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

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

As a photographer that has worked as an In-House creative for some of the largest multi-billion dollar corporations, I have for sure seen a lot that I necessarily do not agree with when it comes to In-House Studios. Many of these corporations that do decide to create a photo/video studio have very little knowledge as to what goes into creating these marketing investments. Because there is a lack of knowledge as to what goes into making a photo or video, the expectancy is to large to maintain. There were weeks I was working 60+ hours shooting images, creating gifs, retouching, producing, and conceptualizing while being a salaried employee and still feeling like I was never creating quality work. Corporations need to realize that they are hiring people and not robots. While the demand is incredibly high for “Content”, the everyday consumer wants impactful and meaningful images. They want to connect with the brands, they want to feel a part of their stories. Corporations need to value their employees and take time to create quality work over quantity.

Lisa, 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?

I have always found myself being pulled to photography and cameras. At a really young age, my mom would buy me disposable cameras that I would take to sleepovers or to my friend’s house to take pictures of ourselves. I was really into scrapbooking and I would make these elaborate scrapbooks of memories. They were filled with photos, tickets, concert tickets, and even wrappers if we ate a snack. Anything that would bring me back to that memory and cherish it.

Then Myspace became a thing and suddenly I was stealing my mom’s Digital Kodak Camera every chance I had to take “Emo” mirror selfies. I started using photography more as a self of expression or a means to cope with a lot of teenage feelings and angst I had lol.

It wasn’t until I was at community college in my hometown that I really debated what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Photography kept popping back in and I thought. why not? I packed my belongings, moved from New York to Texas, and did the damn thing.

I have been in the photo industry now for a little over 7 years. The majority of my photography career has been in corporate America; such clients like Wet N’ Wild Cosmetics and Chewy.com. In 2021, I decided to jump into freelance photography which has been incredibly rewarding for the last 2 years. I’m not only a photographer, but I also retouch, produce, and offer creative direction for clients. I love engaging with clients and or businesses to understand what the image I am making is for. Are they headshots for your new business or are you releasing a new product that you’re trying to engage people with? I love knowing the psychology behind why consumers consume. I enjoy creating images where it takes the viewer and either bring them back to an old memory of theirs or create a feeling. We are bombarded with images and videos every day now. It’s so easy to get looped into an endless scroll on social media, but if I can make the viewer stop to really analyze an image or make them want to understand what the product or person is there for. I feel I have successfully done my job.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

This is probably going to sound cheesy, but I looooove cheese. Getting to wake up and know that people or businesses want to work with me because they love my art. While I love my art and some would say “shouldn’t that be enough”, I mean duh, of course. But knowing that other people value it as much as I do and trust me to take their photos. The freedom I have to shoot with a business owner creating CBD gummies to taking headshots of another person writing their first book. I get to be a part of some big moments with these people. I love to celebrate them and their victories and they celebrate mine.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was graduating from College in Texas. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. For a lot of my life, I felt like was planned for me. I grew up in New York and decided to go to college in Texas cause my family said they wanted to move there. Well, my family never made it to Texas and I was terrified that if I went back home to New York, I wouldn’t try to push myself in my career to be a photographer. So like any other impulsive and slightly irrational person, I packed my belongings (which were my photography equipment and my clothes) and moved to Los Angeles. No job, no family or friends, and nowhere to live. I have $1,000 dollars in my savings and literally did the damn thing. It was one of the most fulfilling, loneliest, soul-searching thing’s I ever did but I was so grateful to have done it. I made so many friends and connected with so many people. I pushed myself and jumped at every opportunity that was thrown at me. Moving to LA really defined who I was as a person and I loved every second of that impulsive decision.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leemulls.com
• Instagram: leemulls
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-muller

Image Credits
Stylists: Audrey Davis, Lauren Colon & Stephanie James Art Directors: Nicole Broadhurst & Shea Salisbury Models: Sequoyah Johnson, Gaby Martinez & Madison Lloyd Agency: Wonderkind Co Clients: Chewy.com, Beatnik Fine Goods, Daysie, Fond, Halfdays, Madre Mezcal