Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Quiñones.
Sam, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Photography has always been something interesting to me. Colors, framing, and posing are all components of photos that have had me intrigued. A few weeks after I turned 16th I was able to scrape some money together that I got from some family as birthday gifts. I picked up a cheap camera body and a 50mm lens. After that, I just started shooting a ton. I asked friends to model for me, took grad photos for friends, and became the family photographer for holiday parties and birthdays. After I got more experience, friends started noticing the work that I shared on social media. Before I knew it, this side hobby started becoming a business that I could make a profit out of. A year after I bought my first camera, I was able to upgrade to newer and more professional gear to take my photos to a new level. I then started getting connected with wedding photographers to come alongside and second shoot with them. So I guess in answering the question, I am where I am today because of all the amazing people who gave me a shot at proving what I can do with a camera in hand.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. As with any type of artist, everyone experiences seasons of creative drought. For me, I find it hard to push myself out of my comfort zone in creative ways when I am getting paid by clients. I have this fear that my clients won’t appreciate the photos when they may not look like your stereotypical “normal” photos, and because of that, I often decide to play it safe. But despite all of this I have come to realize that I need to push through the doubts and have faith in my work.
Please tell us about your business.
I am a portrait and lifestyle photographer. I specialize in portraits but my goal is to primarily shoot weddings. I am proud of all I have achieved still being a teenager. I think that a lot of times I put myself down for not being as good as the people I look up to but then, I remind myself that because I am only 18 I have so much room for growth and will hopefully one day be even as good as my role models. I think what sets me aside is that I am since I am young, I have an eye for the current style that is popular and can differentiate with what is just a trend and what stylistic elements are timeless.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
For now, I intend to go to a four year university and study Mathematics. I hope to continue pursuing photography throughout college and after as well. Because the field is so competitive, I don’t think it would be the smart move to pursue photography full time for me personally. But, if I was allowed to pursue photography as a career, I would take it in a heartbeat.
Pricing:
- $150 for Individual Portrait Sessions
- $200 for Couple Portrait Sessions
- $250 for Family Portrait Sessions
- Weddings starting at $1000
Contact Info:
- Website: samquinonesphoto.com
- Phone: 6192048019
- Email: samuel.a.quinones@gmail.com
- Instagram: sam_quinones_
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