Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Frias.
Miguel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Absolutely, but before I get into it, first and foremost, I want to thank my parents and family. I am where I am today because of them and the invaluable life lessons they taught me. At a young age, I have always been taught that things in life never come easy. In order to make your dreams come possible, you have to put the work in. I’m a 27-year-old full time travel photographer and travel content creator originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born and raised in Wisconsin for my entire life, I moved to Houston, TX almost three years ago after accepting a job offer as a Project Engineer here in Houston. I always get asked how someone from up north Wisconsin ended up down south in Houston. At the time, it was an opportunity I couldn’t let go and Houston had everything I was looking for.
My story originates back to my passion for travel and photography. It was during college where these two passions really started to blend in together. I remember purchasing my first actual professional camera during a Thanksgiving weekend back in 2014. During my college days, I would spend majority of my summers away from home as I was constantly involved in internship programs which allowed me to travel out of state and throughout the country. The passion for travel was quickly growing stronger. Throughout the years, what became a hobby slowly started to transform into the career I’m embarking on now.
Fast forward to present day, I can finally say I have found a way to combine these two passions into a new medium. I am truly grateful for all the past experiences, both personal and work related, that have helped me throughout this new journey. Last year was an eye opening year for me for many reasons. Not only was I able to travel the most last year but the various opportunities I got to work on made me realize my time was now or never. It was at the end of 2019 where I finally decided to leave my full-time engineering job. Since then, there has been no looking back and I couldn’t be any happier. Now I have my own business, I get to travel and I’m determined to be the author of my own story which is what I’ve always dreamt of. I think there comes a point in time in everyone’s life where you just know when to take that next step forward. For me, taking that leap of faith to leave behind my “9-5” to pursue a passion couldn’t have come at a better time. With the travel and work opportunities I have now, I hope to inspire my community to get out outside, explore, travel, chase their dreams and go live the life they have always wanted. After many times going back and forth in my mind on whether the time was right, I can now say, I am living my dream.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing in life ever comes easy. It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road but I see it more as learning experiences more than anything. Embarking on this new career is set to have its ups and downs throughout the journey. You can’t grow without setbacks. As someone who mostly relies on travel for majority of my partnership opportunities, COVID really took a toll on things when it hit. Especially for those in the travel and tourism industry. If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn about myself these past few months, it’s that this quarantine really made me realize that it’s OKAY to slow down. It made me appreciate the little and simplest things in life more. I used this down time to gain a better understanding about myself, set my future goals clear and try to vision the future I see for myself. There was also some trip planning done for later down the year and next year should things slowly get back to normal. For anyone who currently finds themselves on a similar road, just know you’re not alone and things will slowly fall into place as they were meant to. I’m a believer in that everything happens for a reason for the better.
Miguel Frias Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I work with clients in helping bring their story and message to life through my creative and professional work. I specialize in professional photography and videography to create the highest of quality content possible for brands and companies all over the world. From creating photo content that I can showcase on my social media platform to creating a drone video highlight to showcase a luxury resort property, I welcome partnerships and work opportunities where my vision and work align with a brand’s values and mission statement. Most of the clients I work with are those in the hospitality industry such as hotels and resorts. In today’s age, I think more and more properties are slowly starting to realize the significant and potential reach of social media marketing. Social media platforms such as Instagram and many others over the past couple of years have gained traction and have become a very rich and versatile showcasing tool through the use of content creators, travel bloggers and influencers for example.
My creative attention to detail with every project and willingness to over provide value for my clients is what ultimately separates me from other social media creatives within the travel industry. It was only last April over Easter weekend where I received my first international work opportunity to fly down to Costa Rica and help shoot content for the beautiful Andaz Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Hyatt Resort. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world to some amazing destinations and work with some of the top luxury hotel properties such as Park Hyatt Zurich, Maya Tulum Retreat & Spa, Laguna Lodge Eco-Resort & Nature Reserve Guatemala, Getaway and many other brands. Having slowly built a social media audience consisting of travelers and adventure enthusiasts like myself, with every travel opportunity and client that I get to work with, I strive to capture an experience that truly resonates with my travel community. When I am not traveling, I love to expand my portfolio by doing portrait sessions around the Houston area so I am at your disposal for any photography needs you may have. Feel free to reach out and get in touch whether you’re in Houston or anywhere in the country.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston is a great and diverse city with much to offer for everyone of all ages. It’s one of the reasons I decided to move to Houston. Whether you’re a food fanatic and love the diverse food and restaurants like myself, there is always something and somewhere to be here in Houston. From the minute I arrived here, the people and friends I have met have made Houston a special place. As a constant traveler, I love the fact that Houston has two main airports from which to fly out of with a variety of domestic and international flight destinations. It really makes the trip planning part a bit easier on my end knowing I can travel anywhere with ease. There’s not much I dislike about the city apart from the humidity and traffic but you grow accustomed to over time. Apart from that, I’m happy to call Houston home.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.miguelfriasphotography.com
- Email: hello@miguelfriasphotography.com
- Instagram: @miguelfriasphoto
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