Today we’d like to introduce you to David Gonzalez.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The way I started in photography was quite different as usual. I was not the type of photographer that started taking pictures at the age of 5 or anything like that, it was a slow process. I came from Cuba in 2004 at the age of 23. Over there, I studied pharmacy for 3 years but was not my passion so I went here looking for any type of job to start from scratch.
I remember in the first week in Miami, I was with my uncle in a photography studio, he was delivering the frames and the owner of the studio was telling him that one of his clients want to replace a car in a photo but no one there knew how to do it, I said, “can you give me the files? I will try it for free.” I spent the whole night working on the image, to make to story short, the client loved the photo and I got hired.
Working in the photography studio as a retoucher, I started discovering the magic of the digital world. I got passionate about it and wanted to learn more and more. I remember back then, it was hard to find good Photoshop tutorials online so in my free time I used to go to Barnes and Nobles and I spent hours learning Photoshop in the floor. Things started getting more serious and I decide to make a career. I pursued a Bachelor in Visual Effects & Motion Graphics from The Art Institute of Miami. Photography was always with me, but as a hobby, but after working a few years in agencies as a lead motion graphic artist/compositor, I realized that photography was my real passion.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No way! For me, finding what you really want to do, it’s been the most difficult part. As a creative person, I’m getting so much inspiration all the time, everywhere and you cannot do all. Once you get it, finding your client is another challenge because in this industry there are a lot of great photographers doing amazing work with 20 years of experience. That’s why I work hard every day, if I’m not shooting for a client I’m shooting personal projects, if you want to be strong, you have to go to the gym every day, it’s the same in photography.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I do commercial lifestyle photography, for those who don’t know about this term, basically is about capturing the everyday activities but making it look perfect, because this is completely commercial, the image has a purpose, it has to sell, so attention to details is key.
I’m am also known for revealing honest portraits and authentic moments. When people see my photos, they feel as if they are an active participant of the scene. The aesthetic of my work is natural with a fresh color palette, creating a style which is realistic and relaxed.
All artists have a way to express themselves so in my case, I can say that the thing that sets me apart from others is because my aesthetic is very clean and I have the ability to get a real expression out of my subjects. Making them feel comfortable all the time. I think my personality helps because I’m always laughing, I feel comfortable dealing with people. Most of the time I photograph people from different nationalities, different languages and I always find a way to make a successful communication.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.davidgonzalezphotographer.com
- Phone: 305-244-7183
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: davidgonzalezphotographer
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidgonzalezphotographer/
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