Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Vargas.
Adrian, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born & raised in Corpus Christi, TX where I still reside to this day. Childhood was pretty “average” if that’s want you want to call it. I wasn’t the popular guy, nor was I a total “outcast,” but I fit in with certain niches within the schools I went to. I, at first, was a very talkative lad. Always was in trouble because of it, once high school came, I became really quiet & to myself. I didn’t have an identity. I didn’t have a sense of self when high school came. I felt I was just going with the flow with whatever happened. Once the years passed in high school & afterward into college, I really started to find my identity & develop a style.
I started to dabble in more music throughout the years during & after high school, accumulating a collection of CDs & Vinyl. I unfortunately still don’t know what I’d like to do as a career, so I haven’t exactly been focusing on my education right now. Which I understand is important, acquiring an education, but I’m hoping I figure it out & soon.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m an intermediate photographer who uses a Nikon D7100 & a variety of lenses to capture primarily landscapes & street photography. But I also do other types of photography such as concerts, portraits, & I’ve dabbled in wildlife. I wasn’t always into photography. Honestly, I wasn’t even aware of the basic BASIC properties of a camera, i.e., the body, lens, viewfinder, etc. some years back.
Throughout the years when I was younger, I always took art classes for the most part, but I never could quite get the hang of it — drawing, painting, molding, crafting, etc. Just never found the touch I felt I had. Once I was a sophomore in high school, I made an Instagram & posted my first photo with my phone, a Sharpie pen. I used the “blur” effect to emphasize the Sharpie & make it the main focus of the photo. Not realizing what I actually did, I continued to casually take photos of things I thought were interesting & somehow abided by the “rule of thirds” rule without knowing what it even was.
Come semi-late 2015, I purchased my first DSLR (Nikon D3300) & took a film photography class in the fall & a digital/fall class in the spring in 2016. Only formal education in photography I’ve received. Otherwise, I’ve learned from trial & error, other photographers, or videos on the web.
Present day, I’m offering my services & casually taking photos whenever I find the time to do so. I practice photography because I’ve always found myself to be a creative individual & since I wasn’t able to use my hands efficiently, I figured my eyes could coordinate & really bring my vision to life.
The message I try to send in my photos isn’t really a direct one at the moment. I truthfully take photos of things/places I find to be intriguing, only sometimes is there a message behind it. Usually, my captions help direct the audience to what I was thinking when taking the photo or what I ended up seeing in the end after reviewing it closer.
What I hope for others to take away when finished viewing my work is to be aware of your surroundings. Really take a step back & look at where you are, observe your surroundings & see what you can find that intrigues you, what beauty the world has to offer.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
There’s a lot we all wish we knew before taking on certain things in our life. To anyone who creates in whatever format/medium they’ve chosen, this is my advice to You:
Do it for the right reasons.
This is different for everyone, for me, it means I want to see myself grow as an artist. To show myself that I have used, that I’m more capable of working at my “day job” all the time. That I have a side of me that can really get me to focus. That really drives me when I’m in the right moods. That my craft may someday be my career, the ability to keep creating continuously. To know that I can collaborate with others someday & make something wonderful. To know that my eyes, my vision is admired by not only myself but by others who are equally as intrigued.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be found on Instagram or Twitter (@iadrianvargas) for the most part. Support comes in all types, for me, it’s by giving me a follow & sharing my work with those who might find it intriguing. Like my work & continue this journey I’ve begun, watch me grow & see me blossom.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3617749228
- Email: iadrianvargas@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/iadrianvargas
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/iadrianvargas
Image Credit:
Troy Garza
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