Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Araya.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Well, I was never initially into photography when I first started, and this was back in 2010 in my sophomore year of High School when I was taking a course for Television Production. I was just a normal 16-year-old boy, who attended his first church in his life, went to school, and hung out with his friends. I had an amazing instructor in JROTC (Leadership Training) who did photography right after school, and he would always take me along to help him set up lighting and locations. Samuel Neely (One of my favorite instructors) definitely had a profound impact because he would always show my his methods to working with models, why he would use 2-3 strobe flashes for lighting his subjects and all the equipment he uses. About half a year later, I ended up getting my first camera for Christmas (a Canon T3) and started going around playing with it like a child with a new toy, and my T.V. Production teacher, Ms. Donnelly, definitely encouraged me a lot to keep taking photos and to let my creativity flourish. She was the reason why I kept pursuing photography instead of video because she would always choose me to do the behind the scenes on our mock news set, and to help out with capturing sports and events around the school for our newscast.
Fast Forward to 2013, and I end up buying my first DSLR, which was the Canon 60D and started taking photography more seriously with photo shoots and building my portfolio. I was in Broward College at the time, so the factor between time management for classes, and being able to work on photoshoots was a bit challenging to juggle, but I was able to manage with up to 2 photo shoots a week. I posted my work on Instagram at the time. I was trying to offer photo shoots for free to build my portfolio; I got to volunteer for a church organization called Worship in the Now and taking photos every other Sunday when the pastor (Javen Campbell) came down. During all this time, I wanted to find my niche and to see what exactly excited me the most when I went to take pictures, and then it happened…Working for a professional wedding photographer in Miami (Leo Photographer). Imagine having one of your friends referring you to a professional, and he calls you and says that he’s looking for lighting assistants and I gladly accepted at that moment. I met with Leo at his office in Miami, We talked about the requirements for the position as well as the expectations, and I had my first wedding to assist the following Saturday. Working for Leo was a rollercoaster because there were days that I did a good job, but then there were days where I felt that I wasn’t at my best and Leo’s attitude reflected it, but it made me want to get better and understand the methods behind his work. At one point, I understood why Leo uses 4 strobes in a room and an on camera and off camera flash when working with brides, I understood why I would light the bride or groom with a darker complexion and why I have to add textures in a background to make them stand out, and then I understood why I felt passionate about capturing a couple on their wedding day. Working for him fired up this passion of mine to capture couples because I wanted to capture that smile, that tear, that joy in their bridal party, and the love they felt when you work with them and deliver their products.
I left Leo Photographer around mid-2014 to pursue this wedding niche on my own, and I ended up arming a small little company called Array Media that specialized in wedding photography by 2015. I’ve had up to 10 bookings per year working closely with brides to get a better understanding of what they wanted to see captured on their wedding day and what their vision would be like. I thought it was amazing having brides contact me saying they loved my work, and that they wanted to meet in person to see what I could offer to them for their wedding day and it felt crazy that it happened. I’ve worked with various people, met various photographer and videographers, and it felt like the train was moving smoothly until Hurricane Matthew of 2017.
I rarely talk a lot of what happened, but have you ever seen your parents as these strong, amazing beings who looked like they could never be taken down by anything? Well, my dad ended up suffering from a hernia (my father was 75 when this happened), and we had to take him to the hospital because he couldn’t do anything at all. Me and my family took him to the hospital, and when I saw him in the hospital gown and not being able to sit up for a bit, it broke me mentally and emotionally I couldn’t bear seeing my dad like that, but I hid it. I took a break from photography, I work at the Best Buy in Aventura, and then I felt stagnant in my art. I picked up an occasional wedding and quince just to get back into it, but my work ethic changed a lot that my turnover time slowed down, and I didn’t feel like doing this anymore. That moment marked me a lot but I became grateful to my parents because I saw how much they’ve invested into their children, and the lengths they would go to make sure we’re happy and sound in what we do. From there, I picked up photography again, but this time with the mindset that my photos become a timestamp for anyone and everyone I come across. That each moment is a memory preserved in our hearts.
Please tell us about your art.
My focus in my images is so that each photo I capture becomes a memory that is preserved for a lifetime of generations. Each image I come across when I edit feels as if I was a part of the family that day, and I get to look back time and time again feeling joy and nostalgia. I’ve always wanted to capture my photos like that because I’ve always had this feeling of my future children and grandchildren being able to see how happy I was expecting my first child, or how in awe I am if my daughter got married. I think of not only in the present, but I think of the future because these are memories we can pass on to every single member of our family. I guess the main thing I would like people to take away from this is to print, print, print your photos when you can, order an album from your photographer if they have that option because there is so much more value to having a physical copy of your day. Having just even a small print, it makes you appreciate how precious the time and moment was that day, and I wouldn’t settle for anything else.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
The best advice I can give for anyone pursuing a creative or artistic path is remaining consistent even if you’re running out of ideas and finances. It feels like the world is coming down and you feel like you won’t be able to get out of your rut, but it’s a lie that will eat away at you unless you believe in yourself and keep moving forward. At one point in time, I ended up relying solely on my business thinking that clients will fly in left and right, but I ended up having no funds for four months until I kept hustling to find the right clients and eventually leading to my breakthrough. Consistency does wonders when you combine it with believing in yourself and the art that you’re creating.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’ve done a few wedding expos in my years of photography, but most of my exposure has been through word of mouth and social media. Some other features I had at the time were for Davinci’s Bridal, working with WeddingWire to gain better traction in the wedding industry for potential bride’s and the occasional “Hey you did my friend’s wedding, and I love the pictures. What’s your website so I can show my Fiancé :)” I don’t have any exhibitions or galleries, but most of my work can be seen via my website, social media or online gallery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arraymediacreative.com
- Phone: 954-445-9299
- Email: andyaraya.aa@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/andy_araya
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/arraymediacreative
- Other: www.arraymedia.pixieset.com
Image Credit:
Personal photo taken by Bianca Pierre
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
