Today we’d like to introduce you to Aminda Villa.
Aminda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have memories from when I was about seven or eight years old of my dad bringing me to the Art Institute to show me around the dark room, and of him setting up flat-lays in the kitchen for his school projects. However, it wasn’t until I was 21 years old that I became *truly* interested in being a photographer.
My younger sister needs graduation photos, so she asked me to take them because even though I didn’t have a camera, I still was considered the “creative one” of the family. So, we grabbed my mom’s cheap point-and-shoot, a duffle bag full of outfits, and drove to Downtown Minneapolis to have our “photo shoot.”
It was at that time I became obsessed with photography and decided that somehow I’d eventually I’d quit my job as a Network Technician and photograph people for a living instead. This confused people because why the hell would someone give up a career in which you’ve already earned a degree for, pays well, and is “stable”? It confused me too.
Truthfully, I had no fucking idea what I was doing… all I knew is how I felt behind a desk (bored, lost, sad, angry) and how I felt behind the lens (curious, excited, challenged, motivated) and that was reason enough for me. Over the next two-three years, I’d go to work at my I.T. job M-F 9-5, then I’d come home to watch YouTube videos on how to take pictures and use Photoshop until my eyes burned and physically couldn’t stay open anymore.
On the weekends I’d shoot. I was obsessed. I would save up enough money to fly to LA here and there, setting up as many test shoots with modeling agencies as I possibly could during my trips. I continued to progress, and suddenly people were messaging me on Facebook, asking me how much I’d charge to take photos of their kids, their clothing lines, for their modeling portfolios and their weddings.
Eventually, I quit my I.T. job and moved onto waitressing part-time (more flexibility when it comes to taking days off, quick cash) and photographing full-time (my own shoots as well as assisting another wedding photographer that had an ad out for a second shooter on Craigslist)…
Fast forward ten years (through a lot of growth, failure, finding/curating my style, practice, practice, practice) to present day where I’ve finally achieved what little ol’ 21 years old me decided to do. *HAPPY DANCE… errr, who am I kidding… CLINK!! 🍻*
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Fuck no!! There were (and still are) so many days where being a photographer seemed impossible. Money/budgeting was definitely a struggle when I first started out. I still have a ways to go, but thankfully I’ve gotten a hell of a lot better in this department.
Feeling like my work was complete shit all of the time (thanks to good ol’ comparison) was definitely an emotional struggle. I’ve since learned that hey… we all think our work is kind of shit. At least now it’s GOOD shit and any doubt that creeps up into my mind now only motivates me to make better shit. 😉 I’ve also learned not to take myself so damn seriously!
And finally, with the flexibility that being a freelancer gave me and the constant trips out to Los Angeles, I became fascinated with traveling and eventually began taking trips out of the country to explore my newfound wanderlust. Suddenly I was the oddball in my group of mid-western peers for choosing plane tickets and spending time with strangers rather than mortgages and marriage (nothing against mortgages and marriage…
I want to have those too someday). That came with A LOT of guilt and feeling like I was somehow “behind in life,” lost, and selfish. Thank God for the other travelers, entrepreneurs, and cultures you encounter while on the road – they taught me that I’m not behind at all, that there’s no right or wrong way to live your life, and I just want a different lifestyle than the majority of people I’d been exposed to my entire life.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m a traveling photographer who shoots portraits and weddings with a sexy, dark, journalistic vibe.
I specialize in lifestyle-ish portraits (like, let me follow you and your fiancé around while you spend the day in the city taking the subway, drinking beer, and making out in the alleyways) and non-traditional weddings (like, you have a 10 minute ceremony and the rest of the day you dance, drink, eat, laugh and actually spend true, quality time with your peeps and I’m there to experience with you and document it all as it unfolds).
I’m absolutely in love with street photography, and I think this heavily influences my portrait and wedding work. Because that’s where I draw most of my inspiration, during weddings and portrait shoots my eyes are naturally drawn to the hundreds of minuscule scenes that occur accidentally and organically… I tend to capture them in a sort of sneaky, you-probably-didn’t-even-notice-I-took-this-picture sort of way, rather than force traditional poses or photograph the obvious.
I also love mixed media, so I’m constantly taking chances and experimenting. I fuck around with hand-stitching words onto Instax prints with thread, or purposefully jamming my Instax camera so that I can create instant double exposures (… and broken cameras) — stuff like that. This brings another flavor to my style that I’m proud of and I believe that it even has an impact, vibe-wise, on my work that isn’t mixed media.
What were you like growing up?
A little shy, kind of awkward maybe? I liked ceramics class, pushing people around on the basketball court, and earning money at my job flipping pretzels at Auntie Anne’s in the mall. Hahaha.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amindavilla.com/blog
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amindavilla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amindavillacreative
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