We recently connected with Andrew Rivera and have shared our conversation below.
Andrew, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
Growing up, ive always been an active kid. Did cross country and soccer in middle school but also a music kid. Did band all four years of high school
The story of where it all started was in 2018.
I was on a trip in Guatemala. Ive always loved the outdoors. Loved wildlife. While photography wasn’t in my mind at the moment, I brought a camera with me.
While visiting a lake called “La Laguna Brava” which translates to, “The Brave Lake”, I snapped the image that started it all.
That moment, that very second of taking the scenery in, will forever hold a special place in the heart because of the people I met along the way, who’ve told me about the lake, and helped me get there, and helped jump start my passion for photographing.
When I came back home, I spoke with a friend of mine who’s in the photography business and asked for advice on what’s a good budget camera to start with.
Generously, I gave me one of his old cameras he had, a Canon Rebel T5i, along with a couple lenses. I felt happy, felted excited and a road of other emotions.
Eagerly, I went to photograph anything that seemed interesting. Planets, landscape, birds, etc. Just sometime that seemed interesting at the time.
But I didn’t feel satisfied, tried marketing myself but no one would contact me.
Felt demotivated but I continued.
I finally started college in 2021 for photography. I started with a class of the Intro to Digital Photography and Film photography.
As I continued classes, I still felt unsatisfied but I couldn’t figure out what I wanted.
I wasn’t until my second year when I took a portfolio class, I met my colleague, Brooke Steedman, who’s a student doing sports photographing, and my professor asked me what else interests me other than wildlife and I said sports.
He was able to vouch for us to get on the field for the college and the rest is history.
Forward to today, her and I have made a small name for ourselves within the sports scene of the college.
From photographing games for their social media, to the local press, to doing headshots for their rosters.
Its been an experience that her and I will never forget.
I will forever be grateful for the people I had along side of me and who’ve helped with my success.
Andrew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Andrew Rivera, I’m 24 years old and Im a Sports Photographer/videographer. I just recently got into the industry and slowing learning the ropes of how it works. While it can be bit intimidating at times but its important to not be discouraged and not compare yourself to others.
I provide any sport game coverage, both photos and videos, along with creative photoshoots for sports as well as personal-themed photoshoots.
What sets me apart from the rest is being a hybrid-shooter and having a unique style in editing for both photo and video.
Im not saying im the best by any means, but its not that often you have someone who does exceptional work for both video and photography.
While im still “new” in the video world, there’s always something for you to learn and incorporate new styles, that way your work always stays new and fresh.
What im most proud of is the amount of work and opportunities ive given all within just 3 years of studying photography.
I currently attend Antelope Valley College in Lancaster CA, and have covered many games for the local press and their social media.
From team photoshoots, to their championship games, to reveling new gear and field work, its been a wild ride.
Definitely not the outcome I expected from it.
Of course I couldn’t have done it alone. It’s important you keep yourself humble and opened mined in this industry.
There’s always something for you to learn and it’s very possible for you to learn that from someone you’ll meet in the field.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My end goal is to photograph for the major leagues. Thats what’s driving me. Its not easy, by any means, because of the competition around, but its possible, anything is possible when you set your mind to it; You just have to believe in yourself.
I love baseball, being playing since I was a kid but I’ve grown to love football. No sport shares the same emotion but the emotions from football is where it’s at for me. The adrenaline, the crowds cheering, the players cheering and hearing their rawr when a touch down is scored or a play that they needed in their favor happens, hearing all of that runs shivers around me because its happening live.
But what I love most is the silence that happens, only briefly, when a play is set to begin. As I slowly ready myself, I hear my heart beat, feeling the pulse of my finger as it hovers over the shutter button, its a feeling of anticipation but as well as unpredictable because anything can happen, but being able to capture, whether in video or photo, a moment we can re-live is what I love
The end goal is to be in the major leagues, but the very very end goal, is to be an NFL Photographer.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Im not the best at marketing myself. Ive always been an introverted person. But the way I grew my audience is by having people appreciate your work, while tagging you in any post they make and sharing it.
There’s still a good amount of people who don’t like giving credit to the photographer and I feel that’s a loss of networking with potential audience. It’s a way for your name to get out there. Sell yourself and you reach out first to the player and ask if they’re interested in the photos or videos you have of them. If they say yes, explain that you’d like credit if they do decide to post.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://riveraandrew80.myportfolio.com/work
- Instagram: instagram.com/a.riveraimages
