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“Dos sangres—it means two bloods. My dad used to say, ‘When people ask where you’re from, say you’re salvamexusa.’”
Thalia Gochez, daughter of a mother from Mexico and father from El Salvador, takes pride in being a child of immigrants. The appreciation for her culture and being a first generation American is displayed in her drive as a photographer and the rich creativity expressed throughout her work. Self-taught, Gochez didn’t particularly take to the traditional learning experience. Instead, she found and forged her way by following inspirations early in her journey.
She recalls the time she moved from her home in Los Angeles. “I was sleeping on my homegirl’s couch in San Francisco, and one day decided I’d go to community college and take a couple styling classes. One was run by Natalie Smith—an incredible Black educator that opened the door for me as far as what creativity is in fashion,” Gochez started. “She brought material outside of the curriculum that had a lot of Black and Brown influence. For one of the assignments, I worked closely with a photographer, and during the photoshoot I wanted to grab the camera right out of his hand,” she laughs. “I went to the flea market that weekend and got a film camera for $1.”
Gochez began shooting with friends—incorporating her fashion influence—but wanted to tell a story using every element she could within the image. She’d shoot her homegirls in places that mirrored their identity, whether it was their grandmother’s home, a grocery store, or a restaurant they grew up going to—everything in the shot mattered. “I want the texture of the restaurant to be photographed just as well as the subject. I see the importance in connecting those things,” says Gochez, whose intentionality goes beyond just getting the right shot.
“I look at this as a soup that has certain ingredients—styling, communication, equitability . . . is everyone getting paid what they deserve? I don’t want to exploit myself or them. What about consent? Do the models know where their image is living?”
Creating with a set of principles is essential for Gochez. The way in which she works builds trust, and that trust has played a key part in her thriving career. “It’s real to me—my relationships with these people. That doesn’t stop when this camera turns off.” Thus, the absence of management and agency representation has not stopped Gochez from reaching the rooms she’s meant to be in; rallied around her is a community that has aided in the introduction of success’ welcoming presence.
“My community put me on. They’re everything to me. They trust me, and I have a responsibility to them to create with respect and honor because I never want to jeopardize that bond,” Gochez states, making her that much more of an asset to any production she is a part of. From collaborations with brands such as Kids of Immigrants, Rare Beauty, and Nike, she’s been able to show herself—and those that have tried to place her in a box—that her style makes room for her and those she represents. That her artistic viewpoint not only matters, but inspires.
So, where does Gochez, a woman who has become an inspiration and pillar of her community, go to be inspired? She goes for a long walk in the city. “Los Angeles has my heart to the T. I like to grab my headphones, put on a playlist, and just walk with this little black book and pen I carry to write down ideas.” Inspiration isn’t something she pressures herself to find, nor does she think it can be controlled. Whether it be the pretty or painful memories of the past, or how the light is hitting the door at the liquor store in the present, Gochez knows how to position herself to receive the gift she calls inspiration.
“I go out of my way to set myself up to be inspired. I know when I isolate, I'm not being a vessel for inspiration. How we connect to our creativity and how we connect to ourselves is the same. I can find inspiration from darkness, but I don't want to live like that anymore.”
Expressing herself creatively is how Gochez connects to her highest self. It’s allowed her to hold space for not just the colorful aspects of who she is, but all that makes her human. “I never want it to seem like things are perfect. I still feel and experience loss and sadness and an array of emotions. Tapping into my creativity is loving myself; sometimes it's hard but I still try,” she shares.
Photography is a safe space for Thalia Gochez. One that encourages her thriving and the showing up of her authentic self. More than that, it’s a space she has simultaneously created for others to do the same. “I want people to feel safe and strong. Super strong,” she starts. “I want people to know that their story and the things that make them unique are their superpower.” The thread that connects her community, the lifeblood of her work, and the true art of photography is the honoring of human connection. This connectedness is what she wants people to feel when they see her art. To experience the wonder of what it means to feel seen, known, accepted, and valued. To experience true empowerment.
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