About Me

Hi, my name is Aldo Bañuelos, I am 27 years old, married, and was born in Mexico City. I currently live in Brownsville, TX. I graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. I found my passion for photography when I was 18 and set a goal to buy my first camera. I have been shooting since March 2017 and have found myself exploring different aspects of photography from portraits to astrophotography. I have about 3 years of experience in the marketing industry working with a local agency, which helped open my mind and improve my attention to detail. I love traveling and going out to shoot as much as I possibly can. I would one day like to become a Sony Artisan of Imagery and work for National Geographic traveling the world capturing its beauty. I currently work for donations towards my degree program. 

How I Got Into Photography

I had always liked nature and occasionally taking pictures of flowers and raindrops. The first device I used to take pictures was an iPod touch 5th gen, I didn't know anything about photography or editing back then but I got some good pictures... or so I thought. I tried macro and landscape photography and went on to buy a Sony a6300 after saving up for a while.  It was then, after getting my first camera, that I realized I wanted to dive in deeper into the world of camera gear and editing and investing towards improving both the image quality and the creativity in the shots I take. I enjoy occasionally going out to shoot my friends while we have fun and catch up on life. 

Style


My main goal is to travel the world and capture the beauty in people, nature, engineering and culture. I prefer the least retouching possible for people and nature in order to show true natural beauty. I prefer prime lenses and challenging myself to learn new things every time I go out to shoot. 

Get To Know Me More

Photography is not the only thing that makes me who I am. As previously mentioned, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from UTRGV, this stems from my passion for technology. I love learning about new tech and even built my own gaming/editing PC. In my spare time from school, I love to cook, workout, travel, play videogames, play guitar, listen to music, and watch shows. My favorite show right now is The Mandalorian and my favorite Star Wars character is R2-D2. In addition to English, I know Spanish, French, Portuguese, and a bit of German and Arabic. I am a very open person and love getting to meet new people and clients so you can always turn to my Instagram stories for a glimpse of my life.

Social Media

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Gear

Sony A7RIII

After using the a6300 for years, I upgraded during Black Friday. This camera is an amazing upgrade. With its 42MP I can capture amazing detail for both my portraiture work and product photography. This camera was a worthy upgrade to my arsenal and my main camera.

Sony a6300

Phenomenal camera. 11fps , 4K, 120fps Full HD. This camera has everything I need. Fantastic in low light situations. I have shot this camera at ISO 16,000 and been able to bring back a significant amount of detail using Lightroom. The autofocus is out of this world. I really can't say I've had any problems with it and I haven't found a better option on the APS-C market from other manufacturers for the price. It's already showing some age but it's still as trusty as the day I got it.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro ART

I got this lens as soon as it came out. I was looking for a macro lens and saw this one had great reviews. Amazing image quality in terms of sharpness, contrast, and lack of chromatic aberration. It's definitely replaced my 50 1.8 as a main lens.  I am extremely satisfied with its capabilities as a lens for both macros and portraits. 

Sigma 16mm f/ 1.4 DG DN Contemporary

Amazing piece of glass and bang for buck. This lens is extremely sharp and produces fantastic results even wide open at f 1.4. The only con of this lens is that the autofocus isn't as snappy and fast as a native Sony lens. Until Sony releases an equivalent lens, this is the best wide angle you can get for your E-mount camera.

Sony 50mm f/ 1.8 FE

Having previously borrowed a Canon 50mm f/ 1.8 II from a friend and loving how sharp it was I set out to buy myself this lens. It gives me the autofocus I need,  smooth bokeh. and a great focal length at a relatively affordable price. In my opinion Canon's nifty-fifty is a bit sharper and renders bokeh differently so I might buy myself the STM version in order to get more creative with my shooting.

Sony 55-210mm f/ 4.5 - 6.3

This lens gets the job done. It's a kit lens so the image quality is really soft, lots of chromatic aberration. It will get you started in photography but you'll most likely want to upgrade in the future if you want to be taken seriously.

Sony 16-50mm f/ 3.5-5.6

This kit lens came with the camera. Just like the 55-210, this lens is really soft but again, it gets the job done. 

Godox TT658S Speedlight with  XT1 Wireless Transmitter

I chose this as my go to flash to start off. After careful consideration this was the most "bang for your buck" I could find out there. On or off camera this gives me the extra bit of light I might need in some situations.

Fotodiox Pro Fusion Canon EF/EF-S to Sony E-mount Adapter

I bought this in order to adapt Canon lenses and have full communication between the lens and the camera. For just $100 it works great for things where you don't need a fast autofocus or prefer manual focus. 

Sony LCSBP3 Backpack

I got this backpack to replace my Lowepro Sling Passport III Messenger Bag. It fits everything I need (even my thick and heavy alienware laptop) and has great back support. Great price and it's Sony branded so it goes well with my gear.

Albott 70 Inch Tripod/Monopod

This tripod is only $45 on Amazon and does everything I need it to. So far it has withstood the elements (salt water, snow, dirt, etc.) and been ran over by a friend's car. This is a great starter tripod. 

Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 (2021)

Ryzen 9 5900HS, Nvidia RTX 3070, 40GB RAM @ 3200Mhz, 1TB SSD, and a 165Hz QHD screen that is Pantone certified. This laptop is light, well-built, and definitely capable of handling everything.  

Peak Design Capture Lens

When you're at events you might want to switch between lenses quickly. This allows me to do so. Even though I bought it at a discount, it's a bit pricey...yet it's reliable and sturdy. I would recommend this for events such as weddings where you'll probably want to switch between a wide angle and a telephoto.

Generic Waterproof Pouch

This pouch costs around $20 USD and took about a month to come in from China (AliExpress). It's a great alternative to spending hundreds if not thousands on a waterproof housing specific to your camera for light duty underwater shots.