Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Mendez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always liked the idea of photography from a very young age. Growing up, I loved to grab a subscription of LIFE magazine wherever I went. Pictures capturing intense moments of human emotions would keep me looking over the magazines over and over. At 24 years of age, I started following my interest with a mere 2MP phone camera because I couldn’t afford a compact camera. By 2012, I was able to purchase my first DSLR, a Canon 5D mark ll. I was amazed by the difference in the two cameras although I was still shooting in Auto mode. Well, from then on, the never-ending process of learning photography began. I enrolled in a photography short course and learned the basics about Shutter, aperture, and ISO and leaped from auto to manual mode.
In 2014, I started photography seriously. I would often ask friends to let me take portrait shots of them in exchange for free images. I studied photography every day; from reading books on lighting to compensation tutorials on YouTube. It became an obsession! It was the first thing I would think about in the morning and the last thing I would think about before going to bed at night. I was constantly trying to improve my skills. Eventually, people started taking my photography seriously. I remember shooting my first wedding. It was a nerve-wracking experience as I prepared for it. I studied everything I could, took mental notes of all the video tutorials and hardly found a minute to relax.
I learned from this experience that shooting weddings was not just a piece of cake; things went wrong and I had to work around them. Photography to me is the preservation of all the beauty of our lives that we take for granted every single day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing up in Oak Cliff was an obstacle in its own. Owing to its high crime, poverty, gang violence, murders, and its drug epidemic, Oak Cliff always received a lot of negative publicity. A large community located in the Southwest part of Dallas known for being one of the rowdiest parts of the city. For me as a photographer; it has been hard trying to break into people who don’t know you as a photographer. To be honest, growing up in Oak Cliff, I ran with people in gangs some who sold drugs and we all lived the Dallas party life. Trying to change the way people see you as a photographer was and still is a task in its own. They would ridicule and doubted me. I had to push past them. I lost friends in this journey, I say for the best. Life has a way of pushing dreams down. But, I am hopeful that my time is coming, good breaks are coming, dreams I have been praying on are coming.
One of the most challenging struggles along the way was ensuring clients the quality of your work when you do not have a huge portfolio to show. See in the begging I didn’t have a huge portfolio of images; this makes future clients scouting photographers nervous.
Please tell us about Mario Mendez Photography.
I can’t say my business specializes in a single niche. I am certainly working towards shooting mainly weddings and to be known for just that but I have shot a variety of photography domains from Boudoir sessions, product, headshots, family shoots to Maternity. My most-recent proud moment was seeing my images on this year’s Emmy gift bag. I photographed my good friend’s eyelash products business called ‘Daniela Bell lashes.’ This year her eyelash kit was picked as one of the gifts celebrities received.
Pricing:
- Portrait Photography 2 hrs 30 mins. $150 – All portraits are done on location. Dallas streets or Parks. Sessions take place morning or evening. For indoor Studio please ask for dates and times.
- Graduation Photography 2 hrs 30 mins. $150 – All senior portraits are done on location. Dallas streets or Parks. Sessions take place morning or evening.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mariomphotography.com
- Phone: 2148863536
- Email: bookme@mariomphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariomphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariomphotography/
- Other: mario mendez photography
Image Credit:
Homer Lozano, Daniela Bell
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
