Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Gonzales.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
(First off, I want you to know that I’m going to be blaring LANY in the background to help set the mood for the interview. If you don’t know them- you need to go listen right away lol.) Okay now let me focus. Wow. I don’t know where to even start. I could say everything or I could leave out a lot so I am going to try my best here.
I do have a very unique life story however I don’t know if it really has affected my photography that much… BUT I will tell you a short version anyways. My parents divorced when I was younger so my father was out of my life a really long time ago. Then, in 2010, my mom ended up walking out of my life too. This was definitely the lowest and hardest point of my life. Because I was pretty young when it happened- I’ve had a lot of time to deal with it and learn to be extremely independent. I definitely missed out on what it’s like to have a close relationship with your parents and I will never know exactly what it’s like but thankfully I had an amazing grandmother, aunt and uncle that took care of me. At this point it is so normal to me to not have a mom or dad in my life but it still is always awkward to explain my situation. It has definitely helped me become a stronger and independent person which is where my desire to be an entrepreneur probably comes from.
Anyways… let’s fast forward a bit. I’ve always been creative but found my passion for photography about 3 years ago. My friend needed senior pictures but didn’t want to pay for expensive ones so he asked me to take them. I didn’t even have a camera so I borrowed a friend, put the camera on Auto mode and went for it. After that- everyone started asking me to take their pictures. I knew at this point that I wanted to do it for a living. Quickly after that I started taking photos for families, couples, corporate events, etc. Then, about a year ago I started to realize that I wanted to focus more on editorial and fashion photography.
Please tell us about your art.
I guess people still just call me a photographer but recently I have liked to label myself more as a creative director. I have focused on photography the past several years but the more projects I do, I realize that my favorite part of photography is the creative direction of the photos. I love there to be a purpose and story in what I create. I spend a lot of time making an entire mood board to plan whatever my next shoot is going to be. This involves me getting inspiration from Pinterest or magazines, picking out a color scheme, thrifting outfits, scouting locations, buying props, etc.
I love to create colorful, bold, and unique photos. I think that is what makes me stand out a little more. My goal is to create images that people don’t normally see. I want to give my viewers something new and exciting to look at. I love to thrift random objects or crazy outfits to base my shoots off of. A lot of times people will question my vision until they see the final product. I just want to keep surprising people and doing more stuff that they question so I can prove them wrong.
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?
Wow… I even need someone to answer this question for me haha. It is definitely a struggle. But here are some tips I have learned. SAVE YOUR MONEY. SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. Also- never buy anything full price. Buy things used but of course make sure it is still good quality. You can save so much money by researching the lowest price. I have never paid full price for any equipment that I own.
Also, make sure you are charging for your work. You do the work- you deserve the pay. Don’t let anyone guilt you into doing a shoot for free unless it is a crazy awesome opportunity that you can’t turn down.
But to be honest- it takes money to make money. It is going to be hard for a while. You aren’t going to get rich quick. I am still struggling myself. But I know that all the work I am doing now is going to pay off one day. Keep pushing forward!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my work on my social media/website which will be linked below. How can people support? By giving me feedback! Positive or constructive. I love to hear from people. Even if we don’t know each other, you don’t know how much it makes my day to know that people are actually watching and supporting my art. I also do events here and there- if you ever see me post about one- come out and don’t be shy! I want to meet you all. You can also schedule a shoot with me or message me to buy a print. I love seeing my photos on people’s walls! You can DM me on my social media or just shoot me an email. I want to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: chloegonzales.com
- Phone: 2144494677
- Email: chloenphotos@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloe_gonzales/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chloegonzo
Image Credit:
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