Collaboration is far greater and far better for you than competition.
Victor Coker Jr.
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Long before the brand shoots, the client work, or the cross-country travel, Victor Coker Jr. was just an assistant manager cleaning out a lost-and-found bin-staring at a camera no one came back for.
At first, he left it there. Someone had to be coming back, right? But weeks passed. Then months. Eventually, with a hesitant green light, Victor picked it up… and didn’t put it down again.
That camera followed him everywhere. Around the house, to church, into everyday moments that didn’t seem like much at the time. Until they did. Because somewhere between photographing his wife and saying “yes” to every request that came his way, something clicked. Photography wasn’t just something he could do, it became a way to connect, to encourage, and to leave people better than he found them.
In this episode, Victor walks us through that unexpected beginning and the philosophy that’s guided him ever since: if he can imagine it, he can figure out how to create it. No formal training, no roadmap, just curiosity, a lot of trial and error, and a willingness to step into the unknown (even when he thought he didn’t like change).
We talk about what it really means to photograph people, not just how they look, but how they feel. Victor shares how energy, trust, and genuine connection shape his work across portraiture, branding, and commercial photography. He also opens up about building a business from scratch, learning to collaborate instead of compete, and why encouragement isn’t just part of his personality, it’s central to everything he creates.
There’s also a deeper layer to this conversation. For Victor, photography isn’t just a career – it’s a calling. And whether you relate to that spiritually or simply as a sense of alignment, it’s hard not to feel the conviction behind the way he approaches both his work and the people in front of his lens.
Here’s some of what we get into:
- How a forgotten Sony camera turned into a full-time photography career
- Why saying “yes” before you feel ready can be the fastest way to grow
- The real “secret sauce” to getting natural, authentic expressions from clients
- How branding photography goes beyond images-and into storytelling, identity, and clarity
- Balancing creative work with business realities (and why collaboration beats competition every time)
- Victor’s perspective on failure as “first attempts in learning” and how that mindset shapes everything
Victor brings a kind of energy that’s hard to fake; equal parts photographer, encourager, and builder of people. This conversation feels less like a strategy session and more like a reminder of why we pick up a camera in the first place.
If you’ve ever wondered how far you can go by following curiosity (and maybe trusting the river a little), this one’s worth your time. Enjoy!
Q: Do you have any formal photography training or is this all self-taught?
Victor: No, I don’t have any formal training, it’s all YouTube University and trial and error. Whenever someone asked me to do something I’d never done, I’d say yes and then go figure it out by researching or reverse engineering other people’s work. Every paid shoot became my practice because I didn’t have time outside of my full-time job. That process of learning on the job really became my foundation.
Q: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself that shaped the way that you approach these projects, these kinds of shoots?
Victor: The funny thing is I always thought I didn’t like change. I don’t like when my schedule shifts or things switch up. But I realized those are actually the environments where I thrive the most. If I can imagine something, I believe I can create it, I just have to research and figure it out. Photography, for me, is really about connecting with people and encouraging them. I want people to leave a shoot feeling better than when they arrived, not just with great images.
Q: In your experience, what is the secret sauce to capturing those genuine emotions during a shoot or getting people to open up authentically?
Victor: It’s complex but simple at the same time, there’s no strict formula. I focus on being authentic myself and helping people feel comfortable as quickly as possible. I play music, hype people up, and try to break down their fear of being in front of the camera. I want them to trust me and actually enjoy the experience, because how they feel matters more than anything. If they leave feeling encouraged and confident, that energy shows up naturally in the photos.
🔗 Connect with Victor Coker Jr
🧭 What We Talked About
🎼 Early Journey / Origins
- Victor’s path into photography was completely unexpected—he studied performance and communication arts (theater, public speaking, rhetoric), with no connection to photography at all.
- After graduating in 2014, he worked in sales and customer service, eventually becoming an assistant manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
- His entry into photography began with a forgotten Sony camera left in lost and found, after months of waiting, he finally took it home and started shooting everything he could.
- What began as curiosity quickly became obsession, he carried the camera everywhere, photographing daily life and even documenting church services.
- Early encouragement from others played a pivotal role, especially when a client told him that photography was his “ministry”, not just creating images, but uplifting people.
- He officially launched his business in 2019, going full-time shortly after and building momentum through real-world experience.
📖 Philosophy / Vision / Storytelling
- Victor’s philosophy centers on people first, photography second, the camera is simply a tool for connection and encouragement.
- He believes his role is to make people feel seen, confident, and uplifted, not just to create polished images.
- A key idea he lives by: “If I can imagine it, I can create it.”
- His work is rooted in authenticity – capturing real emotion rather than forcing artificial poses or overly stylized edits.
- He emphasizes that people remember how you made them feel, not just the final images.
- Photography, for him, is also tied to a deeper sense of purpose and calling, combining creativity with encouragement and impact.
📷 Tools, Gear, and Behind the Scenes
- Victor started with a Sony a6000, which he still keeps as a reminder of where it all began.
- He now shoots with Sony a7 III and Sony a7 IV.
- His approach to gear is intentional, he avoids gear acquisition syndrome, upgrading only when necessary.
- His editing philosophy focuses on natural, believable results, removing distractions while preserving identity.
- He handles color grading himself and outsources detailed Photoshop retouching to stay efficient.
- He shoots more images than necessary to ensure clients receive photos they truly love, not just settle for.
🔁 Practice, Teaching, Platforms
- Victor is entirely self-taught, learning through YouTube, experimentation, and real client work.
- Every paid shoot became his practice ground, accelerating his growth early on.
- His process is highly collaborative, involving clients in shaping the vision and reviewing images during sessions.
- His branding work includes discovery sessions, vision boards, and storytelling development before the shoot.
- He also helps clients prepare for video by guiding scripts and refining delivery.
- Collaboration plays a huge role in his business, forming a major part of his creative and financial growth.
💬 Advice, Creative Strategy, or Challenges
- Embrace the unknown, you don’t need to feel ready to begin.
- He reframes failure as learning: “FAIL = First Attempt In Learning.”
- Collaboration is essential, working with others accelerates growth.
- Progress comes from consistency – small steps compound over time.
- Even without mentorship, you can still build your own path through persistence and research.
🌍 Influences, People, and Places
- His background in theater, communication, and sales heavily shaped his ability to connect with people.
- His time at Enterprise reinforced the importance of branding and presentation.
- He is passionate about helping small businesses and minority communities improve their visibility and storytelling.
- His influences are rooted more in real human connection and lived experience than specific photographers.
- He uses platforms like YouTube for learning and tools like ChatGPT to help clients develop scripts and messaging.
🔮 What’s Next for Victor
- Victor is stepping into a major new chapter with Brandpreneur Agency as a principal photographer and studio manager.
- He’s taking on more responsibility in branding, client work, and creative direction at a higher level.
- Strategic partnerships and collaborations will continue to shape his growth and opportunities.
- His long-term vision is to build a legacy focused on collaboration, education, and empowerment.
- Ultimately, he wants to create something bigger than himself, helping others pursue creative paths and feel empowered to grow.
