Meet Beatriz (Zee) Perea: Photographer & Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beatriz (Zee) Perea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beatriz (Zee), what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I fell in love with photography in high school and knew that I wanted to take portraits of people so they could see what I see, which is how beautiful and unique each and every human being is. This drove me to start shooting with anyone who would have me and then eventually I had referrals from family, friends, and then soon clients. Everything started to snowball from there! My budding podcast also started as just a passion project that has blossomed and is still growing. I think in both cases I was just needing an excuse to get those creative juices flowing and to share my passions with others. Luckily some people out there have liked some of my work. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Sets my work apart/most proud and excited about: My artistic endeavors have always stemmed from a place of wanting to show others what I see rather than a place of money making potential. For portraiture, it’s that every single human being is uniquely stunning and so many people just can’t seem to see that in themselves. If I can get a client to see just one photo of themselves that makes them feel wonderfully beautiful or handsome in their own skin, I’ve done my job. For my podcast, I have always been interested in anything having to do with life’s weirder mysteries, especially when it comes to the darker side of the human condition or things outside of our normal experience. Couple that with a fairly dark sense of humor, and why wouldn’t I want to sit in front of a microphone talking to people that also find True Crime and the Paranormal intensely interesting? I wanted to bring to others content that was engaging and frightening, but still somewhat hilarious. My co-host Ty Marcus and I call it laughing into the abyss, we just hope it doesn’t laugh back. How did I get here/was it easy/how did you overcome?: I sort of came to the conclusion that if I wanted to do something creative for a living, then I just needed to do it. I had to commit to the grind and realize that things take a lot of time and learning. When I resolved myself that I wanted to be a photographer, I realized I needed to up my knowledge and experience base. So I went to a local photo studio and asked what they look for in a potential hire. They told me sales experience, so I went out and got a job in sales for a year. I then applied for every photo studio I could find and managed to score a position. they taught me everything I needed to know about commercial portrait photography and I stayed there for over 4 years. After I realized that I could no longer grow with them creatively and professionally, I left and went back to school for a time to learn more about my trade. I started to work with models, friends and family to get a portfolio going. Then started shooting for myself as a true professional when I felt I could hold my own. Since then I’ve worked with amazing clients, models, and other photographers and love what I do. But this all took a lot of time and effort to build my skill set and learn the ins and outs of the trade I wanted to be apart of. What lessons have I learned: I learned that in order to work in the creative industry you need to have some key characteristics; passion, drive, networking skills, but most of all a thirst for knowledge. You need to be able to learn! Technology is fast changing and there are so many talented people out in the world. Being able to take some time to get up to date or learn from others is key. It keeps you on your creative toes and also brings new skills into your own work. This goes, not just for artistic skills, but for customer service, networking. sales, etc. Anything to help you run your business smoother and with the best quality. What do I want the world to know about my story: I want the world to know that passion can turn into a great business. You may have to grind a little longer but it pays off when you know that all that hard work went into something that you truly believe in and can be proud of. Something that may have started out just for fun may turn into the career you never let yourself imagine.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well right now with the pandemic that would be very limited haha, but if that were not the current reality I’d say this: Eat/Drink – Little Dragon Chinese food in Aurora, best Chinese food I have ever had, and I will always take everyone there! – TAG Burger Bar in Denver, the tomato jam they make is brilliant and the drinks are amazing. – Katsu Ramen in Aurora, They make a curry ramen that I cannot live without. – Illegal Pete’s, bomb Tacos and Beer/Cider, need I say more? – Scrumpy’s Hard Cider Bar & Pub in Fort Collins, I know this is in NOCO but they have some of my favorite ciders, totally worth the hour and a half drive. – The Game Lounge in Denver, great nerd themed drinks, food is fantastic and you can sit and play all the awesome board games in an amazing atmosphere. – 1UP Arcade Bar, retro arcade games and drinks, all the yes! Visit/Hang out: – The Denver Art Museum – Any show at Red Rocks – West Side Books in Denver, treasure trove of books on shelves you need a dang ladder they are so high. LOVE THIS PLACE! – Ice Castles in Dillion, another far one but the photos you can get of this place are stunning

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my High School Art teacher, Mr. Travis Krause. He always encouraged my creativity and let me run with whatever crazy experiment I came up with at any given time. I think my success is largely based on him teaching me that it was ok to just follow your artistic instincts and run wild with your creative passions. Its given me a huge artistic apatite and drive to create and share.

Website: https://petrichorportraits.wixsite.com/home & TheOdDerLimits.com
Instagram: petrichorportraits & theodderlimits
Twitter: theodderlimits
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetrichorPortraits/ & https://www.facebook.com/theodderlimits/