Tips For The Best Photos! pg.3
ENTITY find yourself.
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According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “entity” is defines as “something that has a separate and distinct existence and objective or conceptual reality.” Usually, the word is used to describe organizations separate from a larger group. Entity is a Rio Grande Valley based magazine that focuses on highlighting individuals who really stand out above others in the Valley for their creativity and mode of self expression. Self expression is not limited to anything. Self expression can be fashion, art, photography, videography, anything that strays away from the norm. Throughout this issue, I hope that those reading this find the inspiration to go out and pursue any projects they have been dreaming of completing. Want to start an Instagram account for your artwork? Add that account! Want to change your wardrobe? Start window (online) shopping. Thinking of getting into photography? Grab your phone and take a walk around your neighborhood. Self creativity and expression is what has separated everyone since the beginning of time. Everyone who is someone expresses themselves in ways that most people are too afraid to do so. Be the entity that strays from the rest of society. Find yourself.
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leonardo geovanni garza
@leogeo25
PHOTOSHOOTS 101 Getting the perfect picture is way more than having a good camera
Fashion. Angles. Lighting. Location. All very valuable key factors that play a big part in the way photos come out after shoots. Many people are under the impression that because they don’t own a thousand-dollar camera, they can’t receive professional looking photos. Because we live in the Rio Grande Valley, we’re use to hearing people say their Instagram feed is “wack”
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because no one wants to go take pictures at the same location that everyone else has already shot at. Ahem the murals on 17th Street. The key to a suceessful photoshoot requires a little more creativity and planning than one would expect. It shouldn’t matter where you are. You can always use the most mundane locations or props to spice up an otherwise basic looking photo. All one has to
do is drive around, think of an eye-catching outfit and get creative. However, once many people get the to actual shooting part, they make the mistake of only taking vertical and hortizontal photos. Failing to realize a great photo series is more than that.
photography
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By Jacqueline Peraza
tips for GREAT shots
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ex p l o r e a l l angles
Don’t be afraid to go down low or way up h i g h t o g e t a n i n t e resting shot that might otherwise be skimmed o v e r.
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get up close
If you really want to radiate some confidence as the “model” let the photographer shoot up close. Tight shots add variety to your Instagram carousel for people to see.
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don’t forget about details
L a s t l y, d o n ’ t l e t t h e outfit or accessories g o u n n o t i c e d . Yo u r followers are probably going to zoom in on y o u r s h o e s a n y w a y, s o give them what they want.
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FASHION
YOUR SUMMER GUIDE
How To:
There’s no doubt that the biggest 2020 summer trends are minimalistic yet extremely bold and large, detailed and silky scarves are no exception. The rise of the large scarf fashion appeared early in the spring months on social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and now, the ever-so-popular, TikTok. Our feeds are filled with celebrities, influencers and creators rocking a scarf as a top or as a chic headpiece. So, here are our favorite ways we’ve seen these pieces be worn. Wrap Around - Probably the most common and easiest way the scarf can be styled. An
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style scarves four ways
elevated tube top one might describe it as. Pair it with your favorite pair loose demin jeans or shorts for an easy, casual summer day look. Mini Top - The way this style looks on screams tropical summer vacation. A little more revealing that the previous option but it looks way boujee and sexy. Pair it with some white denim to look extra stylish. Hair Wrap - Not feeling the scarf top today? No worries. You can use your scarf to add a little eye candy to your hairstyle on a casual day. Super fun, super easy and you can match any outfit to it! The possibilities are
endless when you decide on this style. Scandalous & Sexy - Wear this on your most confident days if you dare! Like it’s name, it is the most scandalous of the four ways but the most beautiful and creative way to wear your scarf. Pair it with anything you please and wear it out on date night! Whichever way you chose to rock a large scarf this summer, remember you look #AMAZING.
Scan here for full top tutorials!
Wrap Around
Mini Top
Scandalous & Sexy
THE TREND
Hair Wrap
LARGE SCARVES
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photography
Meet The Artist
Valeria Lopez Born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and raised in McAllen, Valeria Lopez has always had a deep appreciation for the art of photography. She never fails to stop whomever she’s with to go back and get a shot of a flower peaking from a bush, a peliculiar building or just about anything that grabs her attention. Not only does she capture the object, Lopez finds a way to show every stunning detail in the photo. What might seem to be ordinary to others, goes way beyond what meets the eye for her. After high school, Lopez made the decision to move six hours away from the place she grew up in, to pursue a career in photography at the University of Houston. At the university, she has taken art and photography courses to enhance her natural talent. Next fall semester, she will be attending block classes with other fellow photographer classmates to help prepare her for the real world. Here, we showcase her travel collection. On summer vacations, Lopez cannot leave home without her camera. On this spread we can see photographs from her trip to Washington, D.C last summer. Her photography can be found on her Instagram account, @_pareidoliaa, which I definitely suggest checking out.
Find which style most suits your personality!
Choose a word to describe yourself. a. artistic b. edgy c. funny
What shoes are you buying? a. Converse b. Vans c. Doc Martens
Pick a color. a. Yellow b. black c. pastel blue
Chose an artist to listen to all day. a. Mac DeMarco b. Juice WRLD c. Billie Eilish
What does the perfect day look like to you? a. writing a song and playing guitar b. skating at the park c. saving the sea turtles 9
If you answered:
Mostly The Art Girl/Boy
Which one of these shops are you most likely to shop at? a. Urban Outfitters b. Zumiez c. Glossier
This individual is usually obsessed with everything artsy. Can always be seen with a kanken backpack, painted pair of old jeans, colorful shirts/jackets and probably has Van Gogh socks.
Mostly The E-Boy/E-Girl
If you could live anywhere in the world, which city would you pick? a. Paris b. New York City c. Los Angeles During quarantine, which Netflix original series did you binge watch? a. The Politician b. Sex Education c. Never Have I Ever
This individual usually hasblack painted nails, skates, wears black clothes and chains and beanies. Girls can be found wearing pink eyeshadow with a large wing, little hearts under the eyes.
Mostly The VSCO Girl/Boy
This individual wears a scrunchie, tube top, puka shell necklace, white vans or birkenstocks. VSCO Boys wear white vans, Nike shorts and pastel-color T-shirts like Vineyard Vines.
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FASHION
Step out of your
comfort zone We all learn at a young age what it is we’re comfortable with doing. Like riding a bike with the training wheels, hitting the ball off a tee and having someone spot you while you learn how to do a cartwheel for the first time. However, there comes a time where you decide to take the training wheels off, swing at your friend’s pitch and throw the back handspring into the foam pit without your teacher’s help. It’s called stepping out of our comfort zone. We do this many, many times throughout our lives. Entering adulthood, many people step out of their comfort bubble with the life decisions they make: choosing a career, moving out and sometimes, what they wear. Fashion is fast moving and while trends come and go, it’s important to find what you decide to express yourself in and how you build up the courage to do it. Carlos Segura, 20, speaks about the importance of finding inspiration and how clothes help make an everlasting first impression. 11
carlos adan segura
@carlosas
Where do you find your style inspiration from? I find my inspiration is based off of a lot simple, neutral colors and pieces because I always say simplicity is the best. Even though I like and try to be simple with most of my outfits, I also enjoy pairing a good colorful statement item like jacket or T-shirt with toned-down colors. I use to avoid bright colors because they tend to draw a lot of attention while out in public, but one day I figured why put so much effort into a ‘fit for no one to look at it, you know? How do you keep confident in the outfits you wear? To be honest, I’m not the most confident but I am also not shy. So, a lot of the time I don’t care about what others are going to think of what I’m wearing.
I think the only time I do care about what others think about what I’m wearing is during special occasions or when I know, for a fact, that pictures are going to be taken. I want to look best for the camera.
What is your favorite fashion trend at the moment? Hmm. That’s a good question. I don’t know if I have a favorite trend actually. Wait, I do think the dangling piercing on guys is cool. I’ve had my piercing for close to a year now and I just bought a new earing
for it that I saw on an Instagram ad. It’s super cool. It’s a gold, abstract hoop. So, I guess that’s cool. Most trends I follow aren’t really for males. I usually follow female trends because my sisters and friends are constantly talking about them. What impression do you hope to give off with your appearance? I’m actually pretty bad when it comes to first impressions. I really don’t understand why. So, before meeting people I usually like to look presentable yet be comfortable in my outfit choice. I guess, at the end of the day, it also depends on when I’m going, where I’m going and who I am meeting. I always try to look my best at any time so in case I do make the wrong first impression at least they can say, “Yo, his fit was hard though.”
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