What drives someone to transition from a traditional career path into a freelance life focused on parkour photography and videography, and what insights can they share about this journey?
Steve Zavitz shares his passion for parkour photography and film: from his transition to freelancing, his process, and what he likes to create. He discusses the changing style and culture around parkour videos, and the impact social media has had. Steve reflects on the evolving culture, audience, and growth of parkour, and what that means for communities today.
It was in the back of my head where I was like, ‘You know, eventually, I would like to be working fully for myself, being a freelance photographer, videographer, doing my own thing.’ But it wasn’t like I have a three-year plan or a five-year plan or whatever. It was just, I’m going to go out and shoot stuff that I really like doing because I want to, because I need to, almost.
~ Steve Zavitz (11:45)
The conversation explores Steve Zavitz’s path from working in various traditional jobs to transitioning into a full-time freelance career centered around parkour photography and videography. Steve recounts his early experiences capturing parkour scenes on low-quality cameras, highlighting the incremental steps that led to his professional break working with prominent parkour brands. His approach to building a portfolio emphasizes pursuing personal passions rather than following trends, which ultimately led to organic growth and recognition in the parkour community.
In addition to discussing the creative and technical aspects of his work, Steve reflects on the evolving parkour culture and the shifting landscape of content creation. He touches on the growing prevalence of daily parkour posts on social media and how that contrasts with the slower-paced, community-driven videos of the past. The dialogue also reveals concerns about how gym-based parkour might inadvertently limit resilience and self-directed learning in newer practitioners.
Takeaways
The journey to freelancing — Transitioning from traditional employment to freelance work often involves years of side projects and incremental growth.
Parkour culture through videos — Parkour videos once centered on community and lifestyle but are now often shaped by social media trends, leading to more polished but less personal content.
Creative persistence — Shooting and editing work that aligns with personal interests fosters long-term success, rather than chasing trends or producing content solely for commercial appeal.
Role of editing in storytelling — Editing parkour photos or videos should enhance but not distort the narrative, balancing honesty with artistic refinement.
Generational shifts in parkour — Older practitioners view parkour through the lens of community and shared experiences, whereas newer participants may focus more on individual performance and social media presence.
Resources
Tempest Freerunning — One of the parkour brands Steve Zavitz has worked with, known for high-profile parkour athletes and creative projects.
The Motus Project — A parkour brand focused on high-quality parkour apparel and media.
Skochypstiks — A parkour clothing brand Steve collaborates with, producing movement-focused apparel.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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