Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Casillas.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Michael Casillas and I began doing photography in late 2015. Having been a graphic designer in previous years and making photocomposition works from stock photos to create surreal scenes and tell dramatic stories as a hobby, I decided why not invest in a camera to make them completely on my own authentic pieces? Upon doing so I somehow stumbled into the world of portraiture, where I connected through social media with the small, kind and open-hearted community from Denton.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has and it hasn’t. Like many things, the beginning of new endeavors are exhilarating, liberating, and fearless. You don’t give a second thought to much, you simply churn out the work and experimentation more than ever. In doing so, you go through volumes and volumes of projects, less spatially aware of it’s quality and more attuned to the thrill of eagerly waiting to create something new. Relentless and joyous immersion into those new waters. But as time goes by, the awareness comes into play, you begin to be more self-critical and pay more attention to the works of those around you. More likely to draw comparison with others, more likely to be filled with self-doubt, as we all know, social media has the limitless potential of being both wonderfully inspiring and daunting all at once for artists. Ultimately you must realize you are your own worst enemy and that once you begin to take things too seriously, all progress stops. The trick is learning to continue to have a fun, experiment and do things in the same spirit as you did during the days you first started.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer who specializes in portraiture, leaning into the realm of fine art and storytelling. I am known for these types of works. I am most proud of my spontaneous moments, the ideas that seem to come together all at once out of nowhere between the subject and myself. In terms of what sets me apart from others? I’m not quite so sure. My dramatic nature? Haha. In all seriousness, I do restlessly attempt to dress the image with the emotions I recall feeling during those moments, doing all I can to catch its spirit and tell its story as I saw it then.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have been an introvert (with lapses of extroversion) for my entire life. Always diving deep into the arts of music, writing, photography, gaming, etc. Growing up, these were my interests and even now, they remain the center of my world. I can’t imagine who I would be without these things.
Contact Info:
- Email: lichseeker@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lichseeker
Image Credits:
Krystal Turner, Mikayla Rogers, Jonika Ringling, Sarah Harrell, Haylee Hendricks, Kira Conley
