Check Out Angelina Harper’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelina Harper.

Hi Angelina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Everything in my career has stemmed from a passion. My mom started me as a ballerina which introduced me to into different creative art forms. I fell in love with the idea of being able to tell stories without having to say anything and I also it felt amazing and sort of freeing to express myself with no judgment. But unfortunately when the stock market crashed and ultimately caused my mom to lose her business. This started a domino effect of me not being able to train anymore and do what I love every day. At the time I was about 12 and there was a lot of tension at home and a lot of arguments that caused me to become severely depressed for five years roughly. There was a lot of moments I went walking around my neighborhood to be alone and I found myself looking at nature and realizing how beautiful things were and I started taking photos on my phone. I showed my family and some of my friends and they actually liked them so from there I would come home from school and take photos mainly of the things around me. Taking photos was truly one of the things that saved my life at that age bc I was able to express myself creatively.

When I turned 18, I decided to move to LA because I had dreamt of coming out here since I was eight and I knew if I just got into school over there, I’d be able to come. But of course, that’s not what happened, once I drove 18 hours from TX to CA. I ended being evicted from campus because there was a miscommunication between me and the university on the terms of money. At the time my pride was a little high and I refused to go back home because A I had dreamed of coming out here and B I told myself I’d feel like a failure if I came back. So I decided to just live in my car, homeless shelters, or my moms friends’ couch. This happened on and off for about four years, again putting me back into another severe depression. But this is where I’d take more photos on my phone but post them instead to Instagram. People liked them and I’d sell some as prints or digitals to make a little money on the side. I was talking to someone and they said “Wow you have like a gallery of photos” and from there I knew I had to make a business selling my photos and I wanted to call it The Photo GAAllery. The 2 A’s rep my user name on Instagram because it also has 2 A’s. So now I’m doing the same thing as years ago just with an actual camera now and different locations and aesthetics that’s still true to me as ten years old taking photos for fun and lowkey healing.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The on and off of depression and overall mental health. There has been many times I’ve contemplated life and being here. At times I’d feel so confused by life in general and in my purpose. Experiencing homelessness for the first time, sleeping in shelters and cots while also dealing with mental health, school and a career by myself. The LA scene alone is naturally a lot, but the LA entertainment scene was so different than being in a small town in TX to a major city with so many different people and personalities.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’d say I’m known first as a dancer. I like to make dances and visual dance videos. Those are more personal to me as you’re literally stepping into my head. I edit my own visual dance videos making me a video editor as well. But I have my best friend shoot things for me as I can’t always do everything by myself. I’m also a model / photographer and photo editor. 90% of the photos on my Instagram are shot, modeled, & edited all by me. I have released my first photobook which is a curation of photos through a lot of my hardest times. I’m most proud of the photobooks because they’re different and you don’t see physical books that often anymore now that we’re in the age of social media. What sets me apart from others are my creative ideas from my blue hair to what I wear and how I present myself. I also hardly see anyone do a whole concept all by themselves.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My 10th birthday party just reigns supreme every time! My grandma somehow rented a stretched hummer limo to pick me and my friends up and took us to the Dallas Galleria. I know we annoyed the driver by the way we were BELTING out our favorite songs

Pricing:

• Always a 50% deposit that’s refundable up to 24 hours of the appointment
• $150/hr for portrait & lifestyle photos. Comes w 2 looks. 30 minutes each look. 3 retouched photos of choice included
• $200/hr for events. Unlimited photos & client receives all RAW photos
• $200/ hr for real estate depending on the property size
• $250/ hr BTS(behind the scenes) Unlimited photos & client receives all RAW photos

Contact Info:

• Website: angelinaharper.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thephotogaallery

Image Credits
The Photo GAAllery