Meet Timony Siobhan Ramos: Photographer | Retoucher | Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Timony Siobhan Ramos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Timony, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the quickest way to answer this is that I show up on time, I turn in assets when I say I will, I actively communicate with my clients about their needs and expectations, and I am meticulous about the quality of my work. Until recently, I have always worked in-house/full time for brands. I’ve been working in Los Angeles for a decade now and I think that by working in-house I have had the opportunity to be more involved with the brands and have a deeper understanding of their needs. So, when a client comes to me now, even though my services are freelance I have a better understanding of what kind of assets they need across all channels (ecom, social, advertising, etc.). I work a lot with start-ups so being able to set a standard of visuals/assets is crucial to establishing a brand. Also, having worked in LA for so long I have met some amazing people and built a fantastic network of creatives. I am very lucky to have more referrals than my workload can handle so I make an effort, especially since covid hit, to refer gigs and opportunities to other creatives that I don’t have the bandwidth to take on. I think there is a lot of aggressive competition between photographers/creatives which is a tragedy. Our energy would be so much better spent supporting each other and being creative!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So, it has always been a dream of mine to be fully self employed and freelance. Amusingly, I had a conversation with the brand I was working for full time about two weeks before Covid hit about transitioning from full time to part time/freelance remote work. Even though I was full-time then, I had been building relationships with freelance clients for the past year or so. Now, almost a year into Covid, I am fully self employed with a roster of seven steady clients, all of whom I love. Each one is really like a relationship, which requires a certain amount of attention, but having worked with each brand for so long now I think I have a solid understanding of everyone’s needs and expectations. Having a steady workload also gives me the advantage of being selective with any new projects that come my way. I had always been afraid of the desperation that might come with being freelance, the uncertainty, but in a lot of ways it is just like having a full time job. I also find it much more stimulating working for multiple clients than I ever did working for a single brand. As fantastic as it is to be where I am now, it wasn’t easy! I’ve spent years building the skills and relationships necessary to be where I am now with my career! I’m so grateful for everyone who gave me an opportunity to be where I am now. I think there is a strong inclination to compare yourself to other creatives, especially early in your career, and that is a really toxic, self destructive tendency that needs to be discouraged. My mother always told me, “You can have whatever you want as long as you work for it,” which is something I’ve always taken to heart.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If this was pre-covid, then Friday night would be dinner at Speranza in Silverlake (their pesto pasta is my favorite and they make all their pasta fresh!) or Little Dom’s around Los Feliz. After that, perhaps a round at the Friend bar or Cha Cha lounge (if you want something more dive-y) but inevitably you want to end up at Tenants of the Trees around midnight. Friday night was the best night, I used to take party photos there and I have never seen such an exciting and diverse crowd of all the coolest kids dressed to the nines. Saturday I’d drag them downtown to the fashion and flower districts. We’d push through crowds and haggle over the prices of sunglasses and exotic orchids. Dinner would be sushi as Sushi Komasa in little Tokyo. Afterwards, we’d go out past the arts district to some sort of warehouse party, Metro Geo or something of the sort, and dance on top of a car parked indoors on the third story of an industrial building (might even be the one that used to be American Apparel). Sunday we’ll nurse our hangovers at Intelligentsia coffee at Sunset Junction. I always love thrifting on Sundays, but I prefer the dirtier spots like Out of the Closet and Goodwill rather than some of the fancier “vintage” shops in LA (I’m hunting for bargains!). Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ah! I’ve met so many amazing people in LA, it is hard to narrow this down! I think a shoutout needs to go to Kim Walls, founder of BEB Organic, co founder of Furtuna Skin, Bamini Furtuna, and Kelsen Products (and probably a few more I’m not remembering at the moment! She does so much!). Kim hired me at a cosmetics company a few years back and we have collaborated on a variety of projects ever since. She has been one of the most supportive people that I’ve had in my career, always encouraging me and reminding me of the value of my work. Our “quick chats” always turn into a few hours of deep conversations. I absolutely adore her and she’s been a fantastic mentor to me for the past few years. It would also be remiss of me not to mention my husband, Carlos Ramos, who has supported and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I wouldn’t be where and who I am now without him.

Website: http://www.timonysiobhan.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timony-siobhan-ramos/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/timony