Darius Torshizi
Darius’ interest in photography appeared late, at the age of 35. “I signed up for a photography class to fill my spare time. Surprisingly photography was a very natural process for me. My instructor repeatedly praised my work and encouraged me to take it seriously.”
Darius photographs are modern and artistic while also displaying his colorful and playful character. His adventurous life, specially his journey to the United States speaks a lot about his style.Iranian by birth, Darius describes his youth as a disobedient teenager who loved skiing and swimming. At the age of 24, following Iran’s Islamic Revolution in the 1970’s, and during the war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980’s, Darius refused to participate in the war and complete his mandatory military duty. He chose instead to leave Iran and eventually joined his older brothers in the United States. He spent his entire savings to pay for a guide to lead him through the mountains from Iran to Turkey, where he sought political asylum to obtain travel documents for the rest of his journey. A couple of years later Darius found himself in Italy where he worked in a restaurant as crew and eventually assistant cook. He later emigrated to Vancouver, Canada, working as a chef in a French restaurant.
It was around this time that Darius discovered the world of photography when he attended some photography classes, and started working in a photo lab and assisting local photographers. Darius came to the United States in 1998. Since then, he has actively worked as a wedding and portrait photographer. Darius has developed a unique portrait style that uses unusual angles and lighting to distinguish his work. His weddings show Darius’ strength in both candid and formal photography. In short, Darius is an avant-garde artist who combines extensive photography skill with a very personal style.
