We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jacqueline Ayala. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jacqueline below.

Jacqueline , appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Art has been a big part of my life ever since I was young. I started my artistic journey in music playing viola but when music no longer fulfilled my creative outlet, I decided to pursue the art form that interested me before music and that was photography. This led me to art school and it was during that time I really discovered that photography gave me the freedom and ability to create and feel art on a whole other level. That alone for me was a game changer and I just wanted to learn everything I could. I fell in love with every process from film photography to studio photography and to be honest I’ve never stopped learning. Knowing what I know now, I would have done things sooner, I would have taken up more opportunities to intern to gain more experience, I would have taken the time to find a good mentor, and I would have used more resources that would have been available to me at a young age. There are so many cool opportunities for young artists you just have to find them, be flexible/available, take genuine interest to learn, and reach out to people who you look up to you might be surprised where you that leads you. The skills that I think were most essential for me were technical skills mainly in lighting, retouching, and cameras in general. The biggest obstacles that stood in my way of learning more was struggling to financially support myself through art school and not really having a mentor/ guidance to help me prepare for life after art school and in my photography career in general. Sometimes you have to make your own way and ask for help along the way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a Colombian-American Photographer and Retoucher. I have been working professionally with clients in cities coast to coast and continue to work on my portfolio under my photo alias Photo By Ayala. I got into my industry by pursuing a passion that ultimately fulfilled the artistic outlet I needed. When it comes to my photography and retouching services, I specialize in a wide variety of areas ranging from portraits to commercial work. As a bicultural indigenous artist, I am inspired by my ancestral roots and focus on uplifting women of color through empowering imagery. I aim to capture inclusive beauty via creative visuals that cater to the individual needs of each client and project piece.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to create a body of work that has the capability to reach, touch, and resonate with so many people. I think that’s also the thing that fascinates me most about art in general. The other most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the genuine love and support I’ve received in me and my artistic growth throughout the years. It truly is so beautiful to me and has helped me on my photo journey and for that I am thankful.

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

One of my first and biggest goals when it came to photography was to uplift women of color through empowering imagery. This goal alone has stayed with me throughout my photography journey and as I continue to grow in my art, I find myself diving deeper into representing and highlighting women of color the best way I can. It’s important to me as a woman of color to be able to show other women of color in our best beautiful light. I also can’t help but to create so when I have a vision I have to bring to life or need to express myself visually I rely on my photography and am so grateful I have an artistic outlet that allows me to do that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.photobyayala.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/photobyayala
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photobyayala
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/photobyayala
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHkz5J3K8KOQCAb1syET-w

Image Credits
Photo By Ayala