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

Iván, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Hi! Over the years I have had a lot of personal projects that have meant alot to me. One that sticks out the most is a collaboration I did with the Latino Leadership Institute as the lead photographer for a project titled: Bringing Colorado Leaders: Untold Stories of Latino Entrepreneurs. My work was displayed at the Space Gallery located at Denver’s Art District where over 300 people attended throughout the evening! Having my own gallery show was truly one of the most monumental moments of my photography career. And knew that one day I would curate my very own exhibit.

Some other meaningful projects include, “The Last Day of Harvest” a project that highlights the last day of harvest on a family farm that goes back 4 generations of farming in Eastern Colorado. My award-winning piece, “Los Trabajadores” is part of a black and white series, showcasing a day in the life of migrant field workers in Weld County and is one of my most empowering projects I’ve done.

However, the most meaningful project for me was this past year, in 2022. I started the year with a set goal in mind to host an exhibit of my work and after months of contemplating it and months of planning, I introduced my 2nd photo exhibit to the community. And On September 16, 2022, the idea of wanting to host an exhibit to the community was now real. I collaborated with, Weld Werks Brewery, who provided the beverages for the evening, Midnight Oil Bookstore, who shared the space, Las Catrinas Taco Truck, provided the delicious food, and DJ Duran, played some old school jams. And with the support of my family and friends, I curated my own photo exhibit entitled: FOTOS: A Collection by Iván Díaz. This collection of black and white photos taken over the course of my journey as a photographer were blown up to 3ftx4ft and placed throughout the space at Midnight Oil Bookstore. Each image told a story of its own. No labels. No side stories. Just large empowering black and white images. I wanted the viewers to really feel like they were part of the photos. I wanted folks to enjoy the space. To enjoy the music. The company. The food. And the Art. At the end of the evening, the exhibit roughly brought in over 250 people. I even raised money to provide a small one time stipend to a young aspiring photographer in the Greeley area!

It was an amazing night!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

You bet! It’s an honor to be featured, so thank you! My name is Iván Díaz, and for over a decade I’ve traveled far and near to capture stories through my photography, whether it be on a Native American Reservation or in a studio doing professional headshots.

My interest in art, and photography started at a very young age… but I specifically remember flipping through the pages of the National Geographic magazines my stepdad had laying around the house. Both my mom and stepdad dropped out of school at very young ages to help provide for their siblings. And because of that, education was always emphasized at home and that included having old magazines as reading material. I was fortunate to be the first one in my immediate family to finish high school, and then go on to complete both undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado, where I grew as a person and where I began my photography journey. And as I reflect back, those Nat Geo magazines really had an internal impact on how I saw photography and the world around me.

I bought my first handheld/point-and-shoot camera during my second year of college. It wasn’t until later when my partner gifted me a nicer camera, the Canon Rebel XS. It was a great entry-level camera. And did I feel special! That gave me the confidence to let my artistic eye flourish.

And as they say, the rest is history. I have been a professional photographer now for over a decade! I am proud to say that In my years of being a photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to be backstage with artists like Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, WAR, and even Cheech and Chong! My work over the years has grown to focus on quinceañeras, weddings, professional headshots, product photography, events, and most recently, lifestyle photography for websites and marketing development for companies, individuals, nonprofits and as a subcontractor photographer for community colleges and universities across the state of Colorado.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As an artist, the most rewarding part of being a photographer is engaging and learning from the people I photograph. Every person has a story and being able to hear that is an amazing privilege. It’s even a better story when I am able to capture it through my photography. In the summer 2016, I did a small project highlighting a local lowrider member, who happened to be one of the very few, if not, the only female lowrider club member in the Northern Colorado area, maybe even the state. That day we took over the Island Grove parking lot on the Northside of Greeley, where I took advantage of the sunset, and the Island Grove arena as a backdrop. As we went on with our shoot, a beautiful cherry red and white 1940s Lowrider Bomber pulled up and it just happened to my model’s grandfather. After photographing my model and her Bomber, I took my camera and spent some time with Mr. Trevino. I had the privilege to listen to his story: who he was, where he was from, his love for his familia, and how he acquired his first car. You’d be surprised what you can learn from someone during a photo session.

Time went on, and I discovered that Mr. Trevino had passed away. Without hesitation, I was happy to gift the family the digital gallery from our session. I printed and framed the image of him proudly standing next to his car, with the sunset peeking behind him. This image would soon become one of my favorite images and would be featured in my exhibit as the only colored image in my show and was the entrance piece to my gallery.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

This year, like every year, my goal is to always make a connection with new communities and individuals. I have always felt I could create a better social media presence to grow my clientele. I will be looking at revamping my Instagram page and press the reset button to give a new look while increasing my activity on it. Last year, I did a complete revamp of my site, and this time around, I’d like to tackle other areas to market myself more and grow my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ivandiazphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivand_photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDiazPhotography
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/iván-díaz-photography