Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ortiz.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey started when I was in high school and could not decide where to go with my life after I graduated. I was a straight A/B student with a GPA and credentials that could have basically gotten me into any school I could think of but despite my qualifications, school was just not for me. I decide to opt for a small start at a community college where I graduated with an associate’s degree in business. Throughout college, I changed majors like this Houston weather. I had always had a passion for music so I finally decided to continue my studies in Music Marketing. While attending Bauer at U of H, I invested over $9k in a bad business venture related to the music industry, where I lost the entire investment due to a scam. This spiraled my whole future at the time which led me to dropping out of college and back to feeling lost.
After my bad experience, I chose to push forward and not allow anything to discourage me from pursuing my aspirations. I continued to try to pursue a position in the music industry by networking around the city and eventually learned that it wasn’t my fit. I enjoyed all the experiences but the passion was just too burnt out. Time elapsed and I decided to venture into creating concept T-shirts with meaningful messages for my peers. To help market my T-shirts, I decided to purchase a professional camera so I could capture my friends modeling my T-shirts for my website and for social media purposes. I had always enjoyed iPhone camera shooting but never had I thought about how much I would love shooting with a DSLR. Over time I taught myself how to use the camera and editing software as well. As I began to get better at photography my desire to continue to make T-shirts faded away. It was fun while it lasted but I am very thankful for the experience because it is what led me to invest in what is now my sole passion. Since then, I’ve upgraded my camera equipment and haven’t put my camera down since.
For those wondering about the meaning behind my business name, Channel Purple, the meaning behind it is pretty simple. The album Channel Orange by Frank Ocean has been one of my favorite albums of all time. I’ve always had a passion for music so I wanted to somehow incorporate that into my business name. As for the purple in my name, purple is actually my favorite color, which actually is a color that represents a sense of escape from reality.
Has it been a smooth road?
As previously mentioned, it truly has not been a smooth road at all. It has had its bumps, curves, floods, and tornadoes but here I am still looking and pushing ahead. I’ve learned from my bad experiences and mistakes. As cliche as that sounds, I have really grown not only as a person but also as a photographer. Seeing all my growth and seeing my skills develop into something I can actually be proud of is so fulfilling and makes everything worthwhile.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Channel Purple Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
When it comes to my work, I like to keep it’s as organic as possible all while still bringing out a bigger story to each picture I capture. I focus on channeling my energy and light onto every viewer that my pictures reach. All of my clients and models have free-willed creativity during their photoshoots. I am here to provide guidance and direction to bring life to those moments and memories. I am most proud of being able to provide a welcoming experience and excellent finished products to everyone I encounter. Everyone who I have worked with has had nothing but good words to say about me and my work which makes me feel great about what I do. I absolutely love fashion photography and I hope to one day be featured in magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Paper. Who knows maybe one day I can also be a part of Fashion Week. I am currently planning a gallery where I want to display a project that I am working on. It will feature Houston fashion through my eyes which I hope can in turn people’s eyes on me.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The photography business has been around since the first photograph was taken in 1814 and it isn’t going anywhere. In today’s day and age, people love to share pictures of themselves and of their important life events. It’s not just about saving precious memories in a physical album anymore, its also about showing off your memories to loved ones and friends online. Thats why celebrities opt into hiring their own professional photographers so they can always look their best and always capture important moments. On average consumers prefer to have professionals take their pictures as it eliminates the stress of doing so and it can guarantee a more appealing outcome. Phone photography can only get someone so far.
Contact Info:
- Email: jessica_ortiz1994@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @channel_purple
Image Credit:
Model: IG @royalty__ ; @laur.eliz.will; @jamstop; @hannahbrower_; @shaakita; @shaakita; @oliviaalexx; @jlucem
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