We were lucky to catch up with Alonso Castaneda recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alonso, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I bought my first camera Sony a6000 back in 2018. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a simple point and shoot, and I quickly realized it wasn’t. I even tried returning it to Best Buy, but I had missed the return window. That’s when I decided, “Okay, I need to learn this for real.”

From that moment, I dove in. I watched YouTube tutorials before my 9–5, during my workouts, and any spare moment I could find. I spent countless hours researching, practicing, and understanding how cameras actually work. That was the beginning of everything.
Looking back, the biggest thing that slowed me down was time. Since I had a full time job, most of my learning had to happen early in the morning or late at night. If I hadn’t been working a 9–5 at the time, I could have dedicated longer and more consistent blocks of time to learning and practicing.
I also would have invested earlier in hands on mentorship or workshops. Self teaching is powerful, but having someone guide me in real time would’ve accelerated my progress a lot.

Three skills made the biggest difference:

Curiosity and problem solving. YouTube and Google were my teachers. Being willing to dig, troubleshoot, and figure things out was everything.

Consistency. I learned a little every day even when I was tired or busy. That daily repetition added up.

Creativity and adaptability. Photography and videography change fast. Being open to new workflows, new gear, and new techniques helped me grow much quicker.

Time was the biggest obstacle. Balancing a full time job, family, and trying to build a new skill wasn’t easy. I often had to sacrifice sleep or free time just to keep progressing.
Another challenge was not having someone in my life who was already doing photography or video at the time. I had to figure everything out from scratch. But in a way, that made me more self driven and resourceful.

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.

My name is Alonso Castaneda, and I run Alonsosnapshots with my wife, Karla. We’re a family based photography and videography brand in Northwest Arkansas. Together, we focus on capturing real moments, creating meaningful visuals for families, and helping businesses tell their story through high quality content.
How I Got Started
My photography journey began in 2018 when I bought my first camera, a Sony a6000. I thought it would be simple to use, but once I started playing with it, I quickly realized it wasn’t a point and shoot. I even tried returning it, but I missed the deadline and that moment pushed me to learn.
I started watching YouTube tutorials early in the morning before my 9–5, during workouts, and any spare minute I had. It became a daily routine, and that’s how everything started: just me, my camera, and the determination to get better.
How Video Became Part of My Craft
At first, I was strictly focused on photography. But after a few years, I felt like I needed a bigger challenge. That’s when I got more serious about video and editing.
Video gives me a different level of creativity. I can tell stories, create motion, use sound, and bring moments to life in a way photography can’t. Learning videography, editing, color grading, audio, and storytelling opened up a whole new side of my craft. It’s what pushed me even more and it’s a huge part of what sets my brand apart today.

What We Do
Today, Karla and I offer:
Family and portrait photography
Couples and lifestyle sessions
Weddings, Quinceañeras, and special events
Business branding photography & monthly content creation
Short form video, cinematic reels, and creator focused content
Product videos and promotional content for small businesses

Whether it’s a family session or a business needing consistent content, my goal is always the same: create visuals that feel real, meaningful, and high quality.

The Problems I Help Solve
Most clients struggle with two things:
Getting high quality content
Staying consistent with what they put out
Families want memories that last.
Businesses want to show up professionally online.
I help solve both by delivering content on time, with a clear vision, and by making the process easy and stress free.
What Sets Me Apart
What sets me apart is the combination of creativity, discipline, and constant improvement:
Consistency and hard work. I study, learn, and shoot daily to keep improving.
Photography & videography combined. I offer both and I take pride in doing both at a high level.
Storytelling. I focus on emotion, moment, and meaning, not just “pretty pictures.”
Comfort and connection. People feel relaxed with us, and that comfort shows up in the final result.
Reliability. I communicate clearly, deliver on time, and always show up prepared.
What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m proud of the work ethic behind this brand.
I went from not knowing how to use a camera to building something that supports my family, serves our community, and lets me grow creatively every day.
I’m also proud of the long term relationships we’ve built, families who hire us year after year, and businesses who rely on our content to grow their brand.
What I Want People to Know About Alonsosnapshots
I want people to know that this brand is built on consistent hard work, creativity, and real connection.
When someone books with us, they’re getting a team that genuinely cares about their story and a photographer who gives his absolute best every time. My goal is to create work people are proud to look back on, whether it’s five years later or twenty.
Final Thought
I also want to add this: this is what happens when you get out of your comfort zone, stay consistent, and put in the work. I’m completely self taught, no college degree, just a GED and here I am now, making money doing something I love and supporting my family with it. If I can grow from where I started, anyone can.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my main goal from the beginning has been to learn a craft that allows me to eventually leave my 9–5 job and provide for my family doing something I truly love. What started as curiosity turned into a real passion, and that passion turned into a skill I could monetize.
Every time I pick up my camera, I’m working toward building a better future for my wife, my kids, and myself. I want to wake up every day doing what inspires me, creating for people, telling stories, and growing a business that was built from the ground up, with consistency, discipline, and hard work.
That’s the mission behind everything I create:
to turn something I love into a full time career that supports my family and gives us more freedom, opportunities, and time together.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A big lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that I needed to follow all the trends on social media to succeed. In the beginning, I felt pressure to copy whatever was popular, the same editing styles, the same transitions, the same poses, because I thought that’s what would get attention.
But over time, I realized that chasing trends doesn’t build a brand. It just makes you blend in with everyone else. I had to learn to trust my own style, my own eye, and the way I tell stories. The moment I stopped trying to fit into what everyone else was doing, my work started to look more like “me,” and clients started coming because of that.
The other part of this lesson was not underselling myself. When you’re new, it’s easy to think you have to charge low prices just to get clients. But if you believe in your product and the value you bring, you shouldn’t downplay it. I had to unlearn that mindset and understand that pricing myself fairly is part of respecting my craft and my time.
Letting go of those two habits, chasing trends and undervaluing myself, helped me grow my brand in a way that feels real, sustainable, and true to who I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alonsosnapshots.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alonsosnapshots/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alonsosnapshots
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alonsosnapshots