Rising Stars: Meet Robert Gonzales

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Gonzales. 

Hi Robert, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Hello everyone, my name is Robert Gonzales and I’d like to share with you the story of how I began messing around with photography about a decade ago. At the time I had a Canon T4i and wasn’t too sure what I was doing nor what I was going for. As the progression of technology came about, I stopped working with my Canon and began using my phone purely for the convenience. Even if I was sacrificing quality, the convenience really got me enveloped into photography so much more than I had been in previous years. Fast forward to 2020 when the pandemic hit, and I got furloughed, that’s when I decided to dive headfirst into my photography dreams. Having that time off of work while being able to save money, I ended up purchasing a Sony a6400 and from there I took it with me everywhere! For being such a small camera, it has a lot of capability and actually helped me land a full-time career outside of my own personal photography work. I’m currently running a Sony A7Rii as my personal growth within the photography world continues and I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at today. I’ve gone from capturing little memories on my phone to exploring many avenues within the photography world including product photography, models, couples, restaurant/bar photography, event photography, and even have a wedding under my belt. I’m constantly trying to not only continue growing as a photographer but learn as much as I can while working with as many people as possible to further my love for the craft. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road to get me where I’m at now hasn’t been the easiest, though it has taught me a lot. When I officially started this journey, I was still working in the restaurant industry. The late nights, physical labor, pressure to always perform at your best really took up a lot of my time both literally and mentally. I struggled with wanting to pursue my photography passion while not letting down my restaurant crew. On top of this internal struggle, trying to work with unruly clients while still being so new to photography was a challenge all in itself. Though my roughest points are now behind me, they taught me a lot about myself, life, and what it means to follow your dreams to get to where you want to be. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m learning that to be a real successful photographer, you have to find a lane and stay in it, but that’s never been my style in any aspect of my life. I primarily specialize in street photography but have been able to adapt to mostly any situation, shoot or job with photography. As someone who’s covered mostly every avenue within photography, I’d like to say I’m proud of how I can make any session I’m involved in a nice, relaxed, and stress-free environment while being able to gather the maximum amount photographs for my clients. I’d like to believe what I’m known for and what sets me apart from others are the same thing and that would have to be my ability to really connect with my clients on a deeper level than just two people providing a service for one another. A big part of what I bring to the table is how I like to connect with who I’m working for no matter what kind of shoot I’ve been hired to do. I find that it usually helps your client, subject or model feel more comfortable with being themselves once you let down your professional wall and make the shoot more fun. 

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve come to learn thus far is that you’re not going to win them all and of course, I learned this the hard way. It was my first big paid gig a little over a year ago with a client who had a time-sensitive idea that I thought I could manage considering the (small) amount of success I’ve had recently. Sure enough, without fail, wires got crossed along with a few other uncontrollable variables I hadn’t foreseen happening and I blew the entire shoot. It didn’t matter how comfortable I made the subjects or how well I got along with everyone involved, what went wrong was all from myself not properly conveying my concerns with the shoot, but you know what they say, “hindsight is 20/20.” and even then, I won’t accept any of that as an excuse but treat it more so as a learning opportunity because you can’t expect to better yourself if you don’t learn from your mistakes. 

Contact Info:

• Email: robertchandlergonzales@gmail.com
• Website: www.rcgmedia.org
• Instagram: @rcg_media