It’s not every day that we get to talk about someone truly rising humble beginnings to the top, but with Luz Palokaj’s story, we can, today.
Luz was born in 1993 in Kosovo; during the period of ethnic cleansing across southeastern Europe that lasted well throughout the 90s. Shortly after his birth, the state of the country forced Luz and his family to migrate to Switzerland for a safer life ripe with opportunity.
The transition wasn’t easy moving all the way across Europe to an entirely new country with its own culture, language, and overall way of life, but the stability and opportunities provided by living outside of a tumultuous zone allowed Luz to explore his passions, grow, and experience life as a normal child would.
Eventually, during his time in Lucerne, Luz found his passion for the art of photography and videography. Behind the lens of a camera, Luz could capture life’s precious moments, oddities, emotionally gripping events, and more.
In the earliest days of Luz’s obsession with photography, interest blossomed simply by going through his old family albums to relive moments long gone. With time, he became so infatuated with the memories preserved in his family’s albums that he chose to start making his own through photography.
Thus, Luz Palokaj began his career as a simply hobbyist snapping photographs on his free time and learning the artistic capabilities of the medium. With the freedom of a hobbyist, and the passion of someone who had truly connected with the art of photography, Luz began developing his own style; one that has guided and personified his modern work.
As an adult, Luz became a self-employed photographer who focused not only on capturing the moment his clients wanted but turning that image into something more. This is immediately recognizable when you look at Luz’s work. Something as simple as a family portrait isn’t just family members staring at a lens. The image crafted tells a story. Each pose, position, lighting element, and more is intentionally put into position to capture the viewer’s mind and engage their imagination. A key theme is that they see the events playing out in the image, but then their mind is engaged to finish the story beyond the frame.
Much of Luz’s work is inspired by his own life while capturing the moments of clients or his subjects. He focuses on capturing their deepest feelings, highlighting their spirit and strength, and providing a memento to reflect on just as he reflected on his family’s old albums from Kosovo.
Now, Luz is a seasoned professional with years of experience behind the lens, and he has garnered praise across Lucerne for the quality and sheer artistic value of his work. That’s not enough, though. Now, Luz wants to conquer the biggest stage of them all: Hollywood.
Luz Palokaj is heading to Hollywood to be alongside some of the most notable photographers and videographers of our time, but instead of a university background, connections, and other perks of Hollywood, he brings with him a true passion for photography.
I'm a New York-based journalist covering business, celebrity and entertainment news at Josep Vinaixa. I hold a master's degree from New York University of Journalism.
