A Day in the Life of Galway Photographer Yamila Pavía

You might have seen her work in our current issue, across social media or in the pages of Vogue Netherlands. Either way, fashion photographer Yamila Pavía is a force to be reckoned with. Here, she gives us a peek into her Galway city life.

Yami’s Morning Routine: Mate, Mindfulness, and Skincare

I get up at 7:30am, and my body drags itself in auto-pilot to the kitchen, where I prepare my mate, bitter beverage of the Argentinian gods, to properly wake up.

I take around 10 minutes to have a look at my to-do list of the day, track my weekly progress, and journal a little. From 8am to 9am it’s my “education hour” that I use to read, take a lesson of a course, or do some homework of said course.

My morning skincare routine consists of:

• Charlotte Tilbury's Glow Toner
• That TikTok viral CorsX snail mucin essence (it’s amazing actually) 
• The Ordinary Argeriline 10% solution
• Charlotte Tilbury's magic serum
• Sculpted by Aimee’s cloud cream

I officially start working at 9am at my home office. I usually have yogurt with blueberries, chia seeds and flaked almonds around 10:30 am. I also take my shot of hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin D supplement, plus my home-made wellness shot (lemon, orange, ginger, turmeric and black pepper). This combo has helped sustain a quite clear skin for a long while now, and zero colds so far!

A Day in Yami’s World: Creativity, Fashion, and Wellness

When it comes to getting dressed, my approach to styling it’s “comfy statements” plus “whatever mood/persona I’m feeling today”. This means, I value comfort and wearability overall, but it has to tell something about either my mood, the occasion of the day, or a reference to the job/event. I have worn sneakers and combat boots with everything all my life, and it’s an ever-growing love. 

My brain it’s a bit too restless, so I could not imagine working on a job that’s one-sided or monotonous.

I’m a big yapper when in confidence, but terrible as a conversation starter in unknown environments. Fashion has always been a way to say “hi” to people that might enjoy similar things and my way to connect with people.

During winter, my lunch it’s either this very easy soup I make of roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots and veggie broth (add smoked paprika and thank me later) or fish and roasted veggies.

As a fashion photographer and marketer, I take care of the creative direction, briefing, scouting, styling, photography, videography, editing, and directing of a project. It takes a village, and I love it. My brain it’s a bit too restless, so I could not imagine working on a job that’s one-sided or monotonous.

Some of my favourite fashion photographers are Steven Meisel, who I consider a fashion photography icon (a regular contributor of Vogue, long-life friend of Linda Evangelista, made a book with Madonna) Nadia Lee Cohen, for her ability to create intriguing stories in each frame (plus she’s a diva herself) Glen Luchford, of whom I became a fan at the peak Gucci x Alessandro Michelle era, has such a diverse body of work, but each project posses substance and world-building, so inspiring!

Some of my favourite places in Galway are:

• Magpie, THE place for pastries and coffee
• The Secret Garden, for quality time with your friends or by yourself. And gorgeous tea of course!
• South Park on a sunny day
• Salthill Prom
• Cava Bodega
• Dela’s brunch
• Handsome Burger - I’ll have a B.O.B no sauce, please!
• Power Gym, as it’s my space for training and relaxing

Shoot Days vs. Non-Shoot Days: Yami’s Balanced Routine

If it’s not a shoot day I do all my admin, editing, marketing and overall computer tasks. I finish at 4pm, have my coffee break, and go to Power Gym.

I’m on a commitment to do four workouts and one to two sauna and cold plunge sessions a week. So far, going well. I also like to squeeze in a coffee date or afternoon tea date with a friend whenever possible.

If it’s a shoot day, things are a bit different. My day starts earlier, the day consists largely of “being on a shoot” and my energy is HIGH. All my written professionalism usually contrasts with my spontaneous dancing around people to keep the energy going, the party-friendly playlists, the photographer squats (if you ever seen a bts photo of me, you will understand) and the constant checking on having people fed, comfortable, happy, on time, and on track with our shot list. I usually collapse in bed around 9pm. Very happy though.

On a non-shoot day, I do have an evening routine in place. After gym and shower, I dedicate a bit of time to do something non-screen related. I’m currently finishing a little embroidery design I found on Tiger! I’ll spend the rest of my evening having dinner and chatting with my husband, and watch a show before bed. 

I’m currently reading Mary Costello’s Barcelona, a short story book. I had the pleasure to take her headshot for the book, her stories are fascinating.

I’m a music lover, and my most listened genres are heavy metal, drum n bass, rock, and techno. I'm currently listening to a playlist a made named “Run ‘n Bass” to help my interval running sessions.

The last thing I do before going to bed it’s my skincare routine, which remains the same for now. I put body perfume, my silk bonnet, and kiss kiss goodnight!

Follow Yamila's work and life @yam_photography