Today we’d like to introduce you to Magdalena Coronado.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Magdalena. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We have all been told when we were young, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I simply said, “I don’t know.” My teacher asked me, “What about nurse, doctor, teacher or police?” I just told her no, I have no interest in those careers. All the way to high school, I have been asked that question and I hated it because I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grow up! I just wanted to be happy, support my family, and just live my life to the fullest, but what job would give me that? High school, there are electives I notice I’m a creative child! I like culinary, interior design, fashion design, and lastly, photography! I was leaning toward culinary because I wanted to make my dad’s dream come true to have our own family restaurant. I thought it would be awesome, but I experienced it in school, I got a small taste of what it could be like working in a restaurant kitchen. The people in my class made me hate it, but I still love creating new food and ideas in my own spare time and only for my family, so no culinary was out. I didn’t take interior design and fashion design because I can’t draw for crap, but if you see the styles and ideas in my head man, I’ll probably be a 5 star working with celebrities fixing their homes and giving them styles! All jokes aside, I took photography for two years. The 1st year was alright. I learned a small bit, but in my senior year, I wanted to put all my focus on that because I realize I was pretty GOOD! I needed more knowledge and my teacher wasn’t a teacher kind of slept most of the time in class because all we did was art and I had no care for making stuff! When she finally throw photography projects, I went all out and started exploring Houston, I got into Instagram, I research styles, and I was having so much fun when I had the opportunity to do photography projects! There was a competition called “VASE.” Didn’t think my photos were great (By the way I’m the biggest perfectionist, so I’m pretty horrible on my self) I wanted my peers to judge my photos because I thought they were better than me I didn’t want my teacher judging it I wanted my class to judge. When my teacher got her hands on my photo, she printed and convinced me to go to the 1st stage of the competition.
When I got there, I talked to the judge told my story than I waited for a few weeks, and guess what? I came to class and my teacher looked at me with a huge smile and mind you this was my 6th period and I was not in the mood for her crazy shenanigans (haha)! She told me I was the only one in all her photography class to be accepted to go to Dallas for the State VASE competition! I thought she was joking. I was in shock me Magdalena Coronado going to state for some photo, PSHHH! To not make this even longer, I did not win the golden seal, but I did take home five medals and I was happy with that! I’m just happy for the opportunity to show my creativity and my story! Fast forward to now I have worked with clients, Did my 1st wedding shoot and it was such a rush and fun experience, Worked with new up and coming models, Make up artist and I have worked with some people that didn’t work out but its a learning process and if you get the experience to work with people you will find awesome people and people that will use you for your skills. Like I said, its a learning process I’m still going—I’m one of the people that is self-taught. I got my skills by watching YouTube, Instagram, meeting other photographers, reading books etc. After my whole experience after high school in 2015, if you ask me that annoying question, “what do I want to be when I grow up, my answer is “being happy in whatever I WANT TO DO.” This is my story in how I became a creative lifestyle portrait travel photographer.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Just like everyone, I struggled a lot even now! There’s no way someone has not had a horribly bumpy road… Please tell me I’m not the only one?! When it comes to photography, I struggled to find time to go out and take pictures. When I did find the time, how was I suppose to get to the location when I didn’t even have a car at the time and never drove in downtown before? (until last year haha finally drove to downtown!) Between 2016 and 2017 I quit my 1st job and I had to stop photography. I also struggled in the driving part because I didn’t have a car. I had to ask friends or the models to pick me up and I hated asking for favors. I still took a lot of pictures at the time begging my parents or my friends to come with me to downtown or going out of Houston to take pictures because HEY I like exploring and I NEEDED to get out of my house so I annoy my parents and friends just so I can freaking take pictures! Taking pictures really takes me out of reality because I have an idea and I want to tell a story, so I really needed this after quitting and pausing on college. In mid 2017 I finally got my own car, but I struggled financially, so I stopped working with clients because I couldn’t afford to waste gas and buying props. I worked so much at my part time jobs plus trying to go back school I was slowly not shooting anymore, but when my good friends invite me to go to downtown or outside of Houston, I use that as my advantage to take pictures. I had my mental break down in the past but with my mental break down it was very silent and hardly anyone noticed.
I used it to tell a story from my experience and from others, by making a series with my photos, my creative juice came out at that time, but it was still hard. 2019 I completely stop posting on my Instagram. I posted here and there but not as much as I did back in 2015-2018. Last year I had an artist block I needed to regroup and figure out my situation I didn’t want to rush on shoots; that’s why I disappear for a little bit. So right now this year 2020 I’m working at my part time job super hard, planning to go back to school again probably. (haha!) and lastly, planning on a new series of photos. This year I’m slowing down, planning, researching saving and finding the right people to work with my shoots. My creative juice is coming back. I have SO many ideas, but I need time! So that this time I become better than I was in the past. If you notice what I said in the past years since I graduated in 2015 I never gave up on shooting even when I struggled through everything I still didn’t give up I just had to figure out another way and learn from past mistakes and trying not to make the same ones.
I didn’t have a smooth road after getting into photography I almost gave up on it! After getting push down too much! This is what I’m good at, the only thing I’m good at, and I wish people can see that. I’m hoping 2020 is the year I come back strong with so much creativity and working with new creatives.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is still very new and fresh. I do want to grow and have my own studio one day, just not any time soon. I mostly just take pictures, edit and I print as well. That’s pretty much all I do. I’m trying to find the time to learn videography and graphic design because I know how big that’s going and I’m certain clients would love that. I’m mostly known as a lifestyle, portrait and travel photographer Since I’m still a new entrepreneur, I’m just proud that I’m working hard on putting my work out there and just trying to move up and be different!
Something that sets me apart from others is that I tell a story in my shoots I have been told so much that I have a good eye that many people don’t see and I feel like I use that to my advantage.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My number one supporter is my mom. Obviously, hahaha! No matter how many times I keep changing my mind, my mom always says, “If that’s what you want to do, you know I’m always going to be there when you need help ill support you in all your weird crazy ideas even when others think you won’t make it. I will keep pushing and cheering you on!” My mom calls her self the Assistant. When I didn’t have a car or when I’m too chicken to drive crazy downtown Houston she was there she would put days off to come help me with my clients and sometimes make them laugh!
I have three older brothers. My two oldest brothers and including my dad just thinks I’m pretty good but they don’t give me the hype like my mom and my 3rd brother. My brother Ernest always gives me a hard time, but I was surprised when my in-law told me my brother was bragging to everyone that I went to state and that his little sister is the only one in the family that’s artistic. I really needed that having at least one of my brothers have my support and giving me so much hype! Hearing him say, “your damn good, like f*** good! Don’t give up! if that’s what your good at the stick with it!”
Ricardo Diaz, 2015 was when our friendship got bigger. He was the 1st model he drove me everywhere saw my crazy ideas. We even shared ideas in the shoots I planned. Ricardo is an artist as well; that’s why we both mix our ideas together. Ricardo is such a big help in getting me out of my shell. He is so crazy and loud! (in a good way) and I’m just a small person very quiet. I’m so thankful he was there all the way in my journey in photography!
Valerie Garcia, also since 2013 or 2014 she haves been my supporter and cheerleader. She drove me everywhere also and pushing me to keep going and doing what I love coming with me sometimes to all of my adventures and I also guess when my mom couldn’t be my assistant vale was there to rescue and I’m totally great full!
Lastly, to all my past clients, friends, new friends and family, I want to give them credits too because they trusted me in taking pictures of their family, children’s weddings, graduation, and their portfolios. They all deserve the credit for making me grow!
Pricing:
- Portraits: $150
- Wedding or Elopements: $550-$2,000 (contact for more details)
- Events/head shots/ blogs: $50-$300 (contact for more details)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://
coronadomagdalena.wixsite.com/ mcstudio - Email: coronado.magdalena@
yahoo.com - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/_coronado97/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/CoronadoStudio/
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