Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Rincon.
Hi Paola, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Towards the end of 2020, my family and I would go out and play sports or play games together to get out the house. I had noticed that we didn’t have any pictures of our family events so it sparked a desire in me to be the one to capture the memories we were making. So, I started out as a volunteer photographer for my church, Discover Life Church ATL, sometime in early 2021.
I saw an opportunity to learn more about photography in a sort of risk-free environment so I took it. When I say risk-free I mean that I didn’t need to buy a camera or take any classes in order to be part of a creative tech team and learn. So if I wasn’t any good at taking the photos then the worst that would happen is that my photos wouldn’t be used in the church’s media. After a couple of weeks of learning the basics of photography, I was completely hooked. I felt like a kid learning to ride a bike for the first time and was so excited to get out on my own and try out different photography styles. So I hopped on Facebook Marketplace and invested in two affordable beginner cameras being a Nikon and a Canon. They were older models but they gave me the freedom to explore how I wanted to take pictures and what I wanted to take pictures of. I eventually sold my Nikon and chose to stick with Canon cameras. Then in 2022 I really took off in wanting to build my portfolio and take on some photography projects outside of my family and church. That is where I currently am; I want to help others capture memories they are making and help them find the beauty in the world around them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, I struggled to fight for and believe in my own dream. Coming from a family that greatly values higher education in noble pursuits such as law, medicine, or engineering I struggled with getting their support in making photography more of a career than a hobby. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree that would’ve led me into medicine but I didn’t find any joy or creativity or purpose in that field. A photography career to my family didn’t seem as a stable life for me and they didn’t want to see me struggle financially in life. I come from an immigrant family that worked really hard and sacrificed a lot to be in the US. So growing up my generation of family members was taught to honor the sacrifices that were made for us and were pushed to choose careers that would guarantee us “easier” lives.
Unfortunately, creative fields weren’t seen as “easier” life careers, they were seen to be poor-paying careers. So in that mindset, I had a hard time validating my passion in photography without the support of my loved ones and not feeling like I was wasting their sacrifices. It was my older cousin who did pursue a creative career in the music industry that helped empower me to pursue my passion in photography. My family does support me more than they did initially but I do continue to have to push past their old mindset which has caused me to grow in my fight and belief for my passion. I also struggle with imposter syndrome as most creatives do, in not thinking my photos are any good or value. That is a struggle I just have to push through not allowing it to stop me from continuing to express myself and better my photography.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a photographer, I specialize in documentary-style photography (candid photos). I choose to focus on capturing memories as they happen. Yes, I do a structure or posed photoshoots but prefer to capture moments as they happen. I am most proud of the conversations I have with clients after they have viewed the photos I have sent them and they can remember exactly what happened in that photo. I am proud that I can help my clients instantly remember moments in their life that they had me photograph. What sets me apart from others is my ability to integrate myself into the environment I’m photographing. As well as my timing when it comes to knowing when to become more interactive or less interactive in the environment.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe risks are inevitable in life especially when you are pursuing a passion. Therefore, I welcome risks even if I have anxiety when it comes to leaving comfort and entering into an unknown. I believe there is a beauty to taking risks we just have to have the openness to find or see it. The beauty being we get to find out how resilient we are or aren’t, how we creative we can get. I haven’t had to take any major risks yet but I am sure as I continue to pursue my passion I will come across a few.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/concealedmatter/
