Today we’d like to introduce you to Esai Bustamante.
Hi Esai, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Football was my passion; it was a daily battle to be the best I could be for myself and my team; In my junior year, unfortunate circumstances caused that to be stripped from me for good. I looked to take photos for the yearbook to stay with the team and all sports events, but the more I did it, the more I realized my passion for it and what was waiting for me behind the lens, so I stuck with it. I started to take a deep dive into photography, and when I graduated, I took a full pursuit into it; I began to grow ambition and passion deeper than what I thought football meant for me. Sports photography, primarily football, became my mainstay. Still, as time has passed, I’ve challenged myself to try other things to do now, street photography, portraits, automotive photography, and videography. It took me to lose something I thought was everything to find who I wanted to be, and I’ll always be thankful for that.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been road bumps here and there, but coming from where I come from, you grow through what you go through. You’re instilled with a mentality to take it on the chin and keep moving. Learning how to work with lowlights was my main struggle; I could create in a bright setting, but I struggled severely once I was in lowlight or nighttime settings. So I took my time to fix that, work on it, and find what I needed to change to create in those circumstances and have the confidence to shoot in a public setting, pushing past the anxiety and the overthinking so I could create.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a creator; whether it’s photography or other things like drawing, designing, or building, I find a deep interest in wanting to create no matter what it is.
What matters most to you?
The family that’s always been a priority for me. Being the youngest in the family and coming from a domestic situation. I prioritized their protection and always put them first, even if I wasn’t asked to. They’re my foundation, my support. And it’s deeper than just immediate family, my cousins, my group back in Bruni, and my group here in San Antonio. They all play a factor in who I am.
Pricing:
- $50 an hour per session
- $100-150 travel session
- Prices vary if it’s multiple sessions
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Models Instagrams: @equinsu___ocha, @rickygonzalezjrr, @vampievelvet, @robbytrigger
