Today we’d like to introduce you to Obed Lopez.
Hi Obed, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had an obsession with photography taking pictures of myself, my friends, my family and anything that I found interesting. It stopped after high school because well life can really life sometimes so I got to busy caught up with college, work and general adulthood activities. Fast forward some years later and I picked up a camera, a basic point and shoot and rediscovered my lost love for the art. So I invested into a better quality camera and started asking everyone I know about taking their photo. This blossomed into something I knew I would want to do full time and while I’m still finding my niche I love nothing more than capturing the moments and getting home to see it all come together. It’s even better when the people who were fortunate to be the muse of the day enjoys the final look of the photos as well. So I decided this will be what I invest my time into and I drew up a logo, got some more gear and have been pushing myself to get out and take more photos every day. I always say if you can find something you love great, and if you can make money while doing it even better. Though in all honesty if I could just do this for the rest of my life money or not I’d be happy. I have such a strong passion for it it’s like I can’t believe I nearly forgot all about it. I’m happy to have found my rhythm and really get to do something that I enjoy. I get to make art except the camera is my brush and the world is my canvas.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road at all but I will say it has gotten easier especially when you have friends and family supporting you in one way or another. One of the biggest hurdles for me was information overload. I would go in researching about equipment thinking about what I need to get or the next best thing to get to upgrade and I would have so many options and I had to realize that sometimes it’s not the equipment that makes or breaks you it’s the final product that you the creator provides with what you have. Just like with any other medium of art you can make the most stunning pieces with little to nothing. It just takes patience and practice. It’s hard not to fall down a rabbit hole of one website about these technique or another website for that technique, instead I would encourage my younger self to just go out and try one at a time, take parts of what works and leave out what doesn’t.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So I am a portrait photographer although I also do headshots and events. And then of course I like to capture nature and cityscape and really anything that I find visually appealing. I sometimes hold open shoots seasonally and am making plans for the spring time and summer. My winter shoot was great but I am not a fan of the cold so I’m definitely looking forward to the warmer weather for shoots. I would say I have a knack for turning my images into works of art and I always do my best to make each shoot an experience worth remembering. I want to make sure you feel confident and that confidence is seen through the lens.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I absolutely love Oh Shoot podcast by Cassidy Lynn and highly encourage reading books centered around anything that interest you even if just for the sake of your enjoyment. I like reading about philosophical ideas like stoicism and anything that encourages a positive state of mind. I believe if you think good and eat good you’ll feel good. I also follow other photographers and creatives including artists and poets to keep me in the loop of the beauty of art in its various forms.
Pricing:
- Portraits – $75
- Events – $75
- Headshots $75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://snappedbysiete.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: Instagram.com/sietesnaps
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me.
