Rising Stars: Meet Skye Lopez of Norwalk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Skye Lopez

Skye, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Capturing certain “beautiful” moments in my eyes since I was seventeen has always been an interest to me, whether it was a friend looking pretty by the trees in the morning sun, or seeing how the noon sunlight shined through the curtains in my bedroom, perfect for a photo opportunity, or being able to edit my favorite clips of a favorite movie. I’ve always wanted to capture something pleasing to the eye and create something amazing. It wasn’t until 2020, that this interest of mine turned into something bigger.

During COVID, I was stuck in my room, 17 years old, and not allowed to do anything with friends, travel, etc. I would constantly create little videos of myself dressed up, and put my favorite song over them. After this, listening to new music made me create these visions and ideas in my head that I so badly wanted to bring to life. I started by using my close friends, and family as my muses, like my sister, my best friend Mia, etc. Mia was the one who I captured the most throughout my practice. She was able to model what I wanted to execute in my ideas, whether it was to scream into my camera or flip her hair so aggressively.

I practiced these very small projects and my ideas all on my iPhone, I was never ashamed or felt like I needed to have an expensive camera, I was always grateful to have a device in general to capture all of my practice. Over time, I finally got a camera. It took about 6 months to get the hang of my camera, and how to correctly use it. Shortly after, I started to take bookings with other people.

After about three years, I’m at a point where I want to be known for my work, and how I capture people in my own style, I recently moved up here to LA. my main goal is to keep connecting, meeting new people, and putting myself out there as much as I can. I’m proud of the progression I’ve made these last four years and am excited to see what my future has to hold.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Over these last few years, there have been only a handful of struggles, one of them is keeping myself as patient as possible in many aspects of photography. Making sure I kept working hard at learning how to master my style personally was a long road. I had to become obsessed with different types of photography styles in order to finally get a grasp of what I wanted to be known for in my photos. In addition, I was trying to invest in better equipment as much as I could, which took a while to get
with a minimum wage job, but I wanted to invest in these items to have better quality photos that I know will pay off in the future, and have.
Aside from photography styles, and equipment, I want to express how much I’ve had to grow with being able to meet new people and have a full social battery. Trying to get people out of their comfort zones, and making them feel comfortable requires having an extrovert personality. I grew up pretty shy so learning this along the way was pretty hard to be myself around people I’ve never met. However, It has led me to become an extrovert in general, and I enjoy meeting new people!

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?
In my work of photography, it’s mostly creative/fashion work. I specialize in lighting, subject, and location. Lighting has always been such an interest on my part, especially how the contrast can look between my subject and the background. In other words, people stated my photos seem as if I “photoshop people onto the background”.

I’m known for making my photos hyperrealistic or feel like a dream. When it comes to location, I love to use the world as my studio, such as fields, lakes/beaches, neighborhoods, etc. It adds so much more personality and meaning to my photos than a white background.

What I’m most proud of is how comfortable I am now when I do a project. I don’t overthink my performance with other people, and I know how to incorporate my style with ideas for the shoot itself. I’m proud of people getting to see my work and know it was taken by me.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
We all have started somewhere, so don’t feel like you need to have “good” equipment, if you have a real eye when it comes to creating visual art, people won’t be concerned about how “expensive” your equipment is, it’s the execution you’ve presented, of a beautiful and balanced composition, contrast, and what story your images tell.

Do not be afraid to talk to people and put yourself out there more. I wish I knew that when I started, if there are other people you admire and their work, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask any questions when it comes to the practice. Keep being as consistent as possible with photography, whether it’s only once a week or twice a month, just keep practicing and creating.

Make sure to recognize the difference between constructive criticism and mean comments. Constructive criticism should be a gift to creatives, I always look out for ways I can be better, and how my work can improve now, especially from other creatives or close friends. In the end, it’s all up to you, if their feedback doesn’t correlate to what you want to execute, that’s okay! Not everyone will enjoy or understand your work as much as others do, which is something I had to learn. For example, a person who only loves nature photography might not be a huge fan of mine. And of course, simply ignore, and block out anyone who just wants to be mean or discouraging about your work.

Lastly, keep yourself humble from the moment you start photography. Never let your ego get the best of how you treat other people, especially creatives. It was always so nice being able to connect with a photographer who didn’t hesitate to give me their best tips and advice about it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skyeperry215.wixsite.com/slphotography
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sskye_/