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

Andrea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When I first started my photography career, it was at the end of 2020 and I was a freshman in college. Starting a career in something you won’t see much profit from right away is always a risk. The first year and a half, I earned close to nothing as a sports photographer. I was in a unpaid internship at my university, and shooting professional soccer games every other weekend for free.

Not only was I taking a financial risk, but one I didn’t think about until later is that I ended up sacrificing much of my social life. If I wasn’t in class or doing homework, I was spending any spare time I had at games, shooting. I completely submerged myself in this new passion and all I wanted to do was work more and improve. I remember having conversations with my parents about how much of my own money I was “wasting” on going to these games, and some that were even outside of the state, just for the hope that one day it will all pay off.

Fast forward 3 years later, I’ve done things through my work and through soccer that I never thought I would get the chance to do, at least not so soon. Have I gotten back the financial losses from that first uphill journey? Yes. But the most valuable thing and the most important thing that I received back was the people. After giving up my social life for work at a time when I’m supposed to go out and have fun, I am so grateful to this work for leading me to some of the most amazing people I’ve met in my life. I don’t regret the sacrifices and risks I took because it led me to where I am, with the people and experiences I now sit here with.

If you want to take a risk, take it, because everything happens for a reason and it will show in the end the rewards for your hard 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.

I grew up around soccer, with my dad playing professional soccer in my home country of Nicaragua. Ever since I was a kid, I loved it, and for a long time it was the only constant through the phases of my life. Especially after moving from Nicaragua to Florida at the age of 11.

This passion I had for the game, and a creativity my family installed in me since I was little, eventually led me to pick up my mom’s camera and bring it to my team’s bench when I was injured. I saw that not only did I really enjoy combining these two things, I was also decent at it. I immediately started thinking if this was what I was meant to do. And it certainly felt like that.

At the end of 2020, I started to take photos of sports teams at my university, and as well as the professional soccer teams in Orlando. As enjoyable and valuable my time with the other sports teams were, I always knew that my real passion was soccer. So, after I started to get more clients, these past two years I’ve dedicated myself to helping teams and brands tell the stories of their soccer teams and athletes through photography.

The thing I enjoy the most is focusing my lens on the stories outside of the pitch, though. I love documenting fans, the atmosphere and everything that soccer culture touches but is rarely seen in the spotlight. I am very passionate about my work because of one thing though, people. Community, people are everything. What I love about soccer the most is seeing how people’s lives are shaped around it, what their stories are. And what I love most about my photography is that I have the means and power to share those stories with the world.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Summer of 2023, the biggest event in women’s soccer was happening in Australia/New Zealand– the Women’s World Cup. I had already come to peace in my mind with the fact that I wouldn’t even have a real chance to work a World Cup until the men’s in 2026. But, a few months before, I was presented with a real opportunity to go that very summer.

Although it wasn’t official, a few things led me to believe there was no way I wouldn’t be able to go. So, for over a few weeks. I was beyond happy over the thought of me going to Australia. It was my dream since I was a kid to– well, for one, to play in a World Cup– but now to photograph a World Cup. It’s the biggest event in soccer. It’s everyone’s dream. I tried to keep my hopes in check as I waited on the final word from the company hiring me.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and the plan to send me to the World Cup quickly banished for reasons I do not know exactly. I blamed myself for getting my hopes up, but tried to quickly reshape my perspective. Summer is always a busy time for soccer in the U.S. and this summer was no different. There was a lot happening. I ended up making some of my best work those three months. Work that “put me on the map” in the community. I was so proud of the moments, people and stories I was documenting and in the way I was photographing them.

I can’t really say what would have happened if I had gone to Australia that summer since it’s something that never happened. But things always happen for a reason. And I would have not been able to cover the range of stories I covered if I had gone. Those opportunities opened the door for me to go to the Paris Olympics the next summer. Which is something I will forever be grateful for.

That experience made me realize that it’s doors closing is just part of the journey. I just have to make sure I don’t stare at the closed door for too long and miss my chance to walk through a newly opened door.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m not super involved on social media. I pretty much do the bare minimum with my photography account. However, Instagram plays a very big role on getting job opportunities. When I first started my account, I posted every single thing I photographed, non-stop, for about 2 years. I made sure to experiment with looks, the way I laid out my photos, on photoshop, etc. I think it’s really important creatives post without fear, to judge your work through your own eyes. Once I started posting for myself, without caring what people on social media thought, I felt a lot happier with my work.

While I may not be the best person to ask about social media engagement, hacks, tips and followers, I think the most important part is just getting your work out there. As long as the right people are seeing your work, it really doesn’t matter if you have xyz amount of followers. I don’t have a big audience, but I’ve built my audience with honesty, meaning it grew organically because of the type of photos I was posting and the posts I was interacting with. And because of that, I know this network is valuable because most of the opportunities I’ve gotten come from social media. To me, it’s kind of like building your network in real life when you meet people. The best advice I can give when it comes to this is to just be yourself!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andreavilchez.com
• Instagram: av7photos
• Linkedin: Andrea Vilchez www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-vilchez