We were lucky to catch up with Julia López recently and have shared our conversation below.
Julia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I first learned on a film camera and then really started getting into photography around the same time I was exploring the city. Saint Louis has some interesting roots and so I always liked capturing the city and what has to offer. I think when it comes to photography (and videography in the most recent years), I am always looking to push myself to really think outside of the classic ways of capturing moments. I ask myself, “What do I want to demonstrate here?” and “Why does it even matter?” Sometimes it can be hard to produce the work in a way that you had initially considered it, so I like that challenge.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am so very bad about writing about myself (who can relate?). So, here I go. :D
For me, it is about being able to experiment with new ideas through photo and video. I really like capturing images just as there in many spaces— I really enjoy that raw perspective. Other times I can get really wild with a photo and those sometimes never see the light of day! It can be vulnerable to show your work and that is both exciting and terrifying. Capturing history, architecture, landscapes, and people are all a part of my work. I like being able to intersect the spaces and draw on the more abstracted areas of artwork. Sometimes I fail to really get there (and that is totally okay), and other times I feel like I really was able to get the emotion across. It’s an ever-growing discipline and I always cherish the opportunities to work with others and learn from them, too.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had learned how to build a website or realized taking a course or something would have been helpful in the early part of my work. I had excellent friends and supports who helped me along the way and for them I am eternally grateful (you know who you are!).
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
An ongoing journey for me is to move away from this idea of a “perfect” or the “best” image or video that I can make. I use to tweak and tweak until I almost lost sight of what I was initially trying to do. I have really made a concerted effort to be aware of this and move away from that thought process. I would say the idea of perfection or doing your best, has a lot to do with my identities as a queer, 1st gen Latina. In other spaces, I have always had to show more, do more, be better— just to be able to be in the same room with other people who hold dominant identities. I think some of the transferred into this discipline, and so I recognize it is a push-pull for which I continually try to recognize where I am and what I truly aim to do. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.angelfallscreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/angelfallscreative/?ref=pages_you_manage
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/angelfallscreative/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelfallcreate
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChNNPx9qZQ9x6TgQ0MX3upw
- Other: https://vero.co/angelfallscreative