We recently connected with Felipe Wallis and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Felipe, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I owe a great deal of my success to the solid foundation that my uncles provided me with from a young age. They are an incredible duo who have been running their own fashion label and atelier in Barcelona for over 20 years. They instilled in me a strong work ethic and moral compass, which have been invaluable as I navigate the industry. My community has also played a crucial role in my development as a self-taught visual artist. Although I initially faced a lot of rejection when reaching out to others for work or assistance, the support and belief in my potential from those in my community has helped me grow with every project, opportunity, and gig that has come my way.

Looking back on my journey, I realize that I could have accelerated my learning process by letting go of fear and comparison, and instead focusing on the process and enjoying each step of the way. I’ve learned that saying “yes” to the right opportunities and “no” to the wrong ones is equally important in this industry. Work ethic is more important than talent, as consistency is key to forging your own path. Building strong relationships based on mutual respect and compassion is also crucial, as these connections can lead to valuable mentorship and friendships within the industry. I have come to understand that reputation is everything in this field, and being self-aware and striving to Being the best and most professional version of yourself at all times is critical.

Although I faced numerous obstacles on my journey, such as being a teenage immigrant without the resources for higher education and having to work multiple unrelated jobs to make ends meet, I refused to give up on my passion. I embraced my skills and talents and trusted that the opportunities I desired would find their way to me. Now, as a full-time freelancer, I am proud and grateful for all that I have achieved.

Felipe, 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 Felipe Wallis; I’m a 26-year-old photographer, stylist, creative director, scouter, and model developer based in Miami but originally from Cali, Colombia. I moved to the US when I was 16 and began my journey in this industry at the age of 18. I’ve always had a passion for photography and started taking pictures with my DSLR in my teenage years. Growing up in the 2010s, I was heavily influenced by the beautiful imagery I saw on Tumblr, which inspired me to take fashion photos.

At the age of 17, I started taking pictures of my friends and dressing them up. I loved playing with clothes, and my passion for creating fashion images developed over time. I scouted my first model in my high school hallway, and we are still great friends. She is a fantastic model and photographer.

After graduating from high school, I had no access to higher education due to a lack of resources as an immigrant. My uncles supported and encouraged me to keep developing myself in fashion photography. As a self-taught artist, I persevered, connected with people in the industry, and learned from every interaction, gaining a lot of experience and wisdom.

Through my photography experiences, I learned how to be resourceful and acquire skills from different areas of the industry, such as styling, creative direction, scouting models, and teaching them how to pose and connect with the camera. Over the years, I gained an extensive network of contacts in different areas who have become long-time friends and great mentors in this business.

Now, I offer my clients significant and imperative skill sets, whether they are brands, artists, models, or designers. In addition to creating beautiful fashion images, I assess my clients’ needs and strengths, connecting them with different people across the industry and bringing strong storytelling that feels elevated and curated, no matter the project. My goal is to always infuse my essence as an artist into my client’s vision, which sets me apart and makes me proud of my work. As I go on my journey, I am always looking to evolve and grow further by being a powerhouse that nurtures my community in this industry.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After completing high school at 18, I started visiting my uncles in Barcelona, Europe, where I learned about industry work, networking with people, assisted with gigs, and practiced and developed my skills. Since I couldn’t access an educational institution that could provide this experience, my uncles provided guidance and feedback that helped me establish a strong foundation. During my visits to Europe, I found an affordable photography school that I loved and saved up for years to pay for my tuition and one-year stay abroad. It was a big dream of mine for years.

In February 2020, when I was 22 and about to realize my dream, I was finalizing my visa process and paying for my airfare and tuition when COVID-19 struck. It was a significant shift that affected all of us, and for me, it felt like life had unexpectedly taken my dream away. I went through a considerable time of depression and felt lost and confused.

During the pandemic, I signed up for community college and moved out alone after a turbulent time living with my family. At the same time, I had to work on a shoot with a couple of peers for some beauty portraits. I hadn’t yet learned how to retouch skin and became overwhelmed, trying to learn everything independently. I used to believe that I wasn’t smart enough to learn and battled with my anxiety because I was afraid of failing. My anxiety had become so bad that I could barely sleep or eat, and I felt like I was losing control of my path.

My mind became my worst enemy, and I decided to quit photography. I was ready to sell my gear and those beauty portraits that took me months to retouch with many nights of crying, frustration, and fear. I had spiraled into a depressive episode. However, with time, determination, the support of my friends, and therapy, I learned to trust myself again and walk through fear rather than allow it to stop me.

In April 2021, I decided to use the tuition money to invest in myself and buy a new camera. Around the same time, I met my current team of friends and peers, and I felt a rush and adrenaline creating with them that was magical and healing. Our first shoot made it into Photo Vogue, validating and encouraging me to keep going. I’m grateful to myself and my community for their immense love, support, and belief in my potential.

This experience taught me that you can build your journey and create the life you want. It’s still a valuable lesson, and I apply it to continue as a freelancer and develop my skills and talent.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I am driven by a mission to build community in everything I do. My mind works by connecting the dots together, like solving a puzzle, which is very exciting to me. I enjoy bringing different people together and supporting and developing emerging diverse talent. My journey is about being a bridge between people giving back to my community after receiving a lot of support and help from it. I love recognizing people’s achievements and contributions, and this is a change that is much needed in my industry, which can often be cruel, classist, cliquish, and insensitive, relying solely on tokenism. I am here to voice the change I want to see and set an example of kindness, positivity, excellence, and a culture that drives change and uses its platform to speak up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://felipewallis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felipewallis/

Image Credits
1st Image: Photo by me Talent: Haydee Villa (my beautiful godmother) Styling: Diego Rivera @d________iego Hair: Britney Willmore @lattomethod MUA: Jennifer Dyson @jennydmakeup Feature in Photo Vogue 2nd Image: Casting, creative direction and photo by me for @Vaultmanagement_ MUA: Jennifer Dyson @jennydmakeup Styling: Sofia Daguano @sofdaguano & Maru Rion @maru.rion Video: Juan Moreno Bianchi @juanmorenobianchi 3rd Image: Casting, creative direction, set design and photo by me Talent: Phoenix james @phoenixxjames (left) Val Kammeron @valkammeron (middle) Isaiah Mannl @Isaiah.mannl (right) Casting, creative direction, set design and styling by Diego Rivera @d________iego MUA: Jennifer Dyson @jennydmakeup 4th Image: Photo by me Client: Natasha Poonawalla @natasha.poonawalla 5th Image: Photo and styling by me Talent Austin Brown @theaustinbrown1 6th Image: Creative direction and Photo by me Talent : Cori @callmecori & Val Kammeron @valkammeron MUA: Harol Prado @byharol Stylist: Mercedes Wallis @mercedes_wallis 7th Image: Shot For @mirror_mirror_magazine Stylist & CD @meliferber Assistant @maria.hernandezr Model @jayversteev & @yescoat @twomanagementbarcelona MUA @sebascloquell 8th Image: Beyond Faith” editorial for @pap_magazine styled by me Shot by Lexi Merico @lexeye_ Talent Faith Hartwig @faithhartwigg MUA by @brazil.raine Hair by Britney Wilmore @lattomethod Light tech by Josh Eskridge @jeskridge Shot at @vault_place Agency @vaultmanagement_