Today we’d like to introduce you to Donny Garcia.
Donny, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Journey as a Photographer and Filmmaker started in January 23rd of 2017 at the age of 21 when I walked into BestBuy and bought my first camera which was a Sony A6000. What led me to this point is interesting. I was very physically active ever since I started high school. I was always at the gym, biking, running, or shooting hoops. Well one day in early January of 2017 I experienced a serious injury which caused me to not be able to do those things for about 1 year. I was getting stressed out because I was just going to be stuck at home with nothing to do. I knew I had to find a new hobby that I could physically do, that would motivate me to get out of house and do something. As a child, I was always great at drawing and considered an Artist. I was always getting A’s when it came to doing art assignments. So, I thought maybe photography and videography would be similar because it’s an art. At the time I had an iPhone and didn’t have much money to afford a nice camera so decided to go to BestBuy to get a stabilizer for my phone to do videos. I figured I would start out with just using my phone and the stabilizer to do photography and videography. Once I showed up to BestBuy, I went to the photography section and just started looking at the cameras as a window shopper. I noticed the Sony a6000 as it was on the display box. One of the Sales Associates noticed me looking at it and asked me if I was interested in purchasing it. I told him thanks but that I only had money for the iPhone stabilizer and didn’t have the budget for the camera. He asked me if I wanted to apply for a BestBuy credit card to see if I could buy it. I really wanted the camera so I applied and to my surprise, I got approved for $2,000. So, I bought the camera and the stabilizer. The employee told me I could return the camera if it didn’t work out for me so I had nothing to lose. Within the first week, I got obsessed with the camera and was going around my hometown taking pictures everywhere. Eventually, I started shooting in Manual mode and started watching countless video tutorials about photography and videography. From what settings to use to how to operate the camera. Within the next few months, I was getting the hang of it to the point where I even bought a drone and a stabilizer for me Sony camera. I started posting my work on social media for fun. People started noticing my work and were requesting to hire me for shoots. At this point, I was mainly doing travel shoots, automotive, and portraits. But later in August 2018, I was asked to film a concert and that’s where my concert content took off from. Artists, Managers, and Promoters started contacting me for Concert content and media coverage. At this point in life, I’ve been at it for a little over 5 years. I’ve had opportunities to Film and Photograph some of the biggest names in the industry such as Post Malone, Cardi B, Black Bear, Simple Plan, Sum 41, Lil Uzi, and many more. My favorite things to use my camera for is concerts, travel, and automotive. I’ve met a ton of people and made a lot of friends. I never thought a camera would Impact my life so much.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There’s been ups and downs, making connections in the industry is the hardest thing. When I first started, I told people that one day I would film and photograph celebrities and artists. I got made fun of but I stayed positive and used that negativity as fuel to motivate me. I learned to master my craft and I ended accomplishing that goal despite the negative feedback.
We’ve been impressed with Scrawny Donny Media, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The name comes from my Instagram name which I made back in 2011 and eventually, it became a nickname so I kept it. I do Photography and Film Making as well. I do Music Videos, Weddings, Automotive, Small commercials, Travel, but my specialty and my favorite is Concerts. I’m known for making quality content and always having a camera with me. What sets me apart from others is that I’m good at doing different types of content with a camera and am good at video and photo, I’m like a hybrid.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I never actually expected get this far with a camera. The main reason I bought my camera was because I was going through a tough time and because of that, something great turned out from the bad times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.scrawnydonny.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrawny_donny/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/Calluhduty
Image Credits
Scrawny Donny
