Meet Carlos Luna | Video maker & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carlos Luna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlos, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Well, it’s funny, some time ago I never thought I would end up pursuing one. In fact, as a kid I wasn’t set on pursuing any specific kind of career. I did well in school, so I kinda just went with the flow hoping to find an answer along the way. Maybe at some point, I thought I was set on becoming an architect, but that changed drastically once I found out that I love working with video. It started with a video project for my English class, which is when I first learned to use editing software. Then I found out that I was excited whenever I showed my stuff to people, and I loved seeing their reactions and hearing their thoughts. For me, the creative process is all about communication, and so when I work on my videos, my photography, and whatever else I do, I want people to understand some part of me. That’s why I pursue this kind of career, to have fun, and to, hopefully, have people understand aspects of me that I have difficulty putting into words. Like I said, I never thought I’d end up here, but I’m glad I have, nothing else has ever felt as fulfilling.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
While I do have video projects on the way, lately I have been focusing more on my photography. Essentially, I take pictures of familiar landscapes and try to capture not only how the moment looks but I also seek to capture what was going through my mind then and there. So when I upload my photographs, and if you look through my tiktoks and my Instagram stories, I have songs that accompany them. These are songs that I have listened to for a long time, or I have some emotional attachment to. I rather enjoy the process since I will spend a good amount of time looking through my library and playlists in order to find the perfect fit. So they’re rather unique in that way, since they’re so attached to my experience and perspective by bringing elements of my own surroundings together. That said, as I get more eyes on my work, I see just how much more I can improve on. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning ways to get better at photography, but I think at least I’m in the right direction. I welcome feedback on my work, since that’s how I learn if I communicate my thoughts and feelings effectively, which feels like the next stage in my career: to master understanding my emotions and knowing how to convey them through my art. Furthermore, I am trying to get more involved in my local arts community. I want to meet more people, learn from them and overall just have a greater presence. Art is not made in a vacuum, so the more influences I can have the better the ideas will flow and the more creative I can be. The pandemic made it rather difficult to explore my community in this way. But now that things are calmer there are more events happening and more people out and about. And because of that I’ve had to relearn how to handle crowds and how to carry a conversation with new people I meet. It’s been a bit of a battle since anxiety will resurface in these situations, and it can be rather intense at times. However, the connections I make, the work I get to do, it makes the discomfort worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Diego has plenty of places to go and stuff to do, but I usually try to show some of the less-known places here in the South Bay. We would probably start our day by going to the Front, a local art gallery. We’d hang out and talk about the art and I’d say hi to my friends in the staff. Afterwards we’d go get lunch, and there’s plenty of good places for that. There’s a taco shop down the street from where I live called El Sabroso, which has been there for years and just recently they expanded their place to have more places to sit. It is quality Mexican food and you won’t find anything better on this side of the border. We could also go to this restaurant inside this bright and colorful hut called El Rincon. The taste is unique in that it is as homemade as it gets. The cooks certainly took their time perfecting their recipes to deliver a unique and authentic take on Mexican cuisine. They don’t disappoint! Finally we’d finish our afternoon checking out local events. I wish they’d happen more often but there’s a couple of venues that will have an open mic night, or a local band playing. There’s many places to explore over here so we’d have a blast.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course, there’s so many! First, let’s go back to highschool where I met two amazing teachers: my video production teacher Michael Neumann and my biotech teacher, Jeannee Neumann, or Mr and Mrs. Neumann as I still lovingly call them. Their presence and their constant encouragement helped me get through a rather challenging time in school where I was wearing myself thin. I was juggling advanced coursework, extracurriculars, all the while I was trying to figure out what I was going to do after graduation. They were witness to all of my hard work, and recognized my potential. It felt good to be acknowledged like that. They provided guidance and wisdom that I still carry to this day. I couldn’t have asked for better mentors! I am also grateful to Casa Familiar, a community outreach organization here in San Ysidro, my home. I first started volunteering with their after school program back in high school, where I tutored kids and helped them with their homework. And now I am helping out at their local art gallery since I’m trying to get more involved in the creative community here in San Ysidro. If it weren’t for Casa Familiar I, and many others, wouldn’t have this great creative avenue to express ourselves and further our careers as artists. Then I have my friends with whom I’ve worked together to create video and film projects, and made wonderful memories as a result. I appreciate my friends overall since I share my happiness, sadness, and everything in between with them. We learn from each other and we get better as people and in our careers. I’m excited to see their growth and for them to see mine. Finally, I want to acknowledge my parents who have worked hard to provide me with a great education and a stable life. They made the difficult decision to leave home and family behind to move to this country so that I may have the opportunities I have today. Because of them, I met the wonderful people I know today. It’s because of them that I also had the freedom to choose this path, so I never felt like my options were limited. They never deterred me from becoming an artist, and have even praised my photography. I am forever grateful.

Website: https://absentinosaka.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/absentinosaka/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-luna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/absentinosaka

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absentinosaka

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCw18jNB9dTK0xlfkpoP-zw

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@absentinosaka

Image Credits
Isabelle Rubio