We recently had the chance to connect with Victor Garcia and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Victor, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’m someone who wanders with purpose. My life has never been a straight line. I didn’t grow up with a clear blueprint, so I learned early to follow curiosity, instinct, and whatever weird little spark was pulling me forward. That wandering is how I found photography, community, and the version of myself I actually like.
But I’m not lost. There is a path; I’m just building it as I walk it.
Every project, every collaboration, every hyperfixation that accidentally turns into a full body of work… it all connects. The path appears behind me, not in front of me, and I’m okay with that. Some people need a map; I need momentum.
So yes, I wander. But I wander toward something: purpose, connection, storytelling, and the people who feel like home.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello again, I’m Victor Garcia. I’m a photographer based in Charleston, and I love making images that feel real. a little raw, a bit queer, a little emotional, and very human. A lot of my work centers on queer stories and everyday moments people often overlook. I’m not trying to make things perfect; I’m trying to make them honest.
I’ve also spent the last 10 years working in restaurants, so I know how to talk to people, make them feel comfortable, and read a room; all things that matter way more in photography than I realized when I first started. Right now, I’m focused on growing my portrait work, collaborating with other creatives, and building projects that actually mean something to the communities I care about.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a kid, I honestly believed I wasn’t supposed to take up space. I was overweight, feminine, very obviously different, and I got bullied for all of it – by everyone. I never saw myself as someone who could be confident. I just tried to get through the day without drawing too much negative attention. I felt that because I didn’t fit a mold I could see, there wasn’t really a place for me anywhere.
I don’t believe that anymore.
I’m still not the most confident person in every situation, but I’ve learned where my confidence actually lives, in my art, in the queer community, and in the people who see me and my art. I was selective even back then, and I’m still selective now, but the difference is that I’ve learned where to find my people. I’ve found places where being soft, different, emotional, feminine – all the things I thought made me “wrong”- are actually the things that connect me to others.
Photography gave me a way to step into myself. It’s the one place where I don’t question whether I belong. I get to show people how I see the world, and in doing that, I ended up finding the confidence I never thought I’d have.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of being seen. Not the curated version of myself, but the soft, queer, emotional, imperfect version I learned to hide growing up. When you’ve spent most of your childhood being criticized for things you didn’t choose – your body, your voice, your femininity – you learn to protect yourself by shrinking. That fear followed me into adulthood more than I’d like to admit.
Even now, I can second-guess myself before sharing new work or trying something bold, because a part of me still remembers the feeling of being picked apart for simply existing. That fear has definitely slowed me down at times or kept me from opportunities I probably deserved.
But the flip side is: every time I’ve pushed through it, something good has happened. Whether it’s taking on a project that scared me, photographing communities I care deeply about, or letting myself take up space in the creative world, facing that fear has always been a thing that moves me forward.
I’m still learning. I’m still practicing. But I’m no longer letting that fear make decisions for me.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the art and photography world is that we have to gatekeep everything: our knowledge, our techniques, our spaces, even our communities. There’s this idea that sharing too much somehow threatens your place in the industry, or that helping someone else grow means there will be less room for you.
I don’t buy that.
I’ve learned that the more open I am with other artists, especially queer artists, new artists, or anyone who feels like an outsider, the stronger the work becomes. Community doesn’t dilute talent; it amplifies it. I wouldn’t be where I am without the people who shared with me, collaborated with me, or simply believed in me when I didn’t.
This industry would be a lot healthier if we stopped pretending that success is this tiny, exclusive box that only a few people get to climb into. There’s room. There’s space. And honestly, the art gets better when we stop protecting everything like a secret recipe and start recognizing each other as part of the same creative ecosystem. It’s us VS the AI, now.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think people might assume my work was effortless or that I just “had an eye” or naturally slid into the spaces I now occupy. The truth is much messier and much more human. Nothing about my journey has been linear. I wasn’t born confident, I didn’t grow up believing I belonged in spaces, and most of what I’ve created came from a mix of stubbornness, curiosity, hyperfocus, and failure.
People may also misunderstand the intention behind my work. I’m not trying to be the spokesperson for anything or anyone. I’m trying to make space for stories that I feel deserve light. My legacy isn’t meant to be neat or singular. It’s layered, emotional, queer, evolving, and sometimes contradictory… which is exactly how I am.
If someone ever looks back and tries to put me in a box, that’s the part they’ll get wrong. I was never just one thing, and my work was never meant to be either.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://victorlovesyou.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/victorlovesyou
Image Credits
Model Credits:
Bee — @bee.archerrr
Eddie — @eddiejumprope
Nicole — @nicole_em_gee
Angel — @idk.its.angel
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
