Today we’d like to introduce you to John Chacon.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been drawing and taking pictures of my surroundings since I was a kid. My dad got me my first camera at 12 which was really exciting for me to capture all the moments with my family and then reminisce about these moments later.
It was not until college that I started to take photography seriously, I was at a standstill with painting and getting frustrated with what I was doing as an art student. For an assignment, I was shooting portraits as inspiration for my paintings. I quickly found myself more interested in taking the photographs than painting and drawing.
From that day forward, I started taking pictures of anything and everything, people on campus, friends, family, students working on their art, student’s thesis shows, etc. So much so that people stopped noticing that I had a camera on me. While in school my older sister referred me to shoot her friend’s wedding. After that, by word of mouth and social media, I was being contacted to shoot more weddings, portraits, events, etc.
That became the start of my business.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like most things, it has not been a smooth road. There were struggles and challenges I experienced. For instance, the struggle of keeping work consistent was at the top of my list. There was a lot of pressure to keep a steady line of events coming in.
Also, the cost of equipment. I wanted the best for myself and my customer. However, in the beginning, I just worked with what I had and let my photos speak for themselves. I spent most of what I earned from these events on more camera equipment.
Then there was the struggle with myself. I wanted to my best and always capture the best moments, it didn’t always work out, but I quickly learned how to structure and pace myself with every client. What always made it easier was my passion for photography and how eager to learn I was (and still am!) in order to see my clients happy with the final product.
Please tell us about John Chacon Photography.
I run a small business ‘John Chacon Photography’ and mostly shoot weddings, portraits and events. Through social media, my portraits have been the most popular but I am known for weddings.
I get to know the people and make my photos unique to the couple and their party. I study what suits their personality and the ambiance best and go with it. in most if not all cases, I keep in touch with my clients and shoot big milestone moments in their lives. I love that about my job
What I am most proud of in my company is that i started it all on my own with very little to work off of in the beginning, yet grew an extensive clientele list. I’m excited to continue this passion, meet new people and travel the world doing what I love.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything different. Every obstacle I faced taught me a lesson and made me better for my next job. It might sound cliche but I am grateful for the struggles I came across.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://johnchaconphoto.com/
- Phone: 626 518-2601
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/johnschacon
- Facebook: http://m.facebook.com/johnchaconphotography
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