2023 · Founder & CEO
Pictur
A marketplace matching college students with student photographers, filterable by school, budget, and shoot type.
The problem
As a freshman at USC, I worked as a photographer taking portraits and photos of student concerts as a side hustle. Finding clients was tough. A large chunk of my time went to self-promoting, cold-calling, and shooting for free just to build a portfolio. By senior year, having stepped away from photography myself, I started noticing something else: I kept getting texted in group chats, “does anyone know someone who takes grad photos?” or “can y'all help me find someone for headshots?” Students were struggling to find photographers, even though there was no shortage of them on campus. The demand and supply just weren't meeting, because there was no single place connecting them.
A few shots from my photography side hustle, pre-Pictur
What I built
Pictur is a collegiate photographer search platform. Students can find and filter photographers by university, style, and budget. It gives photographers a one-stop shop for clients instead of needing to self-promote, and gives students an easy way to find someone to book.
My process
I ran interviews with other student photographers and surveyed people who'd struggled to find one, then spent time recruiting and vetting photographers myself: reviewing portfolios, confirming pricing and availability, and making sure the mix of shoot types matched what students were actually asking for. Once the photographer side was set, I ran a social marketing campaign to launch it across campus and drive bookings.
Outcomes
Pictur grew into the #1 photographer search platform at USC, drawing 2,000+ site visits in three months, with a supply-side network of 30+ vetted photographers spanning grad photos, headshots, event coverage, and product shoots.
What I learned
This was the first time I took something from an idea all the way to an actual product people used. It was extremely rewarding, and I learned how important it is to build a strong supply side for a two-sided marketplace before scaling promotion. Although I eventually closed down operations due to a professional non-compete, it left me with an entrepreneurial itch I've tried to bring into every role since.