We recently connected with Kevin Castillo and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin , thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

My journey began when I was six years old, I always loved to draw and paint. As I grew older and technology started to become a staple in my educational journey I transitioned to digital drawing. As I kept continuing my artistic journey I started to expand to other forms of art such as videos, photography, fashion and music. Photography was the one that stood out to me the most, I would dedicate the majority of my high school years mainly focusing on photography leaving drawing and the rest behind. My path didn’t start right then and there, I would take pictures of views and the few concerts I went to but always kept them to myself until I went college. I took a black and white film class during my third year and I mentioned to my professor that I took photos but mainly for myself and he asked to see them, he enjoyed seeing them and said to me that I had an eye for taking photos as well as saying that I should share them on my social media. Because of my professor he gave me the confidence to share my photos and also to pursue photography. As years passed I started to take photography serious but I still needed some help, I would take a course in college called capstone I and II where I would showcase my artwork in a shared gallery with other students. The idea was there but I still needed work until my professors who both taught the course in separate units guided me to make a website or name for these photos other than just myself, to make sort of this “alter ego” where I can pose these photos not just as in a personal setting but in a professional setting to showcase viewers my work. I already had a name in mind called GROMCE, GROMCE spelled in all caps is a streetwear brand I made during the end of my senior year in high school, I did design and sell some tees however it started to become time consuming especially once I got into college, my homework would get in my way in making more tees so I decided to pause it until I finished college. Once I shared this name to my professors they both insisted that I should use it for my photos and from there I would rework my logo design, website, and other minor things to use my brand name that I had originally used for my streetwear brand for my photos, I even made an Instagram also invested in cameras and equipment to help elevate my photos. Ever since then, photography has been my passion.

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 was born and raised in East Los Angeles to parents who Immigrated from Mexico, being raised in a Mexican household my parents always taught me about manners, staying out of trouble, pursue a career, and to always be the best version of myself. During my educational journey I struggled but with the help of my parents they always guided and supported me at my lowest and because of them I did my best at school, I ended up going to college and even graduated from Cal State LA being the first of my siblings to graduate from college. I majored in Animation for a year then I decided to switch to studio arts since it was open to any forms of art. I got into photography because I would see so many cool photos online from concerts, views, and other events it really inspired me. Like I mentioned before I would mainly keep the photos I took for myself but after a talk with my professor he encouraged me to give it a shot and from that moment on I decided to become a photographer. At the moment right now I don’t provide services because I want to master the equipment I have however I don’t mind collaborating with other people for example a photoshoot for their brand, car, show, etc. reason being is that I want to build up my portfolio and like I said earlier get familiar with the camera and equipment I have. One thing that sets me apart from other photographers is that I use old cameras, cameras from the late 90s to early 2000’s as well as using camcorders. I never came from money so I used cameras that my family had so they ended being hand down to me. I hope to one day get a professional camera but the more I think about it the cameras I use capture the aesthetic I want, The aesthetic of living in the moment, youth, and fun memories. Another thing that sets me apart is when I take pictures at a concert I take pictures of the crowd because for me it captures people living in the moment, it captures their true feelings expressing themselves through music and getting along with others. One thing I’m proud of is the way I’m constantly getting better and better with my editing, before I would take long time to edit but now I’m used to it and also try to have all my photos different. what I want my followers to know is that you don’t need expensive equipment to do the things you want, every artist that I look up to use what they are limited to and make amazing work, if they can then you can to.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

For me the best way to help support artists is to build galleries or have local art galleries let artists display their work. Nowadays many galleries are either private, ask for a professional portfolio, or are far away. Having local venues display their artwork for me is the best because you can see your own community come and support artists. Another thing that helps out are art events, I’ve been seeing a lot of well known local photographers or artists on instagram make these photo walks or galleries throughout Los Angeles helping upcoming artists showcase their work, for me this is really awesome because it gives me and others who want to showcase their work a chance to show people our art and make these connections with other people who also have these ideas to help others show work, It can eventually lead to other events that you can showcase more of your work.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew that I didn’t need expensive equipment to capture the best photos. If I were to know about this a couple of years ago I would’ve started my photography journey early. Before the cameras were handed down to me I would save money to buy a $500 to $800 camera but later decided to hold the money for the meantime and just tried my best to work with I got. My cousin who is also a photographer told me that you don’t need expensive stuff to do what you want. I remember asking him which camera would be best for concerts or to capture views and he said “Any camera is best, they each work on their own unique way. All you have to do is find the best settings and have a stiff hand and you’ll capture the best photos”. For me this gave me the confidence to use what I have and till this day I still use the cameras that were hand down to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gromce.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_gromce_/?hl=en

Image Credits

Image 1: GROMCE logo

Image 2: Tyler The Creator at Camp Flog Gnaw 2023

Image 3: Ken Carson Chaos Tour in Los Angeles at the Shrine Expo, 2024.

Image 4: Ch@os at Coachella Music Festival, 2024.

Image 5: Friends at Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape Tour in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum, 2023.

Image 6: Mosh pit at Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape Tour in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum, 2023.

Image 7: Mosh pit at Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus Tour in Los Angeles at Sofi , 2023

Image 8: Travis Scott performing during his Circus Maximus Tour in Los Angeles at Sofi, 2023

Photo credits to: GROMCE
More photos: https://gromce.myportfolio.com