Why subscribe?
Honestly, don’t.
If you’re here because an algorithm sent you, close the tab. I’m not optimizing for you.
But if something I made actually landed — a photo, an episode, something you read — and you want more of that, then yeah. Subscribe. It goes straight to your inbox and it would be my privilege to stay connected with you.
I don’t believe in paywalls. Everything is free. I don’t keep a content calendar either. This is just where some of my writing lives as I’m working through drafts of things that end up in books and essay collections.
Every act of support for an artist is a vote for their concept of the world.
When you stream music, hire a photographer, share a writer’s essay, buy a print — you are actively funding a worldview.
If their work is mean-spirited and divisive, you’re voting for a meaner, more divided world. If their work is nuanced, community-minded, and emotionally honest, you’re voting for more of that. The reality we live in is the sum of those votes. You are not a passive consumer of culture. You are its architect.
With that in mind, you really do have to ask yourself — haven’t we voted for Kanye enough?
I honestly don’t want your money.
The best way to support me is to refer paying clients.
In order to fund all this, I photograph conferences, associations, government events, galas — anywhere there’s a budget line for a photographer.
Here are some easy links to send your network:
This is my most unique niche — if you work with or know anyone at a government agency, city department, or public institution in California → governmentphotographer.com
Professional associations, nonprofits, arts organizations, membership groups that need event photography → associationphotographer.com
If you’re connected to anyone planning a conference, trade-show, or large-scale event anywhere → vegasconferencephotographer.com and vegaseventphotographer.com
And since people always ask — yes, I shoot weddings! Multiple destination weddings on the record. → sacredunionphotography.com
Lane 2: Direct Patronage
If you have disposable income and want to quietly allocate some of it toward an Iranian-American artist working at the intersection of countercultures and institutional power — here’s where to do that:
Commit a couple of bucks a month via Patreon → patreon.com/mrarash
One-time tip-jar via Ko-fi → ko-fi.com/arashafshar
Paid Substack subscription → right here, hit the button
Or just help spread the good word!
Be an ambassador of my work. Share something I made with someone who might need it. Promote my books when they come out. Tell a friend about Burner Podcast. Word of mouth is the only algorithm I trust.
Artists aren’t particularly interested in selling art. We’re just funding our lives in order to make more art.
We are crazy people. None of what we do makes sense from the outside. We do it because we can’t not do it. I assure you — if I could have been a doctor or an engineer like my immigrant parents dreamed, I absolutely would have.
This isn’t a job. It’s something between a calling and an obsession.
-Arash
