Rising Stars: Meet Maury Rossel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maury Rossel.  

Hi Maury, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Maury Rossel. Actually, Rossel is my middle name, but everyone thinks it’s my last name Haha. I’m from Venezuela. I came to the United States a year ago and after living in three different cities I concluded that Orlando is my favorite so far. Yes, in Florida, where Mickey Mouse lives. I’m a photographer, and I love coffee, animals, cooking, and learning new stuff whenever I can. And even if my vocational resume is kinda messy to put in a nutshell, I am going to try my best! 

For me, photography had an extremely important role in my life since I am aware of. I have memories playing with one of those old film cameras when I was just a little girl. My mom had one and I spent entire afternoons taking photos of my little sister. You know, there’s always someone in almost every family that takes pictures of everyone and everything. I was that someone! And things got more intense when my parents got me my first ever digital camera when I was 12 years old. I got to admit that I was probably a little bit extra by then when we talked about taking photos Haha. But even after those sweet memories, I never thought about making a living out of it. It was always just a hobby. A passionate one, I must say. I even pursued a degree in accounting in college! Did a lot of different courses, got a professional cook certification done, and started to work as a makeup artist. Yes, a vocational roller coaster. 

In 2017 I started in the social media universe as a makeup artist and got my first professional camera. By then, one of my first jobs was a team up with a photographer in my city. My take on the job was to do my makeup magic on the models and my partner was the one that took all the photos. Photos of the process, and photos of the outcome. And guess what? I fell in love -again- with the photographic universe. I learned a lot from my partner by then. To the point that, when she left the city, she told me “You are ready to take photos too, go ahead!” and recommended me to her clients. That was the turning point for me. I started to offer my services as a makeup artist with the photographic stuff included. But to narrow it down; it didn’t fill me as much as I wanted. I knew deep inside me that what I loved was to be part of the whole process and capturing the whole outcome, but behind the lenses and the trigger. So, I made my mind, left the makeup behind, and started to focus solely on what I truly loved without any excuse. 

A few years passed with many awesome experiences along the way. Eventually, my time to come to the United States arrived, so I had to leave my family, friends, and clients and try again with a fresh start. So here I am, a year and a couple of months later, still working as a photographer thanks to social networking. I’m still in the process of making myself known in this whole new market and even if it gets really hard, I know my passion will get me through it and even farther than before. Because when you really want something and put your whole self into it, there’s nothing with the power to stop you! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve had many obstacles. As a personal matter, and as a self-learner (to a certain extent), I’ve reached the point -many times- where I’ve felt like I’m not enough. Yes, the infamous impostor syndrome. But to be fair with myself, I’ve learned how to use those thoughts as a fuel to learn even more about my passion and to get better at it by the end of the day. There are some moments where my inner voice tells me that maybe I would do better as an accountant, or as a makeup artist, or even as a professional cook. You know, that’s the thing about doing so many different things. The fear of better options is real too. And I’m a freelancer! And I’m completely bound to social networking for my work! So maybe, just maybe, I might get a better bank account and a more reliable life with a “conventional job”. But again, passion is what matters to be happy. What else should I pursue if not happiness and fullness? 

Speaking of pursuits; I’ve got to say that the whole “move-to-another-country” stuff has been my hardest challenge so far. The fresh start with literally no friends, clients, or networking made me rethink some things and question myself if it was worth the try. I almost stopped trying at some point. 

But in the end, challenges are meant to be challenged, so I am doing it. Right now, I’m surrounded by many people that push me every time I feel stuck, and I couldn’t be more grateful about it. Yet, every day I get reminded that it’s always worth it if the fight is for what you truly want. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Have I stated enough that I love photography? To be more specific, I love content photography. Like the one you see in social media, to name an example. It’s my favorite kind of photography to create. My main goal is to help entrepreneurs and kick-starters to make their work, products, or services known. I take family photos too, pre-birthday photos, portraits (of course), and many kinds of photos in that type, in a studio or in fresh air open areas. I don’t really like to cover big events (Like weddings, birthday parties and that sort of thing.). I’d rather create a nice connection with my client in those small moments that we sometimes take for granted, or maybe when they just feel like they want to get a photoshoot just for the sake of it and with no reason at all. 

What’s next?
I’ve got to say that I’ve fallen in love with social media almost as much as I love photography. I’m getting some plans done so, in the future, I can help many people in many ways and not just with my camera. As a matter of fact, I’m creating a creative studio that goes by the name of “Kit n Media” to offer not just my photographic services through it but to help with content creation, planification, community management, visual identity creation, graphic design, SEO, and websites. I’ve got a long way to go, but every day is a step! 

Pricing:

• All photography packages $180+
• Community management $300+
• Websites $300+
• Brand´s visual identity creation $200+
• Graphic design packages $50+

Contact Info:

• Email: mauryrosselbusiness@gmail.com
• Website: www.mauryrossel.com (español) – www.mauryrossel.com/english (ingles)
• Instagram: instagram.com/mauryrossel & instagram.com/kitnmedia
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt_vllEOaNmBh0xl-4OwJUw
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mauryrossel 

Image Credits
Maury Rossel