Meet Zulie Rego | Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zulie Rego and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zulie, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I’m not sure if it’s the outdoors or the feeling of adventure, but I find comfort and peace in nature. A beautiful scenery, and a non distracting environment makes me happier than pretty much anything. But I can’t always be in nature so the next thing would be dessert. And if I can’t have either of those things, I find happiness by being grateful and finding joy in small everyday things. Like the way my favorite mug warms my hands and creates a short lived cloud of steam when I’m drinking matcha, or the sparkly clean feeling after a long shower.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art has definitely evolved throughout the years. I started to initially market myself as an adventure and travel photographer. Within a year I started to book destination weddings/elopements and “adventure style” Photoshoots at very low rates. This was a very fun time in my business because it allowed me to travel a ton and learn to adapt to new environments. But it wasn’t sustainable. After the pandemic, I decided to change up my style and business structure to align with my new business goals. I no longer wanted to be known as the photographer who was “available 24/7” and I didn’t want my work to resemble the Instagram trends. So I decided to update my style to a more classic/timeless look and take on a limited amount of clients per year at a much higher rate. I’m so grateful I took this leap. It was a struggle at first. Raising my prices angered a lot of people, and sometimes I wondered if I made the right choice. However, I started to watch my business bloom into a true version of myself, clients that aligned and understood my approach booked without hesitation, and I mostly get bookings now from other client or vendor recommendations. I spend more time getting to know my clients and what their vision is before their wedding or photoshoots and this has been the difference between mediocracy and producing work people love. Booking less has also allowed me more time to fuel my creativity by visiting museums, cooking a new recipe or attending photography workshops. All these things are possible because I prioritized a balanced life. As of today, I can confidently say I love that I get to work with a limited amount of couples that truly love my style, see the value in the investment and are looking for a stress free process with a team of professionals.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One thing about Detroit, it’s probably one of the most underrated cities in the US! I recently relocated from Miami to metro Detroit. It’s a big change, but I do love my new city and you can truly have fun anywhere. Downtown is so fun, the Riverfront is a nice place to walk or bike, there’s The Fisher Building, Hart Plaza, The DIA, The Guardian Building, Campus Martius Park and there’s a ton of cool bars around for drinks. You can watch a game over at the stadium or visit the Opera House for a night out. Feeling hungry? Frita Batidos, Cannelle bakery, Misterdips, Shewolf, La Feria, Urban Ramen and Baobab fare, are just a few favorites. There’s a good mix of cheap eats and fancy fares for all different budgets. There’s also a ton of yummy food and cool bars in Ferndale and Royal Oak. You should visit Cranbrook House and Gardens, and go kayaking in one of the many lakes around (weather permitting.) If it’s too cold out check out Somerset mall or do an indoor activity like bowling at Bowlero. I forgot to mention the Henry Ford Museum. This is the motor city after all!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I got my first paid project in 2017. It was a creative modeling photoshoot and I got paid $50. The model was a young lady I went to High School with and she really believed in me. I think she believed I could do it more than I did. It really inspired me to take it seriously and do something about it. Then I stumbled into the book “Real Artists Don’t Starve” by Jeff Goings. I read it on a flight and it changed my entire perspective by the time I landed. I credit that book as the tool to expand my business and income streams.

Website: www.zulierego.com

Instagram: @zulierego