We recently connected with Alejandro Tuzon and have shared our conversation below.

Alejandro, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew that I wanted to pursue Photography as a profession when I graduated High School in 2016. However, I did not see it as a viable option due to outside influences. After a few years of working at a job that was unfulfilling and highly toxic, it occurred to me that I don’t want to do something that does not make me feel genuine joy no matter how much money or “stability” it may provide me.

Before this decision, I had been paid a couple of times for photoshoots as a self-taught photographer. These small assignments validated that not only do I really love photography, but I desperately wanted to improve as a photographer and artist.

I decided in 2020 that I would not only pursue photography as a career but also get a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art Photography at the Academy Of Art University in San Francisco, California. I am entering my final year as a full-time student at the Academy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I struggled for a long time to find a “genre” or “niche” in the photography world, and when asked, “What kind of photographer are you?” I would always answer, “I want to do everything,” which is still valid. However, over the last few years, I have grown a deep love for fashion, conceptual music, live music, and street photography (so pretty much everything) and have been working on honing my skills in those focus areas.

I was inspired to enter this industry by photographers like Adam Elmakias, who is one of the first photographers I ever saw working in person on the Vans Warped Tour in 2014 in Michigan. It was the first time I saw a person working as a photographer in an environment that had also brought me so much joy; it was the first time I really thought, “I want to do that.” I was 17 at the time.

As a Photographer in an industry of such unique and inspiring talent, what sets me apart is my work on set. I always think of every shoot as a collaboration, and I make sure the voices of every person on set are heard to the best of my ability. If anyone is looking for a creative, fun, inclusive, detail-oriented photographer to make their vision come to life, with my sort of flair added to the mix, I’d love to work with you.

Today, I am most inspired by photographers like Laisha Barroso, Boris Sandoval, Jaidyn Makos, Taylor Pendleton, Jingna Zhang, and so many more!

I would love people to know that I want to create work for myself first, and while creating work that makes me feel fulfilled, I hope that at least one person feels seen or heard through what I create.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up with Social Media being such a new and prominent thing the lessons I learned at a young age were ones of self-comparision. I was taught to follow and emulate what I saw on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, and began to believe that what I saw was what I needed to be to be “successful.”

Self-comparison is something that I still struggle with today. Pair that with Imposter Syndrome, which is rampant in my generation, and you get a nasty mixture. I think the journey away from that mindset and the idea that “Everything happens overnight” was long, and I am still on it.

I am simultaneously deeply inspired by my peers and love to see them win, while also wondering if I am “good enough” to stand beside them in artistry and photography. I think that the idea of it all is to allow oneself the grace of learning how to take up the space that you are worthy of taking and amplifying the voices of those around you.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2022, I had the fantastic opportunity to Travel to Italy and study abroad for 7 weeks. I left on this trip with little intention other than to dabble in street photography and “Travel” Photography. After about two weeks there, I was surprised to find that I was feeling uninspired by the work I was creating; I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different or challenging with time in Italy.

As you can imagine, this resulted in thoughts of “What am I doing Here?” and feelings related to Imposter Syndrome. With those feelings, I decided to create my first-ever series called “Isolomento En Rosso,” which can be found on my website. Creating that series was my first time exploring my own experiences with mental health and attempting to replicate what it looked like for me.

My initial goals on arrival changed over the first week of the creation of this series, and I began to work more intentionally when making the images seen in the series.

That pivot made the rest of my time in Italy beyond transformative and inspiring and renewed my passion and drive for photography. To no surprise, Italy was also very inspirational in fashion, and when I returned to the States, I began brainstorming Ideas for a Fashion Portfolio/Photobook.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aletuzonphotos.com
• Instagram: @aletuzonphotos
• Linkedin: Alejandro Tuzon

Image Credits
All Images Created By Alejandro Tuzon