Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Santiago. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Alex thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

How did I learn to do what I do? That’s a question that makes me chuckle all the time, so let’s start… I started by playing a game called GeoCaching. I started to visit many beautiful areas and decided that I needed a camera to photograph all this these beautiful places I visit. Once I got the camera (Canon T1i), I tried to take pictures and I was getting some nice images and a lot of bad looking images. I started to read books about photography (Digital Photography for Dummies and more) and applying what I learned. By the time I learned camera basics, I had already destroyed my camera shutter assembly twice and got it repaired via the year warranty of the camera. Funny, I still have the camera and it still works! I now have 4 camera bodies, lenses, strobes, and modifiers. It has taken me 6 years to learn what I know now. If I had only gotten a mentor when I first started, I think my photography skills would have progressed faster. It would have helped me with the most essential of skills that every photographer needs, understanding exposure and their equipment. The only problem or obstacle that stood in the way was that all the photographers I knew saw me as their competition and wouldn’t want to help me learn. Even the simplest of question was always met with contempt and anger from those photographers. This is the main reason for me doing what I do, I teach people how to use their gear effectively & consistently, from Camera 101 all the way to how to do a photoshoot session.

Alex, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in Puerto Rico and joined the military service to get to travel the world. I have traveled to a few places around the world throughout my life. These include Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, England, Scotland, Luxembourg, Brazil, Mexico, and various US States (Virginia, California, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kansas, Nevada, Alaska, and Utah).

I got into photography because of GeoCaching. This activity was taking me to beautiful places and I really wanted to record in pictures all the sites that I have seen during the GeoCaching games. My intention was just to take images of the beautiful landscapes and sites that I was visiting during these outings. Once I moved to Houston TX, I didn’t have the beautiful landscapes and I had to drive for long periods of time to get to something that I felt I wanted to photograph.

I joined a few photography groups in the area and I was asked what type of photographer I was and I replied that I was a natural light photographer (there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a natural light photographer). The person responded that I didn’t how to use flash. I thought to myself that he was correct and I can’t call myself a photographer if I don’t understand how to use flash. I bought two speedlites and triggers. That’s when I began to learn to use flash, do portraits, and change my photography. Now, I have many lighting devices (speedlites, studio strobes, portable strobes, and modifiers for all of them).

My photography now has moved towards photographing people in various types of subjects (portraits, cosplay, fashion, etc.). When I started to learn how to use a flash and do portraits, some photographers treated me very badly because instead of teaching me, the viewed me as a competitor. I had to learn from books, youtube videos, and experimentation. It took me a long time to learn. I made a promise to myself that I will never treat a person that way and I would help them advance in photography as fast as they want to learn.

I’m proud that I have had many of my students and assistants take and pass the Certified Professional Photographer certification from the Professional Photographers of America association. I love teaching people how to use all that gear that they buy. From Camera 101 to Studio Lighting, I provide them with 1 on 1 or small group training/workshops, and tutoring. I teach them in all the technical portion of photography because for me, photography comes from what the person thinks, feels, and see. It’s very rewarding when I see the student surpass the teacher in a shorter time that it took me.

The biggest thing that makes me enjoy what I do when I see my students/assistants develop their own unique style. I love to push them to challenge themselves and create sessions where I would be the assistant and not the lead photographer. This is such a wonderful confidence builder that many need to break out on their own.

Another thing that I also enjoy doing with my photography sessions is teach models what they should expect in a photo session. I never turn off my teaching mode during a shoot. It’s nice that everybody learns during the shoot. Models learn enough to understand what a photographer is doing in the session (lighting, posing, etc.) and my assistants learn how to apply the concepts that I taught them during lighting classes. Totally win-win scenario for all involved in the session.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Hmmm. This is a two fold question because I’m driven by what I can create and do with my photography skills. As a photographer, I have skills to capture a moment in time that can be memorable for many people or myself. For example, special moments like family photos during holidays, photos at different locations during a trip, etc. Also, I can make people change their opinion about themselves or things around them. Seeing a person at the end of our session they leave more empowered, loving, and confident of themselves by the images created during the session.

Additionally, with the advances in photography has made it possible for people to capture images that at first seemed impossible to create. I have to keep improving so that I can provide unique images that are unique to my style and experiences that will make them come back to work with me again.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes there are. I wish that I knew about all the creative communities that are out there locally and nationally that would have helped me learn and improve faster. These resources were (because of my lack of guidance and understanding) viewed as a ‘club’ that I couldn’t join, wouldn’t be invited to join, and just my fears of not fitting in.

The resources are: Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Creative Live, Kelby One, SLR Lounge, Good Light! Academy and local camera clubs.

When I finally found these resources, they ‘catapulted’ my skills, knowledge, and confidence to levels I never thought I would achieve. There are many skilled photographers that are wonderful teachers and mentors within these resources. I have come to meet and talk with many talented photographers that are leaders in the industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fotosbyalexs.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lexstgophoto