Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Noel Medina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Noel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

Over the past three decades I have had the great pleasure to work with people of all sorts. That is key in being a successful photographer. It is also important to take risks and learn from mistakes. Craziest wedding that I ever shot was at Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma. The wind was wild. It was so windy that we almost lost the bridal arch at the ceremony. In the end, the images did turn out amazing!! Workflow is also super important. It is vital to exceed expectations of your clients. Stick to a realistic timeline and deliver images that are the very best of the best.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The only class I ever failed was photography. True story. I have been a creative since I was 11 years old. At a young age, I was taught discipline on the stage. Musical Theater was my passion. I attended the first two years at CoSA (Coronado School of the Arts) – a thriving creative arts school within a school at Coronado High. After college, I embarked on a twenty-four year career in dentistry. When I was a newly single momma of three young children, I wanted a creative outlet that would challenge me and to make a little extra money on the side.

My first shoot that I actually got paid, was for a family that I knew in the practice that I worked at. The mom approached me and asked if I would take some pics of her three children. I gladly accepted the challenge. We met at OB Pier and I shot away for about 45 minutes. The images turned out cheerful and vibrant! Forward ten years, I have shot over 40K images.

Everything that I learned about photography is from the internet. I am 100% self-taught. Google and Youtube were my greatest professors. I was able to watch tutorials from professionals that ranged from work-flow, editing, branding, social media and defining one’s true style. Natural light is my specialty. Almost every project that I’ve shot has been outdoors. Beach weddings can be a challenge and unpredictable. From the sun, sand, wind, clouds, beach goers, etc. – having a strong skillset is super important to execute amazing images. Fortunately, living in San Diego, we are lucky enough to have year-round glorious weather.

A very proud accomplished was getting one of my weddings published in Cosplay Culture Magazine. It was a beach super-hero wedding. The bride was Harley Quinn and the groom was the Joker. Every single guest was dressed up as super-hero characters! The wedding was at the jetty in Imperial Beach! It was an ABSOLUTE BLAST!!! Never in my life could I imagine that not only I shot a super-hero wedding, but to also have it published in a international magazine was WILD!!

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is creating memories. There is nothing better than seeing/hearing the reactions of your clients when you send them their sneak-peeks and their final edits. Receiving great reviews is an added bonus. There is no better way to grow your business then from positive reviews!!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Photography is a unique craft. I have found that true success boils down to accepting challenges. The best way to grow is to learn from mistakes. Looking back on images in my “early”‘ days of photography – I continue to critique every photo! From an uneven horizon in the background, to not enough lighting on the faces of your subjects. Over time, the skills that I now have (and continuously learning) , are truly from gaining knowledge from my rookie mistakes as a new photographer.

Another tough lesson I learned, was regarding timely editing. There was a wedding that I shot in my early days, when I was majorly delayed with my edits. At the time, I was having some personal challenges and was weeks behind with a certain project. The groom threatened to give me a negative review. I was was able to finish the edits and refunded him. In the end, the bride and groom loved all of the final images.

Regardless of personal circumstances, it is vital to exceed the expectations of every client.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://noelmedinaphotosd.smugmug.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noelmedinaphoto?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RNMedinaPhotography

Image Credits
Noel Medina