Josue Lopez Ayona, Contributor

As an Afro-Mexicano, I believe that the aesthetic side of my photography shows a new generation of photography for the Latinx community. Not many Latinx photographers play around with editing programs or angles–many of them are a bit older than us. Growing up and going to parties, I would usually see Latinx families rely on retail photography or a professional who’s usually not Latinx to get a “perfect” shot. I am a self-taught photographer. I started using a phone for photography and then went off to borrow my friends’ DSLRs to experiment with different lenses and settings. I am still learning as I go, of course. I go through minor hiatuses, but once I pick it up again, I feel like I have a new aesthetic view for my lens. This summer, I did my first shoot for my sister’s Quinceñera, and I have found myself loving the idea of giving people a chance to get a taste of my potential for an affordable price so that I can improve myself as I keep growing. The better I feel about my shots, the more value they will have. Many have told me to raise my prices, but as an artist, I only see higher value when I see growth in my edits.

This article was originally published in the September 27, 2019 issue.