Today we’d like to introduce you to Willa Cutolo.
Hi Willa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up moving from place to place almost constantly. My family didn’t have the chance to hang onto many material possessions beyond their cameras. I grew up cherishing the photos and videos they took, and the way that they could distill moments into something archival. With the advent of cameras on our phones, I quickly became the person, friend, and daughter that took pictures of everything. My memory has never been sharp, so images feel like the only way I can truly remember something.
Before I ever even thought about being an artist, I worked in the service industry for years. I waited tables, cooked on a line, and even washed windows at one point. The common thread between these jobs is how I managed to make meaningful relationships with the people I served and worked with. No matter where I was in life, no matter what I was doing, and no matter who I was talking to, I made friends everywhere I went. I attribute this trait about me to my parents. Throughout all of the turmoil we went through, they were good to everyone. To this day, they still make lasting impressions everywhere they go. These people skills are the foundation of what I do today.
I bought my first DSLR camera with a housing loan I took out during my freshman year of college assuming that I’d figure out how to pay it back later. Thankfully, I found a way and started bringing my camera with me everywhere. I initially bought it to record YouTube videos, but I quickly favored photography. There was even a stretch where I posted to Instagram for 500 days straight. Photography was the first thing I ever did in my life that felt intuitive.
And I never stopped. I learned that my favorite images were the ones of my loved ones. I’ve always been in tune with others and photography, to me, is a people-centric medium. I’m drawn to portraiture because of the way it empowers me to connect with others. Making someone’s portrait is such an intimate act, and I cherish that experience. Whether I’m covering an event, creating portraits to commemorate someone’s graduation, or taking behind-the-scenes stills on production sets, my images are very personal.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a thrill a minute, but the fun hasn’t come without its challenges. There was something really special about my art practice when I first got started that I’m still trying to get back to. I didn’t know anything about the art world. I was taking photos for the sake of making them and loved every minute of it. I became more aware of the quality of my work when I applied to my university’s art program and got swiftly rejected… twice. Despite that, I still enrolled in some art classes. The feedback I got from my peers was less than positive. Most notably, I still remember someone telling me that “I [was] trying to pass off cheese pizza as a 5-star meal.”
That experience made me resent my work for a long time. I struggled to enjoy my photography after that. I was able to get my business off the ground, but my work became a means to an end as opposed to something I considered creative. I felt as if my photos of graduates or my loved ones weren’t as important as the pictures I saw on gallery walls. I understand now that this sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s room in this world for all different types of artwork, and they can all fulfill different purposes. I love that people are able to feel good about themselves in my photos and the way that they contextualize where someone is in their life at that particular moment. Comparison is the thief of joy, and that’s especially true if you’re an artist.
More recently though, coming out as a trans woman has complicated several aspects of my practice that I took for granted before. I still feel uneasy about advertising widely and worry that some previous clients won’t want to bring me back for new projects. I also can’t help but wonder if that little detail about me has been the determining factor if would-be clients decided to go with someone else. When I’m facilitating a photoshoot, it’s still difficult to correct people if they misgender me. I don’t want to disrupt the flow of the session or make anyone feel guilty by doing so, but the alternative of just dealing with it is quite draining. Also, even though I’ve managed to find work on a regular basis, I’ve hardly posted in the last year and a half. It’s such a sharp contrast to when I was younger and posting almost constantly. I think it’s become a little harder for me to put myself out there given that anti-trans sentiments are on the rise.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I consider myself a people photographer. My work puts others first, always. Photography is inherently one-sided. There’s an imbalanced power dynamic between the person in front of the camera and the one behind it. I seek to challenge this with reverence for all of my subjects. It’s easy to point a camera at someone and click the shutter, but it takes a lot of care, patience, and gratitude to make someone feel like they’re an equal part of the process. The people I work with are trusting me with their likenesses, and that isn’t something I take lightly.
To me, it’s critical that I’m able to improve my clients’ relationships with photos. Too often I hear people say, “Oh, I’m just not photogenic.” I don’t think anything could be less true. There’s no such thing as people that aren’t photogenic, but I’m not naive. It’s important to understand that we live in a world that centers white, thin, and cisgender folks that fit the western beauty standard. When I work with someone, I want them to understand that they are worthy of being seen and photographed as they are. Everyone deserves to feel good in their own skin and love photos of themselves! I like to think that my photos have a feeling of authenticity and warmth that’s only possible because of the relationships I establish with my subjects.
I’ve worked a wild variety of jobs over the years for clients like HBO, CAA, and UCLA, but the work I’m most proud of is the portraits I make of everyday people. People that want photos to commemorate an occasion or together with their families or to simply feel more confident in themselves. These sessions are the most personal and make me the happiest. I’m able to meet and get to know so many incredible people that I otherwise may have never crossed paths with this way. I love teaching people how to pose in ways that are accessible and comfortable. I love getting to hear someone’s reaction when I show them the way their images are coming out on my camera and they get excited. And I especially love being able to bear witness to so many people’s precious moments and to be a part of them in a small way. These experiences are why I’m proud to be a photographer.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I am nothing if not the sum of all of my experiences with others. There are so many people that surround me with enough compassion, support, and love for multiple lifetimes. First and foremost, I think of my family. My parents, which include my dad, mom, and mom’s sister, taught me the value of making memories. Their photos and videos keep my childhood alive within me, and now I get to document this chapter of their lives and do just that for so many others. Their support for me has never wavered and they’ve never doubted me in any of my endeavors. They graciously volunteer themselves as models for my shoots pretty often to this day.
My girlfriend, Sienna Gonzales, of nearly five years has played an instrumental role in my journey. She’s still my go-to model to practice with, my editor when I’m swamped, and my true companion that’s taught me to be gentler with myself. She’s an artist with her own talents and career, so being able to bear witness to someone so incredible in such close proximity is a privilege in and of itself. I’ve learned so much by watching her that I still use in my own journey.
I also think of my friends who have been there for me from the jump. Alec Cerrillo, D’Andre Clark, and Daniel Graham are some of my first models and most cherished friends. Tee Tan and Austin Newton for always being integral parts to my development as a an adult, professional, and friend. Rigel Bacani, my close friend who took photos of me and showed me her DSLR years before I picked up my first camera. Ryan Lent, my first creative partner and fellow artist that I built something with. And Jarrett Lampley, a friend that set my career trajectory in an entirely new direction by trusting me and bringing me onto new projects.
Lastly, even with the folks that were only in my life for a moment, I’ve learned so much by being in constant communication with the world around me.
Pricing:
- My base rates typically start around $200/hr for a barebones photoshoot.
- $400/hr if studio lighting or any type of equipment rental is needed.
- I tack on the costs of development + the price of a new roll if you want me to shoot film.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://willa.camera
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willa.camera/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/willa-cutolo-photography-los-angeles
- Other: https://goo.gl/maps/SmPmyHisV2YguTQU6
