Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alan Chavez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Alan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?
That’s interesting because as a photographer you are asked to go to many different locations throughout your career. So in a sense, you must adapt to that lifestyle of traveling to remote locations and bringing your “office” to where you are. The locations and couples I document are my field of work. Traveling out-of-state has been the most fun due to the fact that I get to leave my small town and into the world. All it takes is a laptop and a card reader and you can essentially pop-up shop anywhere.. I’d say one of the hardest things about working from home is being a stay-at-home father to my two beautiful kids. My wife is a teacher and kids aren’t quite old enough to go to school, so that means more dad time. :)
It’s mentally draining trying to work while they are up. One wants “this”, the other wants “that”, they both want cookies for breakfast, one pushed the other/ the other is crying..etc,
So I now have a schedule I abide by so that I am able to spend quality time with them and not be distracted by my work.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Honestly got into this industry because a photographer friend of mine told me there was money in this business.. and lots of it. Desperate for a new source of income that I’d enjoy, I went in and tested the waters on couples/weddings. I provide a fashion forward photo documentation experience that highlights your love life in a modern and cinematic style. I focus on the story behind the couple and intertwine that with one of my carefully thought out and planned sessions.
The problem I have been having to solve for almost every couple that comes to me is that couples don’t know what to do in front of the camera/they are very awkward. But I shower them with assurance and encouragement, that with simple prompts and posing, I can turn them into magazine models.
I love that I can say I am one of the very few Hispanic photographers in my area. I love being able to speak both languages on wedding day with families who are Spanish-speaking. For those that do know me, I am more than positive they would say that I have an electric and charismatic personality. I know most people are going to show up wedding day with a good attitude, but I show up with an abundance of joy and comedic energy, wanting to set the tone for the rest of the day/night.
I am most proud to be able to provide for my family, and to give such a service for couples/ new friends that inspire others to book with me. I definitely want potential clients to know that I do not take documenting your special days’ for granted. I want to capture the real/raw you and in doing so I will make you die laughing.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Honestly, I don’t consider myself to have a huge audience on social media. But I have definitely grown within the last couple of years, just due to the notion of posting your content every single week, multiple times a week! I definitely will look to influencers who specialize in Instagram growth and other influencers, who give hacks on how to grow your social media following. You have to follow the Instagram growth gurus and follow the new trends that they are seeing. Make your presence known on your platform!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
So the beginning of my photo career I was shooting lots of single person portraits. It was just what I was interested in and documenting. I loved shooting fashion of all people with an editorial touch. I wasn’t getting enough traction to go full time, mostly due to the fact that I was a brand new to the industry. One of my close friends, who is an up-and-coming wedding photographer suggested I come along to one of their weddings, and try it out as a second shooter, a.k.a. an assistant. Once the wedding was over, I had a conversation with him, and I was overwhelmed with the amount of love received from the family and friends at the small intimate wedding. It was an unusual feeling on how quick I grew to love the family we were helping document. I knew I had to pivot my business towards weddings and couples because I love meeting new people and what’s better is the party that comes along with weddings! Pivoting from Portraits to couples lead me to where I am now, full-time wedding photographer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alanchavezphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: @alanchavez
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alanchavezphoto/
Image Credits
Photos by @alanchavez