Today we’d like to introduce you to Aneudy Rodriguez.
Hi Aneudy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a visual creator with a focus on portrait photography and videography. I started my journey in photography as a way to document daily life and capture moments. Every moment is fleeting, here for a second and gone the next. Photography is my way to keep these moments alive.
Several years ago, I was working in jobs that wouldn’t feed my creative passions. I began to feel burned out by work without an outlet to create balance. I coincidentally received a Sony camera as a gift and taught myself everything I could about the camera. I spent countless hours on Youtube, learning all I could about Lighting, Camera settings, different lenses, etc. Since then, I’ve decided to focus on Analog photography as I happen to find more enjoyment in that workflow. I enjoy the limited amount of shots that come in each roll of film, scanning and developing my own film, and the trust that is built between myself and my clients each time we shoot. Ultimately, shooting film has allowed me to be more precise and intentional when working.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This road has come with obstacles here and there. I’m originally from Boston, where the market for photographers operates very differently than how it does here in LA. Photo studios in Boston are few and far between and the hourly rates are usually ridiculously high. Without real access to studios, It was difficult for me to practice, learn lighting and work with other models without access to real equipment. I learned what I could with natural outdoor lighting and setting the camera up on a tripod to take self-portraits. Several months into this process, I was given some secondhand studio equipment from an old co-worker of mine and figured out how to make about half of it work (Most of it couldn’t even fit in my room!).
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a portrait photographer, I “specialize” in analog formats namely 120mm and 35mm. My favorite thing about shooting film is capturing a moment in time and not using the moments immediately after to look at the photo. There is trust involved between the client and the photographer when shooting a film. The focus is on creating and capturing great moments.
I’m most proud of the growth that I’ve made as a photographer in my first three years of working as a creative. In my first year, I had quit my job and decided I wanted to be a photographer full-time. I quickly learned that was not a sustainable model as somebody who had just picked up the camera to do serious work for the first time. Of course, without experience, I wasn’t able to get booked very often during my first year, but I used the time to learn anything I could. Mostly by shooting myself, close friends, or other artists who were trying to come up similarly. Even in year three, there’s some struggle in getting booked, but I continue to push myself with personal projects to keep growth steady. My goal every time I pick up the camera is to do better than the last time.
What sets me apart is my purpose. I believe my goal in photography is to capture moments that may not happen again in a classic format. I like my shoots to be fun, light-hearted, and good vibes!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
All of my friends and family who have supported me along the way of course. It wasn’t a very easy decision to just walk away from my job as a counselor. The work was very meaningful but was also very draining for me. I had support around me that made the transition much easier than anticipated. I had friends I would connect with on a day to day to talk about different creative ideas and projects. Of course, some of these things came to fruition and some of them didn’t, but it was great to be looped into these things and to see how a team of photographers and videographers could work together. If I could give them credit by name, my mentors in this would be my friends Byrd and Jeff, who I learned so much about the creative process from and was always able to bounce creative ideas off of when first starting. I would work on small video edits and send their way for feedback, linked with Jeff 5 days a week during my unemployment and worked on different photography/video projects, watched photography youtube videos, and executed some great projects as a team.
Pricing:
- Photoshoot: $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frolic.pictures/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arodadod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/arodadod
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCimhDBNKKi5Oa3tUB3uE1ig
Image Credits
Models: Caliph Chanice Ball Chelsea Nyirenda Sasha Rie
