Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Ovalle
Hi Anna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I was in highschool, I’ve had a love for photography but in undergrad is where I got to fine-tune and hone in on my photography skills. It was thanks to my undergraduate degree that I learned the art of storytelling through my Digital Film Production courses.
Through my undergraduate program at Our Lady of the Lake, I was taught the techniques I needed to be a photographer, videographer, video editor, and director. Through those skillsets I learned, I dabbled in a few different creative jobs such as social media managing, video-editing gigs, but the one position that I held closest to my heart was photographer.
After doing a couple of photography gigs, I had more and more people in front of the camera asking me opinions on their outfits that I was photographing. In some instances, I would even be asked if I had any outfits to offer, in short, I noticed that there was a frequent request for outfit assistance when I was doing my photography shoots. Which leads me to my fashion journey.
I’ve always had a passion for fashion but in 2020, something really shifted in my mindset on fashion. With so much time spent in the house, I had time to reflect and look in the mirror – literally. Since 2020, I have explored different clothes, aesthetics, and fabrics to see which ones made me feel good. After having my own fashion journey, I realized that I wanted to make others feel good about themselves too. Going through my own fashion makeover , combined with frequent requests for fashion assistance from my photography clients, I knew it was time to begin my creative endeavor as a stylist.
To be a stylist, I knew I would have to create custom pieces from scratch so that’s when I took a Costume Design Sewing class at my second university – St. Mary’s University. It was there that I learned the foundations of sewing and where I got to create my first custom piece for a theatrical stage. The following year, I had the amazing opportunity to work as a Costume Designer at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Since then, I have been doing styling independently, creating custom pieces and helping local musicians build their personal image. My photographer and stylist positions go hand in hand together now and I couldn’t be more grateful for doing what I do.
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?
Both my photography and stylist journey have not been an easy one. Like many industries, photography is predominantly male-dominated. As a woman, I have faced obstacles that have, at times, undermined my expertise and talent. Despite having over six years of experience, my abilities are occasionally overlooked, highlighting the ongoing gender biases within the field.
And as a stylist, the biggest hurdle is learning how to be a stylist. There is no clear rulebook or guideline versus photography where there are basic camera principles that can be taught. To get over this hurdle, I am currently in School of Style’s “Fundamentals of Image Architecture” to earn my Stylist Certification. The school is led by Law Roach, a stylist for Celine Dion, Zendaya, and more. Access to knowledge is the biggest hurdle I often face when as a stylist and costume designer. I’m so thankful to educators, mentors, teachers, and professors, who offer opportunities like School of Style, so that I can overcome the hurdle of not having access to resources.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a photographer, costume designer, and stylist mainly but I also do graphic design, social media managing, videographer, and video editing. I always joke that if there’s a creative field, I’ll give it a shot. There are a lot of creative jobs and positions that I’ve held but the two that are the nearest and dearest to my heart are photography and fashion. I truly love the feeling people have when they leave our sessions with a photo of themselves that they are in love with. Or when we’re done with a fitting and you can see the client walking away with a radiating smile on their face from how good they feel. My only goal and wish is to gift people the gift of confidence, and for me, I do that through my skills of photography and styling.
As for a work that I am most proud of, I made a custom red carpet look for a local Tejana singer here in San Antonio for the Texas Pura Vida Awards, and to date, it’s one of my favorite looks. Taking inspiration from Gaurav Gupta’s haute couture Spring Summer 2024 Collection, I created a silver breastplate for my client. We added baby blue and pastel pink butterflies on the breastplate, as a reference to my client’s logo – her initials in the shape of a butterfly. Then we topped it off with a custom metallic blue skirt with a train on the side. It was my first red carpet moment but one of many soon to come.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I truthfully would not be where I am today without the help of my professors such as Professor Winstead, Professor Brown, and Professor Schaefer all of which I learned from while at Our Lady of the Lake University here in San Antonio, Texas. The first time I held a camera was at my university. It was because of my education and my professors that I have the skills and tools to be where I am today.
Lastly, I am so open to collaboration so if there are any local performers, musicians, artists, models, and singers out there who want to collaborate, feel free to contact me through the information below or via Instagram DM!
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Voyage Magazine !
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alatinafromsatx.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alatinafromsatx?igsh=MXg5ZjBiMWVsYmlpaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Main photo by Michelle Pearson (@shotsbychelle)
Other photos by Anna Ovalle
