Today we’d like to introduce you to Elsa Melero.
Elsa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Long story short… My name is Elsa and I live in Venice, California, I have been here more than 6 years now. I was born in Barcelona and grew up in the mountains in the border with France. I’ve always had the artistic side of my mother more developed. While I was studying Law in Barcelona, I was taking photography classes on the side, and I was also doing acting in a theater school. I was already dreaming about Los Angeles and its creative world, still unknown for me at that time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think everyone in the art world understands the struggle that is coming to the US and to Los Angeles. It is not all roses and sunshine. Los Angeles is still an expensive place to live, and the competition in the market is tough. You need to come with tremendous tenacity and patience. Plus, VISAS which needs an entire season to talk about it properly. On the other side, I have found Los Angeles to be an optimistic place, with plenty of space to spread out, create and recreate. Art is seemingly everywhere in L.A. It pops up on sidewalks, in parking lots, and on the sides of buildings. There is a lot of room to play.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
To me, it always comes back to the human condition, whether I am photographing fashion, music, or documenting a setting. It comes down to whatever ultra-specific thing that make us all relatable, and at the same time, unique individuals. I really love working with analog materials. I choose to shoot film because I love concentrating on taking pictures and not looking at a screen to see what I’m doing. Improvising, experimenting without boundaries.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The industry has changed quite a lot within the last years. It has opened a lot of doors, but it has also created a ton of disposable content. We still have a long way to go before things level up. I hope once the playfield is fully levelled up, we can refocus the conversation on quality of work and less on quantity.
Contact Info:
- Website: elsamelero.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elsurri/?hl=es
