Today we’d like to introduce you to Simon Monsivais.
Hi Simon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi, I’d like to start off by introducing myself. I’m Simon Monsivais and I’m about to tell you guys how I started my photography journey. Photography started as a hobby to replace a sport that I could no longer play. In 2017, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and had an emergency open heart surgery due to my heart only functioning at 9% EF. A normal heart functions at 60-65% EF by the way. A small heart pump was attached to my left ventricle during this surgery to keep my heart working, after a long six months recovery. My doctor, Dr. Sriram Nathan at the medical center, broke the news to me that I could no longer play baseball due to my critical surgery. I struggled to get through without a hobby, so I picked up my first camera, a Nikon D5500 with the kit lenses it came with. I had no idea what I was doing, but I kept practicing until I got better. I stayed up late nights reading, watching tutorials and anything else that could help me understand the photography world. After so many failures, I gave up on the camera. But a few months later in 2018, I was at Best Buy and the camera world sparked my interest again, so I ended up buying the Nikon D750. From here on out, I told myself I would never give up on photography. Fast forward a few years later, in 2020 my heart recovered, I got the pump removed and now live normal with my native heart. So I ended up switching into the mirrorless world that year and went with Sony. A Sony a7Rii, I don’t have the cameras anymore but I stuck with Sony. I currently use a Sony a7 IV, my photography has evolved and gotten so much better since day one. I just recently took some pictures for a small business that ceramic coated a $19 million dollar jet, this was AMAZING! I try to stick to portrait and sports photography but I take on any types of photography to continue learning.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not, I struggled with medical conditions along the way. Congestive heart failure was my biggest bump on the road but I overcame heart failure thanks to God and never losing faith and hope.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work a full-time job at NOV, but I am trying to venture off on my own as a small business eventually full-time photography.
I specialize in portrait photography and sports.
I’m most proud of all the struggles I have overcome in this life over the last five years. I’m a proud father to my daughter Natalie Monsivais, she just turned 1 on May 14th by the way!
What sets me apart from others is that I keep overcoming whatever comes my way, I never give up and I use every day in life to get better at mastering my skills because we truly never stop learning.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Hmmm, I would have to say that I live normally now, but just two years ago I was living off electricity literally. My heart depended on a battery-operated heart pump.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/photosbymonsi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050417334705
- Twitter: twitter.com/monsivais_13
Image Credits
Simon Monsivais
