Downtown Austin Becomes a Backdrop for Bold, Fashion-Forward Photo Series by Local Artist

Following a competitive selection process with more than 50 applicants, Austin-based photographer Ismael Quintanilla III was named one of six photographers selected for the Downtown Austin Alliance’s 2024 XOXO Photography Fellowship, a program aimed at capturing the character and energy of downtown through the lens of local artists.

Each six-week fellowship comes with a stipend, professional mentorship and access to resources from the Downtown Austin Alliance. Fellows are encouraged to capture the people and places that give downtown Austin its character. The program culminated with a public exhibition and artist talks hosted on Jan. 17 at the Downtown Austin Alliance’s DASA space at 506 Congress Ave.

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Hector Martinez, Gabriella Tropea, Davin Pham, Russell Crawford, Rachael Healey and Irena Kukh at Waterloo Park. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

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Rachael Healey, Davin Pham, Russell Crawford, and Irena Kukh at Waterloo Park. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

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Davin Pham, Hector Martinez, Gabriella Tropea, Russell Crawford, Irena Kukh and Rachael Healey at Waterloo Park. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

Downtown Austin through a new lens

“The XOXO Photography Fellowship Program empowers emerging photographers to capture the essence of Downtown Austin while fostering a sense of belonging,” says Vanessa Olson, vice president of communications and marketing at the Downtown Austin Alliance. “By uplifting diverse voices through photography, this program helps shape a more inclusive downtown where creativity thrives and everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen, safe and welcome.”

For Quintanilla, the fellowship marked a creative pivot. Best known for his concert and music festival photography at events like ACL Fest, SXSW and Lollapalooza, he applied to the program after seeing a post on Instagram.

Under the guidance of mentor and branding expert Chie Endo, Quintanilla set out to document downtown Austin through a playful, lifestyle-driven lens.

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Tess Davis poses outside Roppolo’s Pizzeria on West Sixth Street. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

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Thomas Lopez, Tyler Sanders, Janie Samreth, Davin Pham at Cheer Up Charlies. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

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Janie Samreth, Hector Martinez, Tyler Sanders, Davin Pham and Tess Davis at Cheer Up Charlies. (Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III)

Stylish scenes of the city

“We started talking, and she said, ‘Let’s do some project to bring people back into downtown and make them fall in love again,’” explains Quintanilla.

The final series weaves together snapshots of city life, transitioning from sunny picnics and playscapes at Waterloo Park to neon-lit nightlife along West Sixth Street and at Cheer Up Charlies in the Red River Entertainment District.

“I go mainly for shows, but we wanted to show it when it’s not a show,” adds Quintanilla. “The architecture of that park is really cool. We wanted to show the buildings around, the high-rise and the urban aspect that the park has, but also the green area.”

The models were cast through a public callout initiated by Endo, who worked with wardrobe stylist Katherine Paige Sumner to create looks that reflected the mood of each scene.

Quintanilla’s creative journey

Quintanilla, who holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering, moved to Austin in 2013 for an engineering job. His passion for photography took root years earlier in McAllen, Texas, where he’d bring point-and-shoot film cameras into metal shows to photograph bands like Pantera and Judas Priest.

“I used to go to a lot of metal shows and carry some sort of disposable camera. I still have those negatives,” he says. “One of my biggest influences was a childhood friend in Mexico who became a photographer for a newspaper. I saw his music photography and started understanding the whole concept of photo passes and working with artists. I started working with my friends’ bands and eventually started covering bigger shows.”

After years of juggling photography with a full-time engineering career, he finally made the leap to focus on shooting music full-time.

“I was putting in 40 hours at my engineering job and another 40 doing photography. Eventually, I decided to take the dive and go full time,” Quintanilla explains.

For Quintanilla, the highlight of the fellowship was seeing his work on display at the final exhibition. “We created commercial-level photography, and I was able to use my own style. Seeing it all come together downtown was really cool.”

To learn more about the XOXO Photography Fellowship Program, visit downtownaustin.com.

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