We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Esteban Allard-Valdivieso a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Esteban thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.
When I think about my mentality when I started, I definitely considered photography art for art’s sake. As long as I could create cool compositions, that was payment in and of itself. To a certain extent, I still feel that way. However, asking, “Is there a budget?” shouldn’t feel like some kind of sin. There are definitely times when you feel like keeping the creative juices flowing, especially with friends or family, but photography is a very expensive habit and hobby. It might have been Picasso who told the lady that he wasn’t asking to be paid for the 10 minutes it took to draw her sketch, but for the decades it took to develop his abilities. Other than that, I think the way I went about learning and building my business was slow and deliberate, which I think is how most artists develop.
Esteban, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m an East L.A. kid, but even though I had always loved taking pictures as a child and teenager, I had never really thought about becoming a photographer. I didn’t really have any friends or family in the industry, but I was a theater/improv kid, so there was this vague sense of wanting to do something creative, yet not knowing what was out there. I moved to the Bay Area for school and always kept a cheap 35mm camera or a point-and-shoot on me. Then in 2006, I became friends with a few working photographers. I asked if I could help them out with shoots and pick their brain, which at the time I assumed nobody would let me do. Looking back, of course they wanted free help! Lugging all that gear around and managing time sucks! A few months later, they encouraged me to purchase my own DSLR and recommended a few lenses to me. I started putting together a kit and from there, started asking friends to collaborate and pose for me. Little by little, I read some books (Michael Freeman’s Perfect Exposure is a must-read), watched Youtube tutorials, taught myself the basics of composition, audited a photography class in 2011, kept assisting other photographers, found artists, HMUAs and stylists to work with, all while still working my day job in housing non-profits. I decided to focus on lifestyle and events photography, as I felt more comfortable with my camera in outdoor social settings or telling the story of an individual (I’ve shot a few weddings, but I find them too daunting). I officially started my business (Fiestaban Photography) in 2013. I then moved back to Los Angeles in 2014, built up my business with other professionals, and started dabbling in music photography. I googled music blogs I could submit to and became a contributing music photographer, but as just a sorta fun thing to do on the side. When COVID hit, my then-girlfriend-now-wife and I decided to move back to the Bay. Social distance requirements and masking made me re-evaluate how I wanted to continue, so I decided to put a major emphasis on shooting concerts and music (where masking/vaccination rules would be independently enforced). As the pandemic has waned, I wanted to delineate my work, so I decided to spin off my music portfolio into its own thing, creating my passion project, Music Forever Magazine (www.musicforevermagazine.com)
I have always prided myself on making people feel comfortable in front of a lens. The whole point of “Fiestaban” is that you’re supposed to enjoy the experience–you’re supposed to enjoy the present moment, the party of the everyday experience. That is truly what a great photograph is about: a one-of-a-kind moment that lives forever. Whether you’ve hired me to cover an event or handle portraiture or if I’m shooting a live band, all of it needs to have something visceral that screams…“YES! LIFE!”
It’s really crazy the list of artists, celebrities and musicians I’ve come in contact with over the years (check the full list on my website), but honestly I’m most proud of my family portraits and getting kids to smile by acting super silly. There’s nothing better than those kinds of memories you can make for families, including my own.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
This is such a difficult question, because honestly, gathering new clients has been such a perpetual struggle for me. When I started, it really felt like networking events and cold-calling people was the way to go. At some point around 2014-2015, when Instagram and Twitter were really becoming the juggernauts they now are, it seemed like social media was the answer. For a while, it seemed like a really great way to follow people. Moreover, the “DM” became a pretty low-risk approach of getting in contact with models, agencies, creatives, bands, etc. But it also seems like social media can be fickle and not really produce the type of paying clients that I was looking for. And to be honest, as I get older, I don’t feel like I can rely so much on generating clients by posting galleries or reels or whatnot. For me, word-of-mouth has been the main driver of my business. Showing up on-time and prepared, dressing/looking professional, being quick on your feet, keeping a genuine smile up, listening to what people are saying and not saying, complimenting folks, being honest, remembering names, not being afraid to act a little silly, all those things will quickly translate into more work. People want to have you around. The amount you charge them seems totally reasonable in terms of the amount of fun they’ve had with you and the quality content you’ve generated. I’ve had a well-known celebrity recently email me that she preferred to have me cover an upcoming project instead of a Getty Images photographer, because I “…don’t torture her with bad photos” and because of my demeanor. It’s easy to develop a reputation as someone who puts people at ease no matter what age, gender, race, religion or whatever. I’ve shot everything from classic lowrider car shows to $1,000-per-ticket religious fundraisers to queer punk concerts to Black-owned fashion galas. Wherever I was, I never felt out of place, nor was I treated as an outsider (even though, most of the time, I am). I have developed a reputation for being comfortable around everyone. With the pandemic, it became more difficult to have those closer, quality interactions, but I have faith that moving forward, it’ll get back on track.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2010, I lost a dear dear friend to HIV-related complications. His name was Sean. He was my number-one supporter and a super creative guy. He also had experience in high fashion and art direction, but my being a novice photographer, I felt like I was going to let him down with my inexperience. I wanted to shoot more on my own and learn more, before he stepped in and I was suddenly responsible for a team and an agree-upon product. The fear of failure kept me from succeeding. I kept thinking to myself: I only have one camera and one kit lens and I really don’t know what I’m doing, when I should have been thinking, “I HAVE a camera AND a lens, and I’m learning! Let’s go!” At the beginning of 2010, we’d had a falling out and he passed away at the end of the year. I was devastated by the loss and really took it very badly. I began drinking too much and blamed myself for not being there when he died. I wanted to give up. I associated my camera with a missed opportunity. In 2011, I started looking through old photos of us together and realized just how happy we looked and how it would be an insult to injury if I traded what I loved for despair. He would have kicked my butt for making excuses, especially using him as an excuse. A few weeks later, I upgraded my camera, bought some new lighting equipment, a backdrop and a tripod, and told myself that if I don’t have the strength to keep going, then I’m just going to tell myself: I’m not doing it for myself, I’m doing it for Sean. With each little shoot I put together, I would ask myself, “Ok, Sean, what do you think?” I still felt depressed, but I was not going to give up. In fact, the more I shot, the better I felt. The portfolio was starting to build up and one opportunity would lead to another. A year and a half later, once I had began to make a little bit of money from doing photography and needed to start setting up a bank account and website dedicated to it, I started my business. I remember walking out of the county clerk’s office, having just submitted my fictitious business name, the final step in creating the legal name “Fiestaban Photography” and thinking, Sean would be proud. He would be happy I did this. I’m doing this for BOTH of us now. It’s going to be ok.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fiestabanphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiestabanphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fiestabanphoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiestaban-photography-71763a18b
- Other: www.musicforevermagazine.com
Image Credits
Daniel Ash (Bauhaus/Love And Rockets/Tones On Tail) Dita Von Teese San Francisco Mayor London Breed Doll Klaw Fever Ray Grace Jones Azin Mafi Matt Hollywood (Brian Jonestown Massacre)