“I can score goals and the perfect portrait shot.” – Alejandro “Alejo” Hoyos
Gem story was written by: Stay Klassay
Alejandro “Alejo” Hoyos always had the gift of mastering anything that he touches, whether it be a soccer ball he received for his third birthday or his mother’s Canon camera. In fact, after years of honing his skills in sports and photography, Alejo can now proclaim himself as both a professional soccer player and photographer!
Being homeschooled his entire life, Alejo looked to his community for an association, playing soccer through various local clubs. Eventually, he was asked to try out for a professional indoor soccer team.
“I am the youngest field player on the Orlando Seawolves reserve team.”
He is currently a second-tier player in the United States Soccer Association. Although he makes little money from this career, he also has a side hustle in another industry.
His love for film was introduced early on by his parents. While Alejo was a child, they decided to make a short film centered around their dancing career. During the creation process, he was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes of the project, and sometimes he was even called on to help operate the camera. Like we mentioned earlier about Alejo’s gift… once he gets his hands on something, the rest is history!
“Many people don’t know this about me.”
Fast forward to a little over a couple of years ago, to the launch of A5 Productions, Alejo’s very own photography company! The name of his artistic venture definitely had a personal inspiration. The A was of course taken from his own name, while the 5 represents his jersey number along with the number of people in his family. At the outset, Alejo was taking pictures with a Canon Rebel T5 camera, a beloved Christmas gift from his mom. Most of his skills were acquired from YouTube University. Spending countless hours practicing the skills he learned from these videos, being open to taking pictures of anything and striving to learn new techniques has kept Alejo at the top of his game (no, not the soccer game!). In addition to snapping photos, Alejo maintains his childhood love for videography, always looking to gain more experience in this field as well. From portraits, cars, and even weddings… A5 Productions does it all!
A typical shooting day for our gem photographer consists of charging camera batteries, trying to locate those easy-to-misplace SD cards (and hoping that they have enough storage), and, surprisingly, NOT checking the weather! Even though Alejo never checks on the mood of mother nature before a shoot, he somehow is always blessed with blue skies and puffy clouds for that perfect outdoor lighting! Something he does make sure to do before any shoot is to thoroughly study the chosen location, making note of the best shooting areas and angles. He feels that if the person behind the lens is confident, the person in front of the lens will feel the same way!
Along with all the passion he puts into A5 Productions, Alejo’s love for soccer has not been forgotten. One of his long-term goals is to make it to the fourth tier in the USSA, which would allow him to make even more money playing the sport he loves the most. There is no doubt that Alejo will be able to make his dream a reality, in large part because of the support of his parents and younger siblings. They are still a major part of his life, even after his recent relocation to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alejo Hoyos is definitely a gem you want to keep track of as he kicks and clicks his way to even higher heights!
Rate us and Write a Review
