
From Canada, to Australia, London and beyond, Orion has honed his craft by actively seeking out and making the most of a myriad of opportunities and connections that have come his way.
From helicopter shoots, to music videos and more, Orion talks about how he forged his inspiring career to date and why he believes collaborating with other freelancers is the key to creative satisfaction.
Having completed his photography studies in Canada in 2008, Orion decided to set off to warmer climates down under to put his newly learned skills into practice.
“I studied Photography in Canada at a very small college, where the focus was the craft with a bit of art history mixed in… it was very hands-on. After that I moved to Australia and started assisting any photographer that would take me. I slowly shifted from assisting to shooting full time, both still and motion.
After Australia, Orion made his way to London, where he had a short stint in an e-comm studio, before deciding to work for himself again.
While it might seem difficult to pursue a successful and varied freelance career while travelling the world, Orion see’s the opportunities that this unique lifestyle presents and knows how to capitalise on them. He has shot work for a variety of brands across a range of areas (including fashion, lifestyle, and portraiture), all the while exploring different countries.
“Working for yourself gives you the ability to pick up, move and work all over the world. You have to hustle constantly though. Meet new people and chat to everyone because you never know where your next job will come from or who your next client could be.”
It’s clear that Orion is somebody who has a knack for wrangling his way onto some really cool jobs. This comes as no surprise however, as his passion for his craft and the creative process really shines through when he speaks about previous jobs he has worked on.
“I was working on a TV commercial for a car company shooting behind the scenes, the director asked if I would mind photographing in the helicopter and getting some closeup shots of them working. Watching professionals create is always so inspiring to me.”
Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate
Orion is big on collaboration and is quick to highlight the benefits that freelancers can gain from the collaborative process.
“I love collaborating with people and getting a glimpse into their creative visions. I have a hard time saying no to projects, so I’ve worked on so many. Makeup tests, fashion shoots, lookbooks, food styling projects, music videos, stop motion animation…. on and on. I feel I always pick up tips and tricks from everyone I work with.”
What advice would Orion give to creatives who feel a bit nervous about test shooting with fellow freelancers?
“No matter who you are shooting or working with, they are all just people. I always tell myself that I don’t know what others are going through so let's give them the most support I can, so we can all create some amazing work together. And ask questions, we are all learning all the time!”
Whether you’re starting out your freelance career or you're a seasoned vetern, we feel that it’s really important that you continue to improve your portfolio. We’ve previously highlighted the many benefits of collaborations before and one of the main perks that collabs offer many freelancers is the opportunity to create fresh, creative content for their professional portfolios. At the end of the day, when it comes to landing a job a standout portfolio is key!
“Having a strong portfolio is one of the most important things to have in my opinion. It’s a sample of what you do and who you are, so people can better understand what you have to offer. I’m all about print so I printed mine on tabloid newspaper stock. It’s a great way to get your work into a lot of peoples hands.”
It’s clear that Orion is passionate, curious, adventurous and hard working.
Not many freelancers can say that they’ve successfully managed to travel the world while forging a reputable freelance career, yet Orion has done just that.
If you want to freshen up your portfolio, understand other freelancers' creative processes, or simply network with like minded individuals you should consider collaborating with other freelancers.
With Freedom Day just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to get out there to try test shooting (collaborating).
Intrigued? Check out our full list of collaborative opportunities here and sign up for one (or a few!).
Check out Orion’s portfolio here.
Want to learn more about how to improve your portfolio or how to get the most out of a test shoot? Check out 4 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TEST SHOOT and MASTER THE ART OF COLLABORATION.
