We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julian Garcia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julian, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken in my life was quitting a job because I had to chase my dreams. At the time, I had no money, I was heavily in debt, and I was entering an incredibly competitive field where no one knew me, and I didn’t have much of a portfolio to prove my abilities. It was a reckless decision, but I had reached a breaking point—I was tired of not doing what I truly wanted.

I had always envisioned a completely different life for myself, one where I could follow my passions and work toward the goals I had set for myself from the beginning. Despite the uncertainty and fear, I knew I couldn’t stay where I was. Leaving behind the security of a steady paycheck and diving headfirst into the unknown was terrifying, but it felt necessary. It was a leap of faith, not just in my dreams, but in myself. Looking back, it was a defining moment that shaped who I am today. Sometimes, we just need to take a littlest risk, to see our full potential

Julian, 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?

The way I got into the industry was, honestly, a bit comical. I used to own a Blackmagic 6K Pro, which I primarily used to create content for myself just for fun. One of my brothers is a music producer with some recognition in the industry, and one day he mentioned they were shooting a music video at the beach. He suggested I come along to film some behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage, so I did.

I spent the day filming alternate takes of the shoot and capturing random moments here and there. The next day, the artist who was featured in the music video asked me for the footage I’d recorded. I shared everything with him, and that same night, he stayed up watching it all. Early the next morning, he woke me up to tell me that they were planning to use my footage for the actual music video. Apparently, the shots I captured were not only more creative but also better executed than the ones the original director had taken. That’s pretty much how I found myself introduced to the industry.

From there, opportunities just started to come my way as I began to make a name for myself. However, I didn’t stay in music video production for long. The industry was overly saturated, and making a sustainable income was challenging since not everyone was willing to pay what the work was worth. After some time, I decided to step away from it completely.

Eventually, I found my way back, but this time through photography. I started creating content on my own, purely for fun. Surprisingly, that’s when opportunities started popping up again, and slowly but surely, I turned it into what I do today. Looking back, it’s been a journey of trial, error, and persistence, but every step taught me something valuable. Discipline is a very important thing in this industry, because if you don’t have that, you wont last long.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, absolutely. I believe we all have a mission we want to achieve—because what would be the point of all this if we didn’t have a purpose or a goal? While many of the projects I work on come from a deep love and respect for photography as an art form, there’s also the practical reality of needing to pay the bills. That said, one of my key missions is to see my work displayed in galleries, where people can connect with and purchase the art in a more personal and unique way.

Beyond that, one of my personal goals has always been to create an image so authentic and powerful that it earns me the title of Photographer of the Year. Another dream of mine is to work with a renowned magazine and travel the world capturing breathtaking photos of diverse people, places, and cultures. It’s the kind of work that inspires me, much like the photographer in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty—someone whose lens captures the beauty and complexity of the world in a way that leaves a lasting impact.

For me, photography is more than just a profession; it’s a way to tell stories, spark emotions, and preserve moments that might otherwise be forgotten. It’s this passion, combined with these ambitions, that keeps me moving forward.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building my audience on social media was a mix of passion, consistency, and learning to adapt. It started out as a way for me to share my work and connect with others, but I quickly realized that it needed more strategy to truly grow. At first, I posted whatever I felt inspired by without much thought about my audience. But over time, I started to pay attention to what resonated most with people whether it was a certain style, theme, or type of content and I leaned into that.

I also focused heavily on engagement. It’s not just about posting your work; it’s about building relationships. I made it a point to interact with my followers, respond to comments, and even engage with other creators’ work. Authenticity plays a huge role in creating a loyal community. Important too, consistency is key in building a community

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.notjuliangil.com/
• Instagram: notjuliangil
• Facebook: Julian Garcia
• Twitter: notjuliangil
• Youtube: notjuliangil

Image Credits

Paradize, Jeremy Garcia, Brenda Aliendro, Xedrick Olmo