We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arlan Fonseca. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arlan below.
Arlan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
At the age of 19, I struggled to discover what career I wanted to pursue. After trying different career paths I found my way to studying videography in Media and Communications. When seeking better video equipment, I fell upon being introduced to a camera in downtown Boston where I discovered my interest in developing my skills in photography since I only used cheap cameras. I remember I was very indecisive whether to buy that camera knowing I had very little money. But then after a total of 4 hours on that day going back and forth to that store, I came back one last time and held that camera in my hand, took a deep breath, and said to myself, “what if this camera changes my life?” and it sure did. It wasn’t the best camera but It opened doors to so many new opportunities and led me to being the person I am today.
I started taking very beautiful pictures and I got the attention of many people, some of whom were great artists. They would refer to me as Arlan, the photographer. I never liked to be called “a photographer” because I didn’t think it was fair for me to take that title without being an actual photographer who understood the business and the art behind it, I just wanted to explore my creative side, and have fun. But then I kept getting compliments from so many people and that eventually led to my first clients and got me into the professional world of photography.
I wasn’t always happy with the pictures I took, despite the positive attention I kept getting. So the more work I took the better I got. That’s when I realized it was time to honor the title as “Arlan, the Photographer”
Like many photographers, I started taking photos of many random things, but I focused primarily on street photography. Then eventually jumped into family then event photography all the way into wedding photography.
I don’t think there are many things that set me apart from other photographers, I believe that most photographers have many things in common, and many of them capture the emotions in people in many different aspects of life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Arlan Fonseca, I am a photographer/Videographer based in Boston. I specialize in portraits, headshots, corporate events, lifestyle and wedding photography, but I also work with real estate agents and other types of photography I am asked to shoot. When I photograph I try to take advantage of the ambient light as much as possible, however, shooting in studio and having broad knowledge of Off Camera Flash allows me to go even further with my clients. I like my shooting style to be natural, so when using my strobes, I make sure my subject is well lit, almost as if we used natural light as it’s most appealing for the eye.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are many resources I wish were available when I started my creative journey in Photography. Nowadays you can learn so much by just scrolling through instagram, Facebook, tik tok and YouTube. Although these are mostly informal learning tool it is kind of making people under appreciate photography since its available to a larger number of people. Back in the day we struggled more to learn, we had to buy courses online or attend classes, work hard to know people, become second shooters or assistant, and eventually make your way up into having your own photography business. Now people just wake up, buy a camera and start shooting. There’s a greater incentive in expressing yourself through photography now than it did in the past making the business even more competitive and challenging to succeed. That’s when you know you need to stand out somehow and find different approaches to make your photography more interesting and less ordinary.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Most of my clients come from word of mouth referrals. I photographed many different events in Boston, from club photography (gay and straight ), corporate events to weddings. Aside from that I photographed all kinds of people and having all these experiences allowed me to meet many people who constantly referred me to their friends, family, or coworkers. Also being a humble and giving person was a plus. I always tried to be as kind as possible to my clients and made their experience a fun time. People are often tense about getting their photos taken, being friendly and easygoing brought me success and that only added positive points to building a great reputation in the photography business.
Exposing myself to a greater audience allowed my photography to grow and thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arlanfonseca.com
- Instagram: @arlan_images
- Facebook: Arlan Fonseca Photography
Image Credits
Arlan Fonseca