Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Gonzalez.
Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I can’t really remember what sparked my initial interest in photography, I just remember being young and playing with camcorders and cameras, making “funny videos” with my cousin, or just having photoshoots with my friends, wearing big sunglasses and flaunting our silly bands and dangly earrings. Whatever we thought was fashionable/trendy at the time. lol. I do remember always having a bad memory so I think above all I just wanted to make sure I remembered the things I thought were fun.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Most of my challenges have always been my own self-criticism. I was fresh out of high school when I started photography. I had spent a lot of my time comparing my work to others who have done this for way longer than me and I just wanted to be the best without gaining the experience. I even put down photography for months at a time because I just wasn’t inspired anymore. I think it took a lot of self-reflection to understand why I didn’t want to do this thing that I used to love so much. It started turning into something that made me feel bad about myself because someone else’s composition was better than mine, or their editing. I really took time out to work on projects that I wanted to do and projects that made me think outside the box. It really pushed me to understand that being open to making mistakes and learning from others will get me to that next level as a professional if that’s what I really wanted.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a photographer and specialize in portrait photography. I’m most proud of the team I work with. I’ve been the lead photographer for We The Future for about a year and a half now. WTF organizes different events from photography events to open mics. At first, I was attending their events and just coming around to gain some experience but what I found was family and a great support system. Because of the team, I was able to host my first event at a photography studio. I think what sets me apart from others is my presence at a shoot. My job is to make people feel comfortable or to hide their awkwardness in the photo. Sometimes it’s a lot easier said than done but I try to kill them with jokes so they feel less self-conscious in front of the camera.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have never been too great at networking and still struggle with it sometimes. I just try to show interest in other people’s crafts, what they do, how long they’ve been doing it, etc., and it really does help break the ice and takes some stress off of trying to talk about yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions to more experienced people in your field!
Contact Info:
- Email: photoxsteph@gmail.com
- Instagram: @photoxsteph
