Meet Marina Oya | Photographer and Video Creator

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

Hi Marina, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I chose to pursue art as my career because every since I was a child, it was the only thing that truly connected me to my innermost self. I was able to discover my deepest thoughts, emotions, and perspectives, with everything I created. I started out with drawing, but then eventually discovered film and photography. That is when I really found my calling. I became obsessed with shooting and the way it made me feel to see the things I imagined come to life through my camera lens. After spending a lot of time making my own short films and taking pictures of friends, I started to develop a more conceptual side to my work. The more I did that, the more others took notice. I started getting asked to shoot for different occasions, and even a few brands reached out to me to create for them. I realized that something I loved this much, could actually become my full time career. I began putting all of my time and energy into making my photography my full time job. I gained momentum in my art, giving me the courage to take a leap of faith and move away from my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico to San Diego, California.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My photography makes me proud because it embodies a lot of the things I have struggled with in a positive way. I was always insecure and not a very confident person. When I started taking photos and I would show them to my subjects, I saw how happy and confident it made them. As soon as I realized that, I wanted to continue to use my work to uplift women, especially in a society that thrives off of tearing them down. I primarily shoot with women for this reason. A lot of my work is fashion and beauty based, which I love because fashion is a way to express oneself and create individuality. However, the fashion and beauty industry is known to create a lot of insecurities within women and girls. I want to use my work to stand up against that. I don’t heavily photoshop my images because I want to show women their natural beauty is more than enough to be represented as is. I think the hardest part of this journey for me has been marketing. I had to really teach myself about marketing my skills and talents if I wanted to book clients consistently. It wasn’t something I was ever really taught in school. With the advancement of social media today, I was able to showcase my work for many to see and that ultimately helped me find the clients and work I have had. But even today I’m still working towards what I want to be. I live, breathe, and dream art. All I want to do is create constantly and anyone who allows me to do that for them, has helped me become what I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m still fairly new to San Diego, but I think a great place to hang out is Little Italy. There is great food, atmosphere, honestly there is something for everyone there. La Jolla is such a beautiful area to walk around. There’s lots of cute shops and local businesses, and the beaches are very nice. North Park is a great area to get coffee and explore. I also absolutely love the farmer’s market in Hillcrest every Sunday, there are some amazing vendors and incredible artists to check out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to shoutout both of my parents for always giving me endless support on wanting to make a career in art, I know there are a lot of people who never had that luxury, and I remind myself constantly never to take that for granted. I would also love to shoutout my OG film instructor Su Hudson, for opening me up into this world. If it wasn’t for her classes and wisdom, I might not have discovered this medium and my love for it. She is a powerful female role model for me in this industry and always supported my visions and ideas. She helped me push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I still think of her constantly and all the advice she gave me over the years.

Website: https://www.cosmiccreationist.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmic_creationist/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-oya-b790581b3/