Daily Inspiration: Meet Gage Vota

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gage Vota.

Hi Gage, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got started into photography in 2018. I went on a family trip to Tennessee and bought two disposable cameras. After I got back from the trip I continued buying disposable camera and shooting local shows until I could save up for a digital camera. In late 2018 I opened up a concert venue and wanted to document the events but couldn’t afford to hire a photographer. In late 2019 I got diagnosed with a disease and was in and out of hospitals and fell out of love with photography. After I got surgery and the world opened back up the band I was in did some tours but ultimately broke up in 2022. Around the time the band broke up I happened to fall back in love with photography and hit the road hard touring with a few bands doing photography and merch and some tour managing.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely far from a smooth road. I’ve had a knife to my throat while driving by a dude having a manic episode, guns pulled on us in the deep south, a few attempted van robberies, detained by boarder patrol, countless sketchy promoters trying to dip before paying and that’s just the stuff off the top of my head haha. But I’ve also had some of the best times of my life and met some of my closest friends because of it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a touring photographer and a news writer for the local newspaper. I really try to always experiment with new editing styles, I’ve somewhat recently been trying to make my pictures look as much like they’re taken on film.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Honestly I get really frustrated when I go through dry spells with freelance jobs but I’ve definitely learned that in any job there’s going to be slow periods and you just have to keep on pressing on.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/gmv_photography_?utm_medium=copy_link

 

Image Credits
@gmv_photography_ for the first @humans_unscripted for the second