Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Perez
Hi Adrian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My older sister was actually my first exposure to photography. She was into photography at a young age. When she was in highschool, she ended up landing this internship with the Boston Globe. She got flown out to Arizona to cover the stop-and-frisk issue at the border of Arizona and Mexico. That was crazy to me, you know? We’re from Brownsville, Texas, from what my mom would call a humble family. My sister getting those opportunities and going places with her photography, that was a big deal to me. I didn’t really think that was possible for people like us. She showed me otherwise, and that had a big impact on me.
Growing up in Brownsville can be rough depending where you live. Despite having someone to look up to, I still found myself in some chaotic environments. However, through all that chaos and with the help of one of my highschool art teachers, Mr. Burns, I learned to lean into my creativity. I dabbled in painting and street art, and I pulled a lot of inspiration from skateboarding and surfing. Photography didn’t come till later in life.
With some encouragement from my father and my art teacher, I ended up going to art school in Austin to make a better life for myself. That didn’t last very long. Art school was expensive and so was living in Austin, which meant I eventually had to drop out. I didn’t want to give up on myself, so did everything I could to stay in Austin. I even couch-surfed for a year or so till I was able to get a job. Living paycheck to paycheck, my life wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t afford anything beyond rent and food.
Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity. That’s what I got when a friend’s roommate literally threw a camera in my lap and said, “do something with your life.” I took that to heart. My friend and I started filming right away, with plans to start some sort of interview series. Neither of us had a computer, so I asked his roommate If I could use his computer to edit what we were filming. I got the go-ahead, and the next few weeks I taught myself Premier and spent every night editing from 12am when I get off work till sometimes 6am. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was all in. Soon enough my bud’s roommate noticed, and asked if I wanted an internship with a production company he was working for. I jumped at the opportunity. It changed everything for me.
That internship eventually led to me getting a job at this other company as a videographer and editor. It was around this time my photography journey really started. I had been working for this company for around a year/year and a half. One day I got called into the marketing director’s office and was told that they had cut ties with a contracted product photographer and I was going to be taking over that role in addition to my normal job.
I started spending a lot of time in the studio learning how to use flash units and bounce cards to manipulate light. I got a lot of good experience and really enjoyed it for a while, but balancing the video shoots, editing, and product photography started to really take a toll on me. I was spending all my time at work and had almost no social life.
Eventually burnout hit me. I got to a place where I would not pick up a camera unless I was getting paid. I didn’t even want to look at a camera if I didn’t have to.
Then everything came to a screeching halt. In 2018, my dad had a massive stroke and fell into a coma. I started using a lot of PTO to travel to Brownsville to be with my family and ended up losing my job. In May of 2019, my dad passed away. That really shook me. To this day, it’s the hardest thing I’ve been through. Getting back on my feet was rough.
Ultimately, I realized I needed to stop taking things for granted and do the things that I was once passionate about again.
A few trips and a couple of photos later, here I am. I got a job that has creative aspects to it but isn’t connected to photography, which I think I’ve needed this whole time. Now I can afford to travel a little and I’m taking photos for myself. That’s really helped me explore photography without outside pressure, which has pushed my growth so much further and faster than I could have expected.
It’s been a long road and I’m definitely still figuring things out, but I think I’m in a good place right now.
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?
Definitely not. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money. As a result, I was never really taught how to manage money, so a large portion of my 20’s I spent just scraping by. There were definitely days where I needed to make strategic food choices if I was going to get through the week.
These days, my situation isn’t nearly as dire. I wish I could say all I do is shoot photos all day, but that just isn’t the case. There are weeks where I don’t pick up a camera. It can be challenging trying to balance a career and big life events with my passion for photography.
On the other hand, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the pressure of needing to become an influencer. These days it seems like you almost have to be an influencer to have any kind of success as a photographer. I don’t know If I’m cut out for all that. I’m sure my anxiety plays a role in this, but most days I’d prefer to just be a fly on the wall. I’ve always been the person behind the lens, not the person in front of it.
It doesn’t help that I’m somewhat a perfectionist, my own biggest critic. But as I get older, I’m starting to let go of those insecurities and embrace the roll-of-a-dice that is life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a photographer based in Austin Texas. If I had to pick what I specialize in I’d have to say slice-of-life photography. Some might consider it “street photography,” but I’m not convinced. I think street photography as a term gets thrown around a lot, and I don’t think that fully describes my style.
What am I most proud of? I’m proud to be back in photography and loving it. I’m proud that I get to plan trips with my fiance and go on photography adventures.
What sets me apart? It’s hard to say..I think like any other artist, the style I’ve been developing is what sets me apart. Maybe in the future I’d be able to give you a more defined answer. Till then, I’ll keep exploring photography and see where it takes me.
What makes you happy?
As a photographer, what makes me happy is seeing and experiencing new things. Sometimes taking the photo doesn’t even matter as much as getting to see something different, experience something different. That’s what makes me happiest. A close second is capturing a good moment in time or place that means something to the community.
I took this photo of Barton Springs, and I call it the “soul of the city.” There’s a lot of history there, and it’s a beautiful place. There’s this diving board in the center of the spring where the water is deepest. You’ll often see a line of people waiting to dive, people watching and cheering for the divers. It’s great, it’s easily one of my favorite places in the city. It’s cool to see the different generations of Austinites all in one historic place. I really wanted to capture that.
That can be tricky at times. Sometimes I have an idea, I get on location and look through the viewfinder, and I can see a shot- but it’s missing something. You gotta be patient and wait for that missing piece to come into frame. Then it happens: it all lines up, and BAM you got it. That’s what it’s all about.. snapping a photo of a place that means something to you – being able to convey how you see and experience that place. That’s a great feeling.
Pricing:
- I currently have prints available for sale on my website, and I hope to one day have prints and postcards of my work available for sale in a store. For updates or requests, hit me up on my Instagram or my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vulturesandpigeons.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vultures_n_pigeons/
Image Credits
All photos: Adrian Perez
