Today we’d like to introduce you to Sanchez Productions.
Hi Sanchez, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Ever since middle school, I always wanted to join the school news elective class. It looked like a low-key closed-door club, and I wanted to get in. I applied every year of middle school, and I didn’t get in once. I applied my first two years of high school and didn’t get it. I’m a spoiled only child so I’m used to getting what I want. Determined doesn’t describe the feeling of how bad I wanted to get in, I would’ve showed up to a teacher’s house if I had to.
I didn’t get into a school news class until I moved to Bonita high my junior year. I started out shooting little segments on campus than to following around the football team and recording their games throughout my remaining 2 years of high school. It wasn’t easy for me to make friends, and I was constantly thinking about what others thought of me. My solution was to hide behind a camera, there I felt like I was able to blend in.
At a time in my life with so much doubt and uncertainty surrounding college, my family, and most importantly myself, I found a form of purpose when I would record and edit. I finally had something to look forward to and something I was good at. I got a lot of praise and attention for what I was able to do with a when I committed myself. I liked the person I’d become with a camera in my hand, so I never put it down.
After I graduated high school a couple months later in July 2020 a friend of mine referred me to a local rap artist in El Cajon who needed pictures at a show. I started following him around San Diego taking photo and video from show to show. At these shows I was able to network with other local artists who liked my work and also needed a cameraman. I first started taking pictures when I got hired to get behind-the-scenes photos of a music video with shaddy 1 time, a music video videographer in San Diego who I coincidentally went to high school within Mira Mesa. Through these two connects I continued to shoot rap events until my work started to get recognized outside the rap scene into band shows, parties, formal events, etc.
Almost 3 years later and right now I’m shooting at a lot of concerts. A couple to name are stops of tours by artists like Fivio Foreign, Ohgeesy, Vacations, Don Toliver, and more. I plan on moving to LA to advance my career further than San Diego ever could. I’m currently inviting myself to parties in LA and showing these party promoters what they’re missing out on by not booking me. I will take over the party scene in LA, it’s only a matter of time. I see too many photographers in LA complacent with their position because they’ve haven’t had a real threat of getting subbed off by a bench player. I’m working hard to make a name for myself in this business and I know what I have to do.
One thing that’s stuck with me in this business is that there’s a lot of photographers, sometimes too many. In most cases it’s not what you know or what you can do, it’s who you know. Honestly, there’s not too many here in San Diego who can compete with me skill wise but there are a lot who can get more clients than me because of their connections. I started as someone who needed a camera to fit in, now I’m someone who is in but I’m not the best at being a sociable person. If you’re a creative that people want to be around, you’ll go further than someone who’s the best but can’t get along with people. Right now, I’m someone in between.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
One of the biggest struggles of being a freelancer photographer is getting paid. A lot of times people will reach out and ask me to cover an event but tell me I should do it for free. Then they mention how they have a friend or someone they know who can do it for free, however, the end product is always underwhelming. There’s to many photographers but sometimes that’s not a bad thing because their complacency shows in their work and makes me look even better.
Another hassle is having people steal your photos. Last Halloween I snuck into a party In LA. I posted my work from that night to show the event organizers why they should hire me. They took screenshots of my work and posted them without paying or tagging me. It sucks I had to report them and have Instagram take their page down in order for the organizers to finally listen to me and pay me. Trying to get sometimes feels like fighting against the current. You’ll never win the war but go onto every battle with a win on your mind and never settle. In LA, you need the mentality of fighting to the death for your place, or you’ll never get in
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer in south bay San Diego, that specializes in event photography. I’m known for editing my digital photos to look like film. I’m also known for directing my shoots into storyboards. A storyboard is a sequence of frames directors use to map out shots in a scene. I do it to tell a story through photos. I feel sometimes one photo can only hold so much context, so I add a common theme in a thread of photos to make it a story.
What I’m most proud of is being able to prove myself right. I’ve received a lot of criticism from family and even my own mother. I’ve had too many people fill my head with doubt. I’ve stayed true to what I feel is right in my career and because of that not only have I shot for big artists but for some of my favorite artists who I listen to only a daily basis. To be able to work with and get paid to listen to some of my favorite songs is unfathomable. Graduating from high school 2 years ago I didn’t know that this is what I was going to do for my career, but Im not surprised to be where I am.
There’s a couple things that set me apart from other photographers, but I’ll start with my mentality and persistence. Sometimes I see an interesting party / event in LA that I didn’t get hired to go to, and I show up right to the front door with no other backup plan. I make the trip knowing I’m gonna get in and take the best pictures there. Once I start thinking about my game plan and how I’m going to market my services inside the event, I don’t overthink what I’m gonna say to security so getting in seems easy to me. Every time I get super nervous but I’m able switch personas and let Sanchez take over. Then I’m relaxed, determined and most importantly I conduct myself like I belong there. I tell some lie about how I got hired to shoot and just like that I’m in. Most importantly, the takeaway is that I believe in myself but more so my skill. Michael Jordan was cocky for a reason, because he had great performances backed by determination and unrelenting persistence. My great portfolio is what allows me to walk in like I own the place because I do.
Another thing that sets me apart is that I’m willing to lose customers when they want free work. Most of these people who live and advertise the extravagant lifestyle are the people who are more likely to be reluctant to pay you. Too many people want free photos because of who they know or who they are. I’ll tell people like this that a tag on a post won’t pay for gas or food for my family. They reached out to me for a reason but then settle for their friend who happens to have a camera from 2003. Another thing is photographers willing to do work for free because of the artists’ status or another reason. At the end of the day, I’m glad because they only make me look better.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Music and books are what inspire me the most. Books help me create shots in my head that I wouldn’t have thought of beforehand. The descriptive nature of a scene in a book leads us to create our own reality of the scene in our heads. Books help wake up my imagination for me when I feel a little stuck on how to shoot. Music for me is the most important tool when it comes to inspiring me. My favorite type of music is about the birth and death of love. The feelings at the beginning and end of any relationship are always so extreme. For me, everything thing feels like it’s out of a movie, almost like I’m watching it happen. The type of songs are what inspire me the most. feelings of euphoria and joy are always contrasted by feelings of emptiness, confusion, and regret. When I feel that by listening to a sound, I close my eyes and wonder what those emotions look like. The epitome of these type of songs is Sunshine by Steve lacy, sinking by Clairo and it’s got to be you Los Retros. There’s where I get most inspiration for my work.
Pricing:
- 100$ for performance photos
- 300$ family portraits
- 450$ wedding photos
- 400$ music video
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sanchezzzproductions.wixsite.com/my-site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanchez_productions/
Image Credits
Jack Taylor
