Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Marie Chavez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amber Marie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
During high school, I went to TRI Photography School which enabled me to graduate early. I started going to a Fullerton State University as a 17-year-old. At that time, my twin sister Ashlie and I were making very similar work, so for the last 2 years of our fine art major we were graded as one person which still till this day blows me away! We were told to separate and collaborate and obviously collaboration is way more fun. After college I moved to LA. Ash and I kind of had to take a hiatus because of huge life changes, she had her son River. I’ve dabbled in a lot of stuff being in LA for the last 7 years. I’ve worked in film, advertisement, fashion, production, construction you name it!
Barely only now I am slightly feeling like I might know what I want for myself. There’s so many fleeting feelings working in Los Angeles, to find something genuine is a challenge. I like people, I like working with them one on one, I like the relationship to mean something, and then I can take a portrait. So that’s what I’ve been doing, portraits, with of course the never-ending side hustle. So yes, I still do pick up a shovel, lay that tile and shoot that catalog.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Los Angeles is a lonely place. That was a really big struggle for me for years. There’s so many people but so little connection. I struggled with crippling loneliness, it affected everything, my work, my art, my face. It took a bit for me to find my place in all of this.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m most known for shooting film. Within the last few years, I’ve transitioned to only medium format. I specialize in portraiture and working in domestic spaces and then it broadens out from there. I took a journalistic route for a couple years and worked for Air France but lack of demand has led my elsewhere. My husband is British and has family all over the place, Lebanon, England and the Greek Islands. I try and make family trips work related by contacting publications in advance and setting up a story. That’s anyone’s dream and I’m very grateful for when that works out. I work for a bunch of people in LA, I do social media, catalogs, web features, magazine articles, travel posts production for other people’s shoots etc. I also rehabilitate feral cats with my husband. It’s been a really unexpected passion and discovery that we can do together. We basically catch or trap feral cats and stray kittens, get them fixed or get them to someone who can and then try to find homes for them. All 4 of our cats where ferrel cats and I’m super proud to say that these stray alley cats are now all chubby house cats.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have been nicer to my parents growing up. It has nothing to do with anything, but as an adult, I see how frustrating adult life is. I would have cut them some more slack.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amberchavez.com
- Email: ambermariechavez@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainspirit/
- Other: http://mountainspirit.tumblr.com
Image Credit:
Amber Marie Chavez
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