Meet Adrian Escusa

We recently connected with Adrian Escusa and have shared our conversation below.

Adrian, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I was not initially very confident in what I did, much less having a self-esteem that could carry me through many things. Eventually, at one point in my junior year in high school, I woke up one day and decided to take a chance on myself and make the active decision to grow as an individual and in the things I found passion in. I learned to accept that failure was part of every process in learning to get good at anything, and instead of being discouraged with failure, I sought it out as an opportunity to learn. Eventually, through countless failures and numerous trials & errors, I was able to begin feeling more confident in my abilities and seek out the vision I wanted for myself. I wanted to capture moments that told stories in a single frame. I’m far from perfect and will always have a million more things to learn, but that’s what makes it so fun! For me, the joy is in the journey.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Aside from being passionate about physical therapy and aiming to finish my doctorate, photography, and film were my first passions at a young age. I was always captivated by how lighting, angles, mood in music, and storytelling could move an audience. As a child, I often came across songs and wrote them down in a playlist for later, daydreaming about what scene the song could be ideally used for in a movie. One day, I picked up a camera and thought about how some of the same emotions and storytelling could be expressed in a single frame. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this has led to a decade-long journey of refining my skills and understanding what an “eye” for beauty is and how I want to portray it. It was a passion project that eventually became a small way for me to create some income to help pay for school while also allowing a space for me to have a creative outlet.
Over time, I’ve come to build my small business through word of mouth from family, friends, and friends of friends. My Instagram handle is @ae.stheticshots, and you can take a look at my work to see if it is something that catches your eye for whatever event or special moment you may want to capture 🙂

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think one quality that was very impactful and helped me get through a lot of hurdles was persistence and resilience. I didn’t have my camera and would ask to borrow from my friends. Eventually, I could save up from gigs to purchase my own, and that was about three years into my journey.

One area of skill I feel is essential is people and communication skills. Having an idea of a concept and executing it well can be limited by how well the idea is communicated to the subject. Being able to pose someone and get them to do what you have in mind can make or break the concept you had in mind of accomplishing. Also, within the process, being able to do it in a way that can help them feel relaxed and cooperative is part of that. Establishing the vibe that we’re here to enjoy the process while we work is the best advice I can give.

One last thing is being humble. Having a growth mindset and being able to take constructive criticism can take you a long way. I was always open and receptive to criticism from other photographers who had been doing the thing longer than I had. Being open-minded also allowed me to grasp inspiration from other photographers’ works. Taking that same concept and adding my unique touch to it has led me to cultivate my unique style of photography.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I thank my parents for this. I was blessed to grow up in a home that supported my endeavors but whipped me into shape whenever I slacked off. Growing up in an Asian household and being the eldest child meant that I had to be the responsible one who set an example for my younger siblings. I wasn’t always perfect, and I didn’t always succeed, but my parents taught me the value of patience and staying resilient in accomplishing my goals despite what adversities I may face. Most importantly, they taught me how to be kind and supportive of others without expecting anything back. I don’t know if you believe in karma, but I think giving kindness is free. Sooner or later, the consistent kindness you give to the world will return to you. This has led me to meet so many wonderful people from many backgrounds who have all helped me in my journey. So.. yeah. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there; just be kind!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ae.stheticshots

Image Credits

All images taken by me.