Alex Chuzhoy has reinvented himself more than once since immigrating from Kyiv to San Francisco at the age of 19 with his parents. His current incarnation as a real estate photographer brings together all his previous skills and experiences in a way Alex could never have predicted when he signed up for a photography class at City College many years ago.
Alex intended to become an electrical engineer, like his father, but black and white film photography captured his imagination. Soon he apprenticed himself to a wedding photographer and developed a finely honed eye for composition, balance, and color. Alex loved the craft and artistry of the work, and he built a successful career as a wedding and commercial photographer, later expanding into fine art photography.
But as the field became more and more digital, Alex didn’t find it nearly as satisfying. He transformed himself into a real estate agent and mortgage broker, and for 20 years photographing fine art was only a hobby. Then a friend gave him a digital camera. As Alex experimented more and discovered the possibilities of the digital approach, he fell in love with photography all over again. A few years later, with the help of an interest-free business loan from Hebrew Free Loan, Alex Chuzhoy Photography was born.
Real estate photography is Alex’s specialty, and the business draws on everything he learned about residential and commercial real estate marketing during his years in the field. Alex works with real estate agents, developers, hoteliers, architects, and interior designers, using his fine art approach to capture the most powerful images he can of each property. A recent job found him shooting the interior and exterior of San Francisco’s legendary Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, which Alex describes as “ascending my very own photographic Mount Everest.”
Alex became a member of the Hebrew Free Loan Business Circle to express his gratitude for Hebrew Free Loan, which offered him not one, but two business loans to launch himself as a photographer. He received his first loan back in the 80s, when he was just starting out as a wedding photographer. A more recent loan helped him purchase the modern digital gear required to produce top quality real estate photography.
“If not for Hebrew Free Loan, I wouldn’t be doing this work that I love today. I joined the Business Circle to meet other business owners in the Jewish community, and also as a way to give back, so other people can get the same kind of help that I did.”
Alex still remembers how his family received community support when they first arrived from Ukraine, and these days he does his part by volunteering as a tutor to new immigrants. Now that he’s joined the Business Circle, Alex is also a member of our Full Circle Club: former loan recipients who make donations to Hebrew Free Loan to pay forward the help they received. He looks forward to continuing to grow his photography business, building on his recent successes to climb even higher and help others achieve their dreams.
To view Alex’s work and see how he captures “Simplicity & Elegance in Every Shot,” check out his website or visit him on Instagram.
