Moderne Day Creative
ARIANE MOSHAYEDI
By Roxana Vosough
Life has an unpredictable way of steering us in one direction, then shifting to another and another, in a seemingly endless cycle. Inevitably that is the beauty of it. The joie de vivre is in the times we struggle to define who we are and what we are destined to do. Ariane Moshayedi, a driven, cheerful and ambitious individual, is a testament to this notion . Ari defines what the creative mind is capable of in terms of a profession, passion, and past time, and is the Moderne Day Creative in every sense of the word.
Moshayedi is laying out the path for the creative realm in today’s global, entrepreneurial society with her most recent venture, Arianne Moshayedi Photography.
Image Courtesy of Arianne Moshayedi
Moshayedi, one of the bold and courageous few took the plunge,
“I took a risk. A huge risk. I decided to pause my career in education and pursue my love for photography full-time".
Launching, Ariane Moshayedi Photography in 2008, Moshayedi has created an impressive portfolio of wedding and fine art photography, in both film and digital, with clients throughout the US. She is also in the process of creating a line of comfortable camera straps with simple and classic designs, very reflective of Moshayedi’s style. The straps are made for ultimate comfort and elegance. Moshayedi, excited for her new venture explains, “As a photographer, you're constantly carrying the weight of your camera around your neck or body. I had various straps but not one that I absolutely loved. I thought about it and decided that I would attempt to design my "perfect strap." I combined the elements I found were essential: comfort, functionality, and style. I wanted a strap I could wear that would look luxurious and feel amazing.” The line, called Cinta, will have three styles coming out in Spring 2013.
A native Californian, Moshayedi made the bold and exciting move after college to leave for the empire state of mind, New York City. “I was fortunate to receive a position at a school teaching sixth and seventh grade in the city and couldn’t imagine anything better” explains Moshayedi. “After that year, I realized how much I loved talking to my students, understanding their passions and dreams; I became energized by their enthusiasm“. Moshayedi soon pursued a master’s degree in social work, with an emphasis in school social work at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Although Moshayedi recognized the experience as a great accomplishment, she explains, “I wasn’t completely fulfilled, and decided to pursue another masters, this time in educational leadership. My dream was to be the principal of my old elementary school (ironically, that position became available this year). So, I did it. I got a second masters and was feeling like I could conquer anything.” Moshayedi was on the way of achieving the ambitious goals she had worked so hard for. However, the creative mind always has a clever way of convincing one to step away from their current commitments and pursue instead what one feels innately destined to do. This is perhaps one of the boldest moves many of us are faced with at some point in our professional lives, and only few aspire to.
Image Courtesy of Ariane Moshayedi
"I have worked with students who lived more in their adolescent years than I have in my adult life."
The greatest catalyst for Moshayedi’s work stems from her path in education and social work, “It was during my internships as a social worker that I really started using photography as a creative outlet. I have worked with students who lived more in their adolescent years than I have in my adult life. In social work school we learned one of the first rules of therapy: ‘you can’t take it with you….’ But, I did. I let it show in my photographs. And even today, every photo I make, I owe my perspective to those students who completely changed my life.” Moshayedi also expressed her interest in one day merging her passion for social work and photography into a potential future project.
Image Courtesy of Ariane Moshayedi
Moshayedi clearly recognizes the mass popularity that has developed around photography, pointing out that
“photography has developed such a community of artists that the medium itself has morphed into many creative outlets. Millions of people use Instagram as a photography medium, it's a prime example of how photography gets people to think creatively and outside the box.”
Regardless, Moshayedi expresses “I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by the most positive network of photographers – all of whom I am a huge fan of."
The journey has certainly been intriguing for Moshayedi who is adamant when it comes to her decision to pursue her passion professionally, “I would never have gotten this far if I hadn't tried. If I could give anyone advice, it'd be to try and try again. You never know what will happen in life unless you try! “
Photography stems inspiration from so many perspectives, it’s as though every time you look through the lens, you see life in a new angle. “So many things inspire me” explains Moshayedi, “but one of the most sentimental is the simplicity of photographing a sunset. It's life's simple pleasures that inspire me the most.”
Roxana Vosough is the Founder and Publisher of Mode-Moderne Journal
THE MODERNE DAY SERIES
JOHN LENNON - JACQUELINE O. KENNEDY - PATRICK CARNEY-NIKI ROBERTON
INTERNATIONAL LIFE SAVING ASSOCIATION-NATALIA OLENECOFF-OSTENSON
RYAN FRANK-JOHN NUNN-BORIS BURDIKIN
