Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria A, Achutegui.
Gloria A, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born in Riverside CA. When I was about two years old I moved to Rosarito, a small beach town in Baja California where I attended kindergarten and elementary. At the age of eleven I moved to Hemet, CA where I attended middle school and high school. I decided to take a photography class my freshman year of high school, that’s where I was introduced to my very first DSLR camera, it was a canon EOS Rebel T6.
Photography changed my perspective in life and changed my views on what I considered art. As a young adult who was learning a new language and beginning to experience a new country, I saw photography as a way of discovering myself and expressing myself in ways that I couldn’t do with words. Photography helped me make my transition from one country to another very smoothly. After high school I got accepted to CSUSM and moved to San Marcos, CA.
My first year there I began to take photography seriously. It was not just a hobby anymore, but a way of living and a way of thinking. I remember always trying to capture the best shots and taking my camera everywhere I went. My Junior year I decided to start sharing my work with the pubic. I went out of my comfort zone and started what I call now “Achutegui Productions”. Now that I graduated with a bachelors in Communication and a minor in Arts & Tech I look forward to incorporate photography into my career and continue to grow as an artist.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I do photography and videography. I’ve always loved the concept of photography. Having the ability to freeze a moment in time and keep it forever has always been fascinating to me. I currently use a canon EOS 5D, and mostly like to focus on portraits. I strive to capture the essence and personality of the person I’m photographing. I think being able to show someone what your eyes perceive them as is fascinating and opens up a whole new level of interaction. When the camera becomes your eyes, your vision becomes the art.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
I believe that being able to make someone feel “pretty” or just show them a different perspective of themselves and things around them is a very rewarding feeling and I think that’s how I define my success when it comes to photography. Sometimes are not about materialistic things or making lots of money. It’s about making an impact, changing perspective, opening minds, inviting others to shift their perception.
As an artist I think the main characteristic to have if you want to be successful is being open minded. You have to constantly be willing to consider new ideas in order to keep growing. I think also, understanding that the presence of another talent is not an absence of our own. Often times artist tends to judge themselves very harshly or compare their work to the one of others and that discourages, and affects the progress. Important characteristic to have in order to be successful is to observe without judging.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My photography can be found in my Instagram: achuteguiproductions. That’s where I post my best shots. People can always support my art by sharing, commenting, liking and interacting with the page and its content. As a growing artist I’m always looking for feedback so anyone can feel free to send me a message with questions, advice, tips, concerns, ideas, etc.
Contact Info:
- Email: achuteguiproductions@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achuteguiproductions/
Image Credit:
Ricardo Arriaga
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
