Meet Christopher Gonzalez: Wedding Videographer & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Christopher, how do you think about risk?
It sounds cliche, probably because it is, but if you never take any risks in life then you’re not really living life to its full potential. It’s easy to be complacent, it is – but you miss out on so many opportunities if you’re just focused on the risk rather than the reward. Once you grow comfortable, you stop growing. I’ve found, personally, my greatest achievements and triumphs have come on the back of something that challenged me. When I initially decided I wanted to venture into the world of wedding videography and photography, it would’ve been easy to to talk myself out of it. I was young, fresh out of college and I had no knowledge of the industry. All I had was the desire to somehow get my foot in the door and seize whatever opportunity was thrown my way. I remember the day that first opportunity came. We were invited to assist a venue (Esperanza Estate and Equestrian Center) at a wedding expo. At this point the only experience I had in the industry was a small video we put together from the last hour of a friend’s wedding reception. I was terrified to go into the wedding expo! Just walking around the expo, you’d notice there were hundreds of vendors for couples to choose from. It felt like we had no place there, as every vendor had years of experience and a mind-blowing reel to market themselves. But if I hadn’t taken the risk of going, if I had let that scare me, I would’ve missed out on our first official hire. If it wasn’t for that first wedding, we wouldn’t have been hired for a dozen weddings in our first year. That reward wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t take the initial leap of faith, despite what appeared to be a huge risk.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to think that what sets us apart in the wedding industry is our joyfulness, passion, care and attention throughout the process. Most couples don’t give much consideration to how much time they spend with their photographers and videographers on their wedding day. We spend more time with the bride and groom than their families do! It’s perhaps the most intimate day of your life and not only is it our responsibility to capture these moments, but also make it as enjoyable for the couple as well. As the couple, taking so many pictures throughout the day can quickly become a headache so it’s important that your photographers and videographers know how to keep things enjoyable for everyone. The simple option would be to approach it as any ordinary job, fulfill your duty for the day as impersonally as possible and move on. That’s no fun! Weddings are a celebration of love and the experience is meant to be enjoyed. We’ve learned no wedding and no couple are alike, each one offers something unique. There’s been countless times we’ve shown up on a wedding morning to a couple that were practically strangers to us and we have ended the night creating lifelong memories with new friends. We still keep in contact with many of the couples we have worked with! Creating new relationships makes working in such a “high stress” industry so rewarding. As much as we’ve provided our couples with lifelong memories, they’ve blessed us with infinite more. For that I’m eternally grateful.
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?
I’m a beach bum at heart so the majority of our activities would be spent at the beach – we can kayak at Oleta State Park or hangout at Haulover Park. I love going to Haulover on a Tuesday afternoon because they always have a variety of food trucks there. I love going out to eat so we’d spend a lot of our time visiting my favorite places like Finka, Vicky’s House, Lokal, The Timeout Market, Bokampers, The Taco Spot, Morelia’s, Knaussberry Farm, Tripping Animals Brewery and so many more. One of my favorite spots in Ft Lauderdale isa must do as well, Chops x Hops where we can drink a few beers and toss some axes. The best thing about living in South Florida is our close proximity to the Keys and Orlando, as they make the perfect destination for a one day trip.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m a Christian and was raised on the principles of tithing. If you don’t know its basically giving 10 percent of your income back to God. When you grow up in church you always hear stories of miracles happening due to tithing, and it’s easy to chalk it up as a coincidence – until the miracle happens to you. Tithing works. I don’t believe my business would be where its at today if God didn’t open the door. I also wouldn’t be here without the support and encouragement from my family, they’ve always supported every crazy idea I have had. I’d also like to thank my girlfriend, who is my favorite second shooter and business partner, who has been by my side at every wedding and has endured all the highs and lows of this journey along with me.
Website: https://www.vistapointvideography.com
Instagram: @_vistapoint
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClEub0tWpBIFEfJOhbEGekw?view_as=subscriber