when he began his photography pursuit Bonillas relied on social media to connect with the Phoenix community .
“ My first fashion shoot was set up by connecting with people on Instagram ,” Bonillas explained , “ At that point , I had nothing in my portfolio that showed I could shoot fashion , other than some photos my sister had modeled for .”
What began as an amateur pursuit quickly morphed into a potential profession , and Bonillas ’ first fashion shoot — a collaboration that included a stylist , model , and hair and makeup artists — was published .
“ The opportunity that the stylist gave me was the opening of Pandora ’ s box ,” recounts Bonillas , “ It gave me the confidence and actual photos to begin approaching agencies and models . It all grew from there .”
Since entering the world of photography , Bonillas spent two years in lifestyle photography . Last year he began intensifying his endeavours to capture portraiture and fashion ; “ I work with a local agency pretty frequently so I can easily approach them with ideas and they always appreciate the images for the models ’ books .”
Managing his parents ’ Mexican restaurant a few days a week , Bonillas is able to devote the rest of his time to forming teams for personal and professional fashion and portrait projects . “ The restaurant keeps me connected to people ,” said Bonillas , who applies experience from the service and management industries to his photography