Meet Julia Vargas-Robinson of Photos by Julia V in Collin County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Vargas- Robinson.

Julia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was raised in Northern California. My mom was a child in the foster care system,  and my father was raised by his single mom in Mexico in the 40s and fifties. With that type of history, neither had a lot of photographs that documented their lives growing up. Photography and cameras were a luxury for both of them as children. As I was growing up, my parents made a concerted effort to document lots of important memories. I was allowed to hold the camera now and then,  or take it to school, which was so exciting for me. As a result of my parents need to document our lives, and allowing me handle the camera now and then, I have a nice collection of snapshots created over the years with everything from 35mm to Polaroid instant, and now digital.

I think the human condition overall is historical. From the man begging on a corner in Dallas, to images of war torn communities, we are now documenting our history with photography like never before. Regardless of how frivolous an image may seem, it documents a moment of time in someone’s existence. I wanted to be a part of that. I not only find myself creating portraits, but I try to find time to document the living, breathing moments of the human condition,  as I experience it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh man, not even remotely. I work a full-time job in the health care industry and it’s very draining at times. So if I’ve done a shoot and have 100 images to get through, there can be nights where I can only get in 3-4 hours of sleep between the day job and post-production work. My previous business idea, a photo event business called Girly Girl Pinup parties, kind of collapsed before it really took off. That just compounded my personal struggle with Imposter Syndrome. I also have a partial vision impairment that can make the work a bit challenging sometimes. Between the physical and emotional, I find myself constantly questioning my skills. However,  I’m passionate about the medium, so for the time being this is my awesome little side hustle,  and I’m ok with that. The fact that this isn’t my primary source of income allows me to create with joy.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Photos by Julia V – what should we know?
I do a lot of art type imagery utilizing portraits I’ve shot. I do headshots, senior sessions and some family stuff too, but the people who seek me out don’t come to me expecting Sears type photos.

I’ve also organized past events for women living with a cancer diagnosis. That was made possible with a great team of individuals from the local community. I called it The Dallas Portrait Project. It was a fantastic event and we created some amazing moments. That was an event I’d really love to do again.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I had a class at Collin Community with a teacher named Ginger Sisco Cook. She is a fantastic photographer and really has made an effort to feed my passion with her knowledge and encouragement. Her work in landscapes and use of color theory is just really beautiful in its thoughtfulness and simplicity. I’m also so grateful to every one of the TFP models who have patiently spent time in front of my lens. They often share such amazing stories with me, about their own ambitions, challenges, and dreams, which really inspires a lot of the work. I’ve met many aspiring photographers during this journey and they constantly inspire and challenge me to keep working on my art.

I’ve also exhibited at some small shows with ArtLoveMagic when it was being overseen by local artist Iris Candaleria, which allowed me to share some of my works with the public. That was a fantastic opportunity to interact with other Latina artists in the Dallas area. I’d love to actually do more shows like that. I also need to give a HUGE shoutout to the Dallas and Denton burlesque scenes, because they really propelled me forward on this journey, many by volunteering to be my earliest test subjects. I also want to give some love to Sergei Rodionov, his wife Svetlana, Melissa Ashby, Melissa Herrington, Amber Watkins, Bear Hanrahan, and Jen Spilman. These were my Dallas Portrait Project partners. A great group of talented and giving individuals.

Pricing:

• 150.00 and up based on session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.behance.net/PhotosByJuliaV
• Phone: 408-373-6679
• Email: photosbyjuliav@gmail.com
• Instagram: @photosbyjulia15
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/TheDallasPortraitProject/

Image Credit:
All photos by Julia Vargas-Robinson

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