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

Alright, Pedro thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

I would say it is being consistent with the amount of clients one gets per month. Some months work is overwhelming while others can be slow so finding and booking jobs throughout the year is crucial to have a profit in photography. Luckily, I don’t just focus on one type of photography but I try to work in various different industries with each one requiring different skills. I shoot portraits, concerts, landscapes, food and drink, weddings, and products. Because of this, I am able to obtain more job opportunities depending on the field. If wedding season is slow, I can rely on food and drink photography for profits. If that is slow, I can offer sales on portraits or family pictures depending on upcoming holidays. This is why I think it is crucial to always strive to learn. There is always room for improvement. Even if you think you are good at what you do, there will always be room for improvement and that is one key component in photography. Network with different photographers and you can learn a lot of new techniques. Never think you are better than someone else even if you might be. And most importantly, you must be likable and humble in this industry.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello everyone! My name is Pedro Torres and I am a freelance photographer in San Diego/Tijuana working in various industries such as weddings, portraits, concerts, food/drink, product, and travel photography to name a few.

I first began to work in photography 5 years ago when I got a job at a social media agency “Inova Think Smart,” now know as “Inovatory.” I graduated UCSD with a major in Communications and a minor in Film Studies back in 2017 and then began an internship writing content for different businesses and their social media accounts. This is where I first began to take photography on a more serious level. I had taken a couple of photography classes at UCSD but most of what I know I learned on my own watching Youtube or reading articles regarding aperture, ISO, shutter speeds, and how to work a camera depending on the type of shoot you were doing. Looking back at my first pictures, I can see how much I improved and there’s always room for more improvement.

My goal in this industry is to become widely known and to own my own studio hopefully in the foreseeable future. I have started to work with more and more local businesses in the San Diego and Tijuana area and past clients recommend me for portraits, weddings and other events. I have also had the privilege to shoot concerts and artists and hopefully this will continue this year. I have a lot of upcoming projects in mind so follow my Instagram @pedrotorresphotography!

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

My social media is still relatively small. But not as small as when I first started. I remember starting my social media account asking for friends and family to support and follow me. Right off the bat, I was excited when just with friends and family I reached 100 followers. I think the best way to increase social media is to constantly post. Not just that, but post genuine content that you are passionate about. When you are passionate and actually have good work, people notice. And that is when you get followers. I remember shooting a music festival in Chicago and being excited about getting to post all these artists. I would post daily and the feedback I received was amazing. I was getting followers each day. Not only that, but I would get a lot of engagement and that is crucial in social media. But because I focus on a lot of different things, it also backfires at times. I’ve had clients look at my Instagram and only see concert pictures and they become nervous about booking me for weddings or other events. I still have to find the right balance for each type of photography I do and continue building an audience. Perhaps creating various accounts might work. But it is always a learning process.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A couple months ago I received terrible news about a photography event I was covering. Trying to fix the issue as quickly as possible, I made some decisions that weren’t perfectly thought out and unfortunately I lost a job because of it. Ultimately, I tried to make amends with everyone but it wasn’t perceived that way and it’s understandable. Not everyone will understand your intentions. I was disappointed in myself after that and kept trying to make amends. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out. But as cliche as it sounds, when one door closes another one opens up. I had to continue and keep working hard. And others took notice and gave me other opportunities. Now we have a lot of upcoming goals and projects this new year. So regardless of what happens good or bad, you can never give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pedrotorresphotography.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/pedrotorresphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pedrotorresmedia
• Other: https://pedrotorresphotography.pic-time.com/portfolio

Image Credits
Pedro Torres Photography