Meet Monica Orozco

Photographer provocateur talks about falling in love (with a Nikon) and her upcoming new book.

This OG Valley Girl is known for her irreverent self-portraits and provocative portraiture. With an infectious spirit, a self-deprecating sense of humor, boundless energy and a feminist bent, Monica Orozco can’t help but love a great visual moment. She is the quintessential a visual storyteller who finds inspiration all around her, especially in her native City of Angels.

Tell us about what you do

I’m a photographer with a wide range — portraiture, set photography, architectural photography, photo reportage, street photography and fine art. Mostly, I love storytelling. It really clicked for me recently that I’m energized by assignments that focus on art and design whether that’s documenting an artist at work in their environment, shooting the installation of the pieces, taking portraits of artists and curators, then capturing the energy of the art opening and I’d really like to do more of that kind of work. I think it’s a very exciting time to be in  LA. The art explosion is about to get real, yo! And I will be there documenting it!

“QuinSenora”

You’re an Angeleno through and through. Can you share a little bit about that?

The year was 1969 and my Mami was 27 and working at the Thomas Organ Company  in Sepulveda. She spotted my dad in the factory and…

Okay, maybe not everything!

Ha! My ties to Los Angeles are deep. Both sides of my parents family lived in Pacoima which is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. It’s Tongva land so it’s actually Pacoinga. Anyway, when I was about 10, my dad decided to move us all back to his hometown in Mexico. Leon, in the state of Guanajuato is a small town with the mentality to match so naturally being female made you an automatic second class citizen. That experience had a huge impact on my life and shaped my strong feminist views! I mean, thanks Dad? Eventually, I escaped back to LA where I was hell bent on fitting in. Looking back I can see that I was born to stand out and shake things up! Anyway, because I had no idea what I wanted to do, I escaped into the wonderfully seedy colorful eclectic night life of LA in the 90s which is where my visual education really began. LA is another strong protagonist in my story.

“Orange”

What was your path to photography?

I was waiting tables and among the many colorful people I met was Jeff Steelman. He was a successful self-employed graphic artist. He always seemed to be having a good time and I wanted in on that! He prompted me to take a graphic design class. One of the requirement is that you had to have a manual film camera. I fell head over heels with an old FG Nikon camera. Even today, a peek through that viewfinder opens up my mind. After that class, I needed more more more so I went to Santa Monica College where I had great professors who really supported my unique voice. I tried all kinds of photography: advertising, commercial, celebrity. Then I got a corporate client. It wasn’t the most stimulating work but having that steady income gave the freedom to the fun editorial and freelance jobs that didn’t always pay so well.

“Brilliant”

What the great things about your jobs? What about the not so great parts

Running my own studio means that there’s never a dull moment! I love the challenge of trying to capture the perfect image for my clients, especially when it’s an art and design related event. There is nothing better than shooting people having a good time!. One of my clients gave me the ultimate compliment when they told me, “You are the ultimate FOMO photographer!” There’s no missing anything when I’m getting it all on film! Of course, there are challenges: you have to be self-disciplined and you can’t forget that as much fun it it, it’s also a job so there’s the business part of it. I’m still learning

Tell us about your work space.

I’m fortunate to have a large apartment in Los Feliz where I have an extra room. So I have a dedicated workspace and the luxury of working off a big desktop computer. I’m surrounded by my favorite photography books and tons of quirky little trinkets that I’ve collected over the years. If I need to shoot inside, I can convert my living room and my dining room into a photo studio. I’m just at the bottom of the hills so when I need a break, that’s my escape.

Do you shoot everything yourself? 

Yup! I’m a one woman magic show!

What does your day look like?  Any daily rituals?

I usually journal while I’m having coffee, just whatever ideas I’m inspired by. Then after breakfast, I do some type of workout to keep me in shape. You’d be surprised how physical photography can be! I listen to NPR to hear a quick recap of the news and boogie to KCRW’s awesome music programming before sitting down at the computer. Because I’m a very social person and I spend most of day in my office unless I’m shooting, I try to incorporate some type of meet up with friends. There’s lots of snacks, usually a walk, I shoot pictures, I download them, chill out, have a drink and dinner and talk on the phone — yup, I still do that! Then I’ll get in bed, bring up a documentary — I’m  obsessed with the old footage and I also love being inspired by the stories of real people — and hopefully fall asleep.

Are there any apps you can't live without?

Shazam, KCRW and Spotify cause I’m addicted to music. Instagram, of course, although I don’t post as much on Instagram anymore but I still check in everyday to see what others are doing. Photoshop obviously — because this girl loves to play with the retouch tools. And Signal, because I’m part of a very inspiring group of female photographers that specialize in journalism and we use it to communicate with each other.

“Mid-Monica” exhibition at Ted Casablanca Gallery in Palm Springs in 2016

When did you realize you’d “made it”?

Actually, there was a specific moment. It was February 13, 2016 at the Ted Casablanca Gallery in Palm Springs, the day before an exhibition of my self-portraits, “Mid-Monica”, opened to the public. This woman who was a collector walked by the gallery. She happened to have recently gotten a divorce and she felt this piece would really help her through the healing process. I remember feeling so emotional, feeling that my art could actually help heal a broken heart. That meant everything to me! That experience helped me really understand my “superpower”, that thing that really gives energy to what I do and what I love about it. I think that’s why I love shooting other artists through the process of creation and sharing their work with an audience. I understand that feeling of connecting through the amazing gift of art and creating.

What are you working on right now, and what would you like to work on next?

For years people have been asking me to make a book of my self portraits. It’s finally happening!!! I’m  super excited. It’s coming out next year as a celebration of the 10 year anniversary of shooting deMOnica! Then I’ve got a couple of self portrait projects that center around the next stage in my life and a photo series of my “muses”. That’s gonna be a good time! And, of course, I’m always looking to add to my roster of clients. I promise: we’ll have a good time and you’ll get great photos!

“Flipping the Birdie”