An Inspired Chat with Hector Muñoz of Downtown

Hector Muñoz shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hector, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. When was the last time you felt true joy?
I am a huge fan of Coldplay. I have been since I was in middle school and this year back in July I had the chance to go to one of their concerts in Nashville, TN with some friends. The pure joy and nostalgia I felt being able to experience a band live that I grew up listening to was something surreal. What mad it even better was the fact that we had VIP tickets and we got to stand right next to one of the smaller more intimate stages so me and my friends were about 15 feet away from the band memebers.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hector Muñoz and I am a product photographer currently based in Atlanta. I have been doing photography since 2018 and I started out doing events at local music venues and also portraits. Now I have pivoted towards product and more commercial photography for about 4 years. I love being able to incorporate creative aspects into my work, so messing around with lines, patterns, shadows, composition and also props are some of my favorite things to use. I have my own home studio setup with various lights and different kinds of backdrops and props so taking the time to work on my craft and also work on personal projects is something I can do at any time.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My now fiancée. She is someone who has seen me during my lowest lows and has also been supportive of my endeavors since the very beginning of our relationship. Trying to do something like grow your own photography business, which no one in my family has ever done so I have felt very stuck many times, is extremely hard yet she is always supportive of me and sees the love I have for my craft.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I believe that everyone goes through those trails and tribulations of not knowing what to do or feeling like they may have to throw in the towel. Honestly I feel like as a photographer you feel it all the time especially in the beginning. You feel like your business is not growing or that people have moved on to other photographers or you feel like your work isn’t good enough. Even when work is good there comes a time when things start to slow down or even to a halt all together. Those moments are hard. I honestly still get those moments event times when you may feel burnt out. Despite that though what helps me to keep going is remembering that it is the only thing I could ever imagine myself doing. When I close my eyes and think about what my future would look like it would consist of a camera in one hand and a the keys to my own physical studio in the other.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
While I don’t rely on a specific person, I find myself drawn to the ideas presented on a particular website. That website being Pinterest. I feel like Pinterest is just an endless pool of creativity. Creating mood boards and finding that “ah ha!” photo for your photo shoot idea is really gold. I love using it to help me when I might feel stuck on an idea or don’t want to be too repetitive with my work. I personally don’t try to mimic the idea entirely if anything I like to use it purely for inspiration and tweak things to fit more of my style.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at piece mostly during morning time when I’m at home with my fiancée on the weekend and I have a big cup of coffee and a comic book or my Nintendo switch in my hand

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hlmrphotography.wixsite.com/hlmr
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hlmrphoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-munoz-rosales-886231152?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BPVDgFPH%2BSdev4Kux12gJuw%3D%3D