My photography is deeply community-connected, so none of this is worth it if my community doesn’t feel rightfully represented.
Los Angeles-based photographer Thalia Gochez bought her first camera at a flea market for a buck and never looked back. Raised just outside of LA in Pasadena in a Mexican-Salvadorian household, her Latine heritage is the central force behind her point of view as a photographer and the worlds she captures in her work. After seeking refuge in the art form while in college, Gochez unlocked the power of the medium for herself and has continued to hone her unique perspective as an image maker.
Coming upon Gochez’s recent collaboration with stylist Kaamilah Thomas in a series entitled “Yo Soy Latina,” I was instantly entranced by her subjects and the love she so clearly bathed each within in every photo. I had to reach out to learn more about her journey and ethos as a photographer; her responses to my questions are below.
When did you first get into photography? What inspired you to pick up the camera?
I’m self-taught and started taking photographs back in 2017. Photography found me when I needed it most. I never really excelled in academia, but decided to go to my local community college to take some courses that were of interest; I took a fashion styling class and started to find my creativity.
During an assignment for the class, I had to work closely with a photographer for a photoshoot I conceptualized. I couldn’t help but feel an urge to take the camera away from him and start taking the photographs myself. The next day I went to my local flea market and got a film camera for a dollar. After that, I started taking photographs every chance I could, like in between my two jobs, before school, after school, truly whenever.
Simultaneously, I was going through a lot of anxiety, and I realized photography was the only time I was truly able to live in the moment. It’s been a huge source of liberation for me.
How would you describe your personal aesthetic and style as a photographer?
It’s really important to me to always photograph style and story. I’ve always been interested in photographing beyond a fashion-led visual, to honor and highlight various BIPOC identities and experiences. I’d say my photographic aesthetic is docu-style, with a fashion editorial contemporary twist.
There’s a palpable warmth, intimacy, and love infused in your work. How have you achieved this, both from a technical photography standpoint and in terms of the person-to-person trust with your subjects?
I always say our greatest photography tool is to engage in genuine conversation. In my first year of image making, I used a cheap, $1 Minolta film camera. It’s never been about the equipment, but more about learning the story and connecting with people beyond when the cameras are turned on.
I always say our greatest photography tool is to engage in genuine conversation.
If I’m building genuine connection and community, the photos will always be the bonus. A lot of times I’m photographing folks in environments that they are connected to and rooted in; the location mirrors their identity. I view the location as another talent, always trying to highlight it the way I would highlight a model.
I love a soft, even light and I tend to go warmer to highlight the subject’s gorgeous skin tone.
How do you find and identify the people you shoot? What’s that process like? What details or characteristics about someone typically catch your photography eye?
Casting is super important to me; it’s the foundation of every photoshoot.
Who I’m photographing informs the creative.
Who I’m photographing informs the location.
Who I’m photographing gives the project a heartbeat and pulse.
I’m always interested in photographing all BIPOC identities and tend to gravitate toward women-identifying individuals because that’s who I feel I connect with most organically.
Casting varies depending on the project, but sometimes it’s a friend of a friend, a cousin, someone I find on social media or someone I scout on the street around my neighborhood. A lot of times I feel like we find each other and the project just unfolds so naturally. I find that a lot of the projects I create focus on evoking a sense of nostalgia, so typically what interests my photographic eye is highlighting the latine experience. It’s often a deeply shared lived experience amongst many people.
I first discovered your work through your “Yo Soy Latina” series. Can you tell me a bit about that project specifically– how it came about, your vision, collaborating with stylist Kaamilah Thomas, the execution, etc?
Kaamilah and I were fans of each other and had such a genuine urge to collaborate. She told me a bit about her Afro-Latina side, and how she wanted to highlight that in some way for a project. I instantly knew this was something I wanted to highlight as well.
Historically, we often only see white or light complexion Latinas represented in mainstream media. Our goal was to honor and celebrate deeper complexion Latina identities. Through months of planning, “Yo Soy Latina” was born. It was a true collaboration in every sense of the word. We connected on styling, hair, casting, make-up— every aspect of the photoshoot was collaborative.
Kaamilah is an incredibly talented person and took the styling to another level. It was always important to me to incorporate culturally specific items that wouldn’t be traditionally fashionable into the creative. The creative was meant to feel very nostalgic but with a contemporary twist. It’s truly some of my favorite work I’ve done this year.
What sort of experience do you hope viewers of your photographs have? What are you hoping to communicate with your images?
I hope the viewers feel the love and care I have for the people I photograph.
I hope the right people feel represented and beautiful.
I hope I inspire others to create with integrity and respect.
I hope the people I photograph feel properly honored and their story never gets misconstrued.
My photography is deeply community-connected, so none of this is worth it if my community doesn’t feel rightfully represented.
