Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucia Holguin.
Lucia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The introduction between photography and I was very early in my life. My father, whom I was closest to, would spend a lot of his time watching old videos he filmed of his early life and looking at old pictures he took. The thing that I liked the most about what he captured is that each picture or video showed the purest moments of him with his cousins and/or friends. Even though those moments were early in his life, he continued to snap moments of my life. I wanted to continue his tradition. With my own photography, I started with my sister’s camera and eventually my mom bought me my own camera. At the time I got my camera, I was very stressed with school so photography became a way I could release that stress. Whenever things became too much, I would ask my closest friends if I could shoot with them and luckily they would agree. They are the reason why I improved in photography and why I have gotten noticed by others. I believe if it wasn’t for my closest friends allowing me to take pictures or film them, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. They always have been very supportive towards me rather it was simply sharing my pictures or referring me to others.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My photography journey has definitely been bumpy. During my starting years with photography, I lost my dad to colon cancer. I always relied on him for support and motivation in this journey and now that I didn’t have it I had lost my sense in direction. For a while, I didn’t want to continue this path but I had many people who pushed me to continue with photography. Therefore, I agreed by dedicating my photography company to my father. Another struggle has been interacting with other photographers. I think some forget that all of us photographers start at the bottom. Some photographers get to the top and start to get stingy or rude about helping others. I know everyone’s bound to their own actions, but I feel like as a photography community we should be willing to help everyone no matter the “level” they’re on. In no way am I trying to bash male photographers, but they’re most of the examples of that struggle. Therefore, coming from a female photographer I advise other female photographers to not let the degrading affect you. It’s a good and bad thing but it only motivates me to work harder. While working harder, I learned to not compare my work to theirs but to just enjoy my own style of photography.
Please tell us about Luciano’s Productions – what should we know?
I specialize in portrait photography and short personal films. In my portrait photography, it can vary from special events such as graduation, birthday shoots, etc, to just personal shoots. I am not a very direct photographer and by that, I let my models literally pose or do as they please. I like to capture very pure moments rather than forced. I want my client to feel free and comfortable as possible with me. With my short personal films, the goal is to feel a connection between the viewer and the model. I want the viewer to get the sense that they actually know the person in the video, What I am most proud of surprisingly isn’t internal for me. It’s external in which is the support I get from the people closest to me. In my eyes, my work truly will never fully satisfy me mainly because I am my biggest critic but the fact that every time I produce something my supporters give me there honest opinion is what gives me a slight sense of satisfaction. No matter if I feel like my work isn’t good enough, I have an audience who will genuinely look forward to it. In no way does that make me work less, but it just gives me a sense of appreciation for someone who can be insecure about their work. As I mentioned previously, I feel like what sets me apart from others is the pure connection I try to give with my client to my viewers. My job is to touch my viewers and from my feedback, I have done exactly that.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
In the Dallas photography community, I have seen one movement that has been successful in giving women opportunities. It is an Instagram page called girlgangmeetup by lunarkris. As the bio says, it is “A community and safe space for women to create, network, and empower each other.” The creator tends to do different meetups where models and photographers (mainly female) get to shoot. I, unfortunately, haven’t been to an event, but some of the closest people I know have been. From what they’ve told me it is a very great opportunity to experience. I specifically like this movement due to the fact of the recent stories of the negative experience with male photographers and female models.
Pricing:
- Most of my shoots can range from $50-$100
- There’s is one primary outfit. If you decide to change, it is an extra $20 fee.
- I don’t do prints.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 214-218-4207
- Email: lucy.holguin16@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucianosproductions/
Image Credit:
Abigail Ramirez (@shotsbyabs), Marissa Gonzalez, Brianna Martinez, Giovanna Cervantes, Cesar Rodriguez, Damien Garcia, Luna Luna
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