Life & Work with Tony Paez of Austin Mn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Paez.

Hi Tony, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My start in photography was kind of an accident, you could say—although when I look back, I have photos and memories of being curious about it since high school. I had asked my parents for a camera, and they bought me a 110mm film one. After that, years went by until I found a job as a graphic designer. There, I was putting together product catalogs and started taking photos for them.

It was through online courses and YouTube that I discovered other styles, like fashion and conceptual photography, which immediately hooked me and made me want to learn more. The search for knowledge and learning from that point on has never really stopped.

With the rise of social media—for me, around 2001—I took a risk and started calling myself a photographer. I discovered Model Mayhem, the website for connecting models, photographers, and artists, and I connected with some models in the area for my first real photoshoots. After that, recommendations started coming in from other models, and I began building my portfolio.

Then, some local magazines on the Texas border approached me to do their cover shoots, centerfolds, and features on important local people. I kept exploring and experimenting with more styles, and for income, I also did a lot of food photography for restaurant menus as a side gig.

But my true interest has always been to create unique pieces with style, with ART and elegance. I’ve learned to see beauty in every person, and I truly believe I can make almost anyone look like a magazine model.

These days, I do very few sessions because I’ve become very selective. I got drained from doing all kinds of shoots for families, kids, pregnancies, weddings, and events—it’s “just not my thing.” I believe I lean more towards being an artist than just being someone who provides a service as an individual with a camera in hand.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road, but it’s been a real and interesting journey. My story starts at the very beginning of the digital photography era. I remember my first camera was a used, 1-megapixel Kodak I bought from a coworker. It was so slow you’d click the shutter and wait over a second for it to actually take the picture—it’s funny to think about now!

The fundamental challenge, then and now, is that art is a tough path. Artists are thinkers and creators, but making a living from it is incredibly difficult because society often views art as a non-essential luxury. Yet, I believe that’s a contradiction. Who actually lives without art? You turn on the radio in your car, you go see a musical, you decorate your home with paintings or photos—we all rely on art to feel and connect.

The specific struggles I’ve faced are common to many creatives: the constant battle to have our work and experience valued fairly from a financial standpoint.

And now, we’re facing a new, monumental challenge. In 2025, the landscape is being reshaped by AI and the overwhelming power of technology. Phone cameras are so good that I often just use my Google Pixel for personal stuff—the barrier to taking a technically decent photo is gone. Similarly, in my other roles as a graphic designer and musician, I see the same uncertainty. Anyone can use Canva on their phone to design professional-looking invitations or logos. In music, AI can now compose, sing, mix, and master a polished, radio-ready song in minutes for almost no cost.

This technological shift is the biggest struggle yet, forcing every creative to question and redefine what we bring to the table that a machine cannot.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in conceptual and fashion-inspired photography, creating images that feel like elegant art rather than just pictures. What I’m most proud of is my ability to see and reveal the magazine-cover potential in every person I photograph.

What truly sets me apart is my deliberate shift from being a service provider to being a creative collaborator. I no longer just “show up with a camera.” I focus on projects that allow for artistic expression. In a world where everyone has a powerful camera, my value is my human eye and my ability to connect with and elevate a subject in a way that technology cannot.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’ve always been that kid—the eternally curious and observant one. I was a dreamer, a tinkerer, and a creator, constantly marveling at the world around me. My childhood was a classic Gen X experience, full of unstructured exploration.

My interests were a vibrant tapestry of art and science. I spent my time drawing, teaching myself guitar and piano, and exploring the outdoors. I was the kid collecting insect specimens to study them, constantly skating or riding my bike, and taking apart old radios to create new, imaginative inventions—all empirically, of course, long before YouTube existed. I was mesmerized by the ocean, watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries and dreaming of becoming a marine biologist. That love for science and technology was always there, alongside the arts.

They say the person you are before age eleven dictates your life’s path. Now, at 56, I can confirm it’s true. Every thread from my childhood has been woven into the fabric of who I am today.

My early curiosity for how things work evolved into running my own graphic design and printing business. The boy who was fascinated by visual storytelling and album art is the same man who is a photographer and filmmaker. The child who taught himself music is the adult who composes pop-rock music, deeply influenced by the sounds of the 60s through the 90s.

In essence, I never stopped being that kid. I simply found more sophisticated tools. My journey hasn’t been a straight line from A to B, but rather a constant integration of all my passions. Today, I am a multimedia artist, and it all feels like a natural extension of that curious, wonder-filled child who saw magic in everything from a butterfly’s wing to the circuits of a radio.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://austinphotopro.mypixieset.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093487290356