Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Perez.
Jessica, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Of course! You know… I been so lucky to have been born into a family that embodies creativity. As a little girl, I grew up watching people in my family just create amazing things. My grandmother and mother are seamstresses, painters, and so incredibly crafty. I used to watch them get together for weddings and make all the dresses for the court…including the bride! They’d spend hours hand beading fabric to create these beautiful, wearable pieces. They always DIY’ed EVERYTHING. Growing up I didn’t have many store-bought clothes. Almost everything was handmade. From clothing to our bed comforters, curtains, purses, decor, blankets, hair bows, etc. My shoes were probably the only things that store bought! And my father was a man of all trades. He would build and weld all of our furniture. Bed frames, tables, etc. It’s weird though…because as much as I was surrounded by creativity and art, it was never encouraged or pushed as a possible career choice. Art was seen strictly as a hobby, or something that we would do to kill time and only that.
Because of that creativity and art is something that I’ve always felt deep within me and in everything that I did. That I do! Seeing it as a kid and always being around it definitely changed the way in which I viewed the world. I remember when I was about 12 years old my parents bought our “family digital camera.” It was this weird, silver plastic thing and it took pictures that were like 3 pixels. Haha! I started using that to take pictures. I’d take it everywhere. I knew I was onto something this one time when I captured a photo at a quinceanera of the DJ lights. It created these crazy, colorful light trails that you get when you shoot with a long exposure. That’s when I knew!
As I entered my teen years, my passion for all art things went wild. Again, my family came into play here. I had some older cousins that I would watch effortlessly draw intricate and hilarious comics and others that would later introduced me to the world of fashion and the art of thrifting. With the internet as a tool, I was able to discover many different avenues of accessing visually appealing things. And Tumblr. Oh my god, Tumblr ruined my life. In a good way though!
In the back of my mind, I always dreamed of possibly being able to make something of my passion for art, but it just wasn’t a reality back then. Or at least I thought it wasn’t.
Then, my sophomore year in high school I took up photography. I did it for three years learning everything I could about the way light works and moves. I fell in love! My camera went with me everywhere! That was film photo though. After I graduated, I stopped shooting and started adulting. I didn’t have a dark room, the chemicals and ended up selling my camera…because…well, adulting! It was the worst. I knew I wanted to get back into it one day. It wasn’t until six years later; in 2015 that I picked up my first DSLR. I felt alive again. I would shoot here and there slowly getting back into it and brushing up on my skills. Over the next few years, my photos got better and better. Last year I finally decided to follow through with this idea/dream that I had for a while. I wanted to brand my work. Create a business and a name for my art. I wanted people to be able to see and ENJOY my photography as much as I enjoyed creating it. Then, Bellatronica was born! I wasn’t expecting much to come out of it, to be honest. But so far, it’s been amazing. A few of my photos have been displayed in some Houston galleries downtown. My work was published on print in my first magazine only a few months after I launched my brand, I’m being interviewed by Voyage Houston Magazine! It’s mind-blowing honestly, but nothing short of amazing!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My photography is sort of like me, a little all over the place. I struggled a while trying to find a “consistent style” until I realized that I couldn’t place myself in a box. I’d rather showcase every part of my eye and mind than just a small portion…and because of that my photography styles range. I like to dabble in different types of photography. From fashion to concert, to food, black and white, portrait and even newborn! I could go on and on. I want to be as versatile as I can. I want to do it all! Plus… I couldn’t just choose one type!
One of the things I do really love about photography is the ability to capture manipulated light. I love playing around with and shooting bright, vibrant, colorful lighting. To be honest, I love to capture photos that initiate reaction and response. That makes their mind wonder and make their eyes say “Ahh, this feels good.” I love to set moods and even stories with color, fashion, the atmosphere and more. I want people to be able to look at my work and create a whole scenario in their head about the subjects. I want my work to awaken emotion whether it be warmth, curiosity, fear, pride, etc.
Very rarely will I just go out and shoot whatever…but normally my shoots have major elements of planning. Especially my big ideas. In a way… my imagination kind of works like a camera. When I’m cruising down the freeway blasting music, watching old classic movies, meeting new people or just conversing with others, my light bulb flicks on and click! This super vivid photo(idea) just pops up in my head!
Then, the planning begins to turn my thoughts into a reality.
When I get an idea for a shoot, it’s normally very particular. I take a lot of time planning. I spend a few weeks designing, organizing small details, making props, gathering wardrobe and designing a little set or finding the right location. I always seem to put a lot of thought into my shoots. Although, this is a gift… it can also be a curse.
One way that I’m challenged in this aspect is shooting concerts. My other love! My love for both music and photography led to this. Being able to capture the energy of a set is one of the most exciting things for me. Especially because it keeps me on my toes, literally. Being 5’2” in a photo-pit/crowd of 6’somethings can be very challenging haha! I had to learn how to move quick and steady. But, when the light hits just right, when the performer’s facial expression lets you hear the music or when my viewer can catch a vibe off of a single photo…that’s the greatest feeling ever.
Honestly, photography in itself has brought so much positivity and peace to my life. Being a creative, I feel like I have to have it in my life in order to keep my sanity. I need it like a drug. Getting reactions from my viewers, my subjects, or being able to evoke emotion with a photo only a plus.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Aww man, where do I begin?
I can really get into this topic but, I’m going to keep it simple.
I often see that people don’t want to pay their artists. “Exposure” is the word. It’s definitely a challenge to get people to understand that you should pay your artists! Although art may not be the mainstream way of making a living in this country, a lot of people are out here working and giving it their all. Yes, sometimes collabs & in certain situations exposure can be a wonderful thing but, we must also learn to respect & value the craft of each and every creator.
The niche market and place for artists isn’t as big as we’d wish it was. Art and making a living off of it is sometimes frowned upon and not taken as seriously. This is definitely a challenge, but I do see a little change happening. I just hope it continues because I’d love to one day see careers in the art world be as recognized as careers in corporate America.
Another challenge I see many artists facing today is lack of credit or acknowledgment with their work. Credit your artists! I see this so much. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool. Let’s use it to its potential. Let’s all help each other out. Let’s be respectful of each other’s hard work. Artists will make beautiful works, and then it’s posted with no link to the person who created. What a sad thing that is.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
So, I recently launched my online portfolio and blog. Currently, that, my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are mainly where you can go and view my work.
Support can come in sooo many ways. I’m happy with just a follow, some feedback, or even a referral!
Y’all check me out & let me know what y’all think!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bellatronica.myportfolio.com
- Email: bellatronica.media@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellatronica
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bellatronica
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bellatronica_
Image Credit:
Jazmine Reyes. Erica Aparicio, Sha Davis, Marc Hernandez, tru_lion_dre , Aurion Cherise, Dave East, Rhapsody, Princess Nokia and Sailor Poon
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
