Featured Contributor: Chuck Espinoza
L.A. based photographer Chuck Espinoza is a lover of life, of kinship and of storytelling. His adoration for his family and playful outlook on life is demonstrated throughout his work, both personal and commercial.
His ability to manipulate light to create stories without the use of a single word is truly unparalleled. There is an almost enchanted quality to many of his works, cultivating a magnificence and aesthetic element that exceeds the beauty of his subject alone. In all of his portraiture, the level of comfort, trust and ease his subjects feel while in his presence radiates through their body language, adding a captured spark. Short of assisting one photographer and enrolling in one UCLA extension course, everything Espinoza knows about photography is self-taught.
Relying on his own artistic inclinations and instincts, while absorbing the vast world of photography and virtually acting as his own mentor has allowed him to foster a wonderfully unique style incapable of being pre-packaged and mass-produced. Specializing in portraiture, Espinoza holds a wonderfully polished, light-drenched quality in much of his work. And while his Instagram account is chock-full of gorgeous women, there is a certain down-to-earth, pragmatic and fun-loving character trait to Espinoza that makes you feel like you’ve known him your whole life.
I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Espinoza regarding his shift from corporate banking to freelance photography, his daily source of inspiration and his advice for others seeking to make that same leap from corporate to creative.
You wrote on your website that you used to be an analyst at an investment bank and now you do what you love. What caused that internal shift within you? What led you to pursuing your passion full-time?
Photography was a passion of mine when I was a kid. I started shooting my friends and our skateboarding antics. That interest faded in high school when I drifted away from skateboarding. While I was working as an analyst I took a black and white photo/printing class at UCLA extension that sparked my interest again (1999). I started shooting for fun and once again it became a great outlet for me. In 2002, while still working at the bank, I wrote a business plan that warranted a 75% increase in my salary. After the novelty of the raise wore off, I realized that there was no amount of money that would make me enjoy the work I was doing. In the summer of 2002, I started to look for a way to leave investment banking. While trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, a trusted mentor asked me what I would be willing to do at 4AM without getting paid. The answer was photography.
Before I left the bank I started interviewing photographers to learn more about what they did on a daily basis and to see if I could line up a job assisting. Every photographer I spoke with told me not to quit my job to pursue photography. A few months later I got laid off and left with a severance package that gave me the freedom to explore and learn photography. One of those photographers I interviewed eventually hired me as a PA and then eventually as a photo assistant. The assisting route didn’t prove very fruitful and I found myself getting work as a set dresser/prop stylist on TV commercials and large still shoots. This allowed me to earn a living, buy equipment and learn how to shoot.
From where do you source your daily inspiration?
Daily inspiration often comes from Instagram. Sometimes it’s a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. I love seeing new and creative work and it’s a quick and easy source for that. I love following the trail or breadcrumbs that can lead from one photographer to another to a company creating cool work, to up-and-coming photographers who live in another country. I’ve purchased fine art prints and a photographer’s self-published book through Instagram. I find it a curse because often I see the same photos shot by different people. I see a lot of people shooting with the goal of likes and followers, which often leave me feeling flat and bored. I’m still a subscriber to a lot of magazines that I enjoy and want to shoot for. Interview, Esquire, GQ, Fast Company, Inc, Vanity Fair. I love seeing what editorial photographers are shooting.
What advice do you have for others who have put their passions aside to follow steady full time jobs?
My advice to those that have put their passions aside to follow steady jobs is to not let their passion slip away. I learned the lesson that money doesn’t buy me happiness or fulfillment. I think that lesson is something that has to be experienced first hand. Having a passion, whether it generates income or not, keeps me sane. i’ve also learned that there are a lot of jobs in and around the industry that allow people to stay close to their passion while making a living.
What advice do you have for other creatives that want to make the jump to leave their full-time jobs to pursue their passion?
My advice to any creative with the hopes of making a living is to go out and do it and do a lot of it. I am constantly shooting new ideas, new people, testing equipment or experimenting for the fun of it (hence the double exposure and fire shots).
That’s the reason I got back into photography; it was fun. I’ve learned both in my business and photography careers that in order to keep both my skill and interest alive, I have be immersed in the craft. Just like any top-level athlete who practices all the time, I’ve found I need to practice all the time.
What does photography mean to you?
Photography is my outlet. It keeps me grounded, motivated and inspired. Without it I get cranky.
To see more of Chuck’s work, visit his site and his Instagram.