Wesley Muench Email & Phone Number

In High School I was in Thespians and the Art Honor Society. After graduating in 2009, I took summer courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology before enrolling in Nassau Community College as an Art major. I finished my Associates Degree in Media Production in 2013 before transferring to Purchase College, completing my Bachelor's of Art in 2016. It was at Nassau I learned to shoot professional-grade photography, the principles behind lighting, sound design, and cinematography. I'll never forget the pride I felt when I finished my first short film. At Purchase, I learned more about the history of Cinema and expanded the breadth of my knowledge of Film Theory. In particular, I sought out classes that focused movements in African-American and Queer cinema to expand and inform my own perspectives. During my internships, I got to put my skills to test in a professional environment for the first time. It was easily the toughest challenge I faced.Since finishing my Bachelor's Degree, I have built upon my skillset even further as a Freelance Photographer and Videographer. Some of the jobs/projects I have worked on have included wedding shoots, bat mitzvahs, martial arts competitions, music videos, news stories, sporting events, and studio portraiture. Along the way, I have held a variety of occupations on the side. Some have been more enjoyable than others, but I always endeavor to come away from these experiences with something positive, whether it be the friends I make or the knowledge I gain, that helps me better a more well-rounded and competent professional. Lately, I have found myself working in Legal Services as an Independent Court Reporter and Notary Public; not something I ever would have predicted for myself, but many of us have been forced to adapt in recent months to a changed world. There have not been many opportunities for a photographer but, like us, the Legal Services Industry has had to adapt to a Covid-19 world and, as more matters of the court are forced to be conducted electronically, people with my skillset have found ourselves in high demand. Whether I continue in this profession past the pandemic remains to be seen, but the type of job that could replace it would have to be something that allows me to use and improve the skills I have invested myself in. My ultimate for my career is to find something that I enjoy so much, that has such meaning to me, that I never feel the need to stop doing it, so that making a living is just an afterthought.