September 13, 2016

Meet Pasadena Photographer & Graphic Artist: Gabriel Perez

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Perez.

Gabriel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My path to photography was not a straight line. After graduating from college with a degree in graphic design, I unknowingly decided to start my own freelance business in the middle of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The idea of being my own boss, with the ability to choose projects that would scratch my creative itch, was very romantic. A harsh reality quickly disavowed me of that illusion. Not only were jobs scarce, but I had to pick up additional skills just to compete with my colleagues on the Titanic. Multiple tasks normally performed by two or more specialists were now expected of a single person by all clients. The new era of the one-man-studio allowed me to learn everything from web programming, to video editing, and yes, photography. I worked hard to improve my skills in all of these supplementary disciplines out of sheer necessity, but a funny thing began to happen. I started picking up my camera for fun. I could die in peace if I never have to write another line of code the rest of my life, but putting the viewfinder to my eye is exciting. It seems obvious now, but my background in design has been instrumental in my picture taking journey. Photography, for me, began as an obligation, turned into a marketable skill, a hobby, and ultimately a passion.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a bumpy road. I have no formal training in photography; I went to the self-taught university of “Google it”. The business side is where I think I face the biggest challenges. My primary source of income doesn’t come from photography. It has always been a supplement or add-on to my other work. My lack of experience, in or around any kind of professional photography business, is the biggest challenge in shaping my own successful enterprise. It has been a bumpy road and I consider myself a traveler who has a long trek ahead of me.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
The hardest part of my business is the business part. My advice to any college student who wants to pursue a career in photography is get a business major and minor in photography. The ratio is 90% of your time devoted to running your business, 10% of your time taking pictures! We work hard not to suck at the picture taking part but sucking at the business part is what really hurts you.

What are you striving for, what criteria or markers have you set as indicators of success?
I ask myself the following question; “if you had the day off, and you didn’t have to worry about money, do you still want to do what you have planned today?” If the answer is yes, I consider myself successful. I know it’s a cliché, but when you do what you love you never work a day in your life.

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
I learned everything I know about photography watching online video tutorials. I found tons of great resources and others that weren’t so great. I have been working on a project to create my own photography tutorials that incorporate the type of lessons that resonated with me. If successful, I can expand it to software tutorials. I’ve heard that the best way to learn something is to teach it.

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