I wanted to start this blog mainly to jot down my thoughts about my life as a photographer.
I have been in the business for quite awhile now (which I never thought it would go on for this long). I started my fashion photography career in NYC in 1999. I lived in Los Angeles but I knew I wanted to move to NYC and pursue something . . . . seriously, I had no idea what I wanted to do but I packed my bags and moved to NYC blindly.
Perhaps, I was inspired by the Club Kids (I watched Geraldo and saw these creative people) and I wanted to be a part of that . . . but I knew NYC was the city that nurtured creativity and also I can express myself truly . . . being a gay man.
I moved into the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Heights and that’s when I met all these creative people . . .
I took odd jobs in NYC like a executive assistant to an architectural firm that help build the Staten Island Ferry Station . . . but the most interesting job that I got (which my stint there was like a month) was a photo studio that did all the bedding photography from the likes of Laura Ashley and Martha Steward to name a few . . .
I went in wanting a job in graphic design but the owner saw me and said, “No, no no . . . you’re too fabulous to sit in a chair in front of a computer!” “You need to be in the studio floor and help create sets for these bed!”
Mind you, I had no experience at all and I didn’t even know if I said yes to the job but all I remember was being on set my first day and working with the prop stylists, helping them shop and build sets . . . . ok, that’s a lie . . . they stuck me in the storage room and told me to organize the shelves! I mean, I needed a job and money so I did it . . . Literally, everyday, I would just bury myself in that storage room until I clocked out!
However, I did get to style one bed set for Martha Stewart which the owner was ok with but he said I was too edgy and way too many ideas . . .
At some point, I think he knew that I was inexperienced and had to let me go . . . I think he just wanted a young person in his office to bring something different . . .
But from that I learned that I had something innate and a gift being creative . . . but still had no idea what it is . .
Being on set though taught me a lot about lighting and photography . . .
Though, I had some knowledge of photography already from school but being in that professional environment and talking to the photographers, I was more interested in being behind the camera and creating images . . .
I guess, my break in to fashion photography was shooting my friend Nalani from the St. George Hotel. I had no idea that she was a model, I just thought she was so beautiful and ethereal that she would be a great model . . . she was from Hawaii and going to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology . . . we strolled around the neighborhood and shot for a couple of hours . . . when I got the contact sheets back the week after (yes, it took that long to get pictures back from the lab!) . . . I gave it to her . . . what I didn’t know was she gave them to her agent at Elite Models and next thing you know, I got a call from one of her agent, asking if I could tests more of their models . . .
Nalani shot in Brooklyn, NY
Mind you, again, I was just fooling around with Nalani not knowing that the images from that gave me the “in” to the fashion photography.
I met the agents at Elite Models (Connor, Roman & Miguel) and started working with their models in the summer of 1999. I schlepped my book around (which had like 4 pictures of Nalani) from NY Models, Karin Models, Metropolitan Models, Click Models, Trump just to name a few . . . and almost all of them gave me models to shoot . . . I developed a great relationship as well with Jennifer Rubinett at IMG. We ki-kied a lot at the office and she gave me quality girls to shoot and added amazing content to my book!
I mean, I had no idea what I was doing . . . I think I just wanted shoot as many models so I can fill my book . . . in the beginning, there was no rhyme or reason to my method, I just shot everything . . . mostly, outside shots and in my tiny tiny apartment on 18th Street and 3rd Ave in Manhattan.
Damn, those were the times . . . it was hot, humid and I had no air conditioning . . . and that apartment building was dilapidated and run down and I had 2 roommates that I barely saw . . . I think they were hermits or something . . . but I would have models come in and out of that apartment and just hung out in between their castings and jobs . . .
Crazy because from coming in to NYC without a clue of what I wanted to do, fast forward a year after, I was shooting models and making money doing so.
I immerse myself in fashion and photography and I literally ate, slept and shit fashion!
I was going to fashion parties, fashion shows and where ever there’s fashion in the city, I was in it!
Sara, shot at the Promenade, Brooklyn Heights
The next turning point of my career was when I traveled to Paris.
My boyfriend then, whom I met whilst we were living at the St. George Hotel moved back to Paris and invited me to come and visit him.
I immediately asked all the agencies in NY that I’m going to Paris and wanted to see if they can hook me up with their affiliates out there . . . and of course, they hooked it up!
To be honest, that was my first time in Paris and I was just at awe of everything . . . I mean, even now, I am still at awe . . . but my mind wasn’t really shooting there . . . it was more the experience in being in foreign country.
But, being in the fashion capital of the world, these agencies are use to high high fashion and honestly, I was a bit more NY style, man on the street, candid shots of models . . . and I really had to readjust the way I shoot in Paris because there’s no way, they will get the pictures they want for the model’s book.
I befriended a lot of stylists and makeup and hair people to collaborate with them . . . again, I had no idea that it took a budget and production to make fashion photography.
Beatrice shot near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
I was so use to just doing everything on my own and using what I have in my closet . . . but when I was in Paris, I had to wait for hair/makeup to get done and the stylists putting all these outrageous clothes to the girls . . . it was an eye opening experience which I learned so much just being there . . . but to look back at those images . . . it’s very cringe worthy but I was young and inexperienced . . .
It’s crazy back then, because my ego was so inflated when I was in NYC, I was so cocky and so self assured of my talent that I didn’t care what others thought of me . . . yea, I was making things as I went along . . and you know that saying “fake it until you make it,” well, that was me back in the day.
One of the craziest thing I did when I was in Paris was to see a photo rep agency, Jed Root.
Literally, I had no business being there because I didn’t have anything substantial in my book; no editorials at all . . . just tests but I went there with the confidence and attitude of “I don’t care what you think of my work, because I know I’m good!”
I think the agent that saw me was very much entertained with my moxie that he said, “you’re work isn’t to the standard of the photographers that we represent and you have a long way to go, but you’re attitude and confidence will get you far!”
That meeting was turning point in my career.
I knew that I had something . . . but I just need to get in gear and step it up!
I was in Paris for a little over 2 months and I went back to NYC with a whole new experience and knowledge of what I can do better and improve on.
I worked tirelessly to improve and traveled all over the US to work in different markets and see what each niche needed and see if my photos would go well in that market.
I think just saying that I’m from NYC gave me the in with all these other agencies across the country and started to travel more and more . . .
It was only when Sept. 11 2001 when things changed forever.
I will leave it here . . . I feel like I spout out too much already and if you made it this far, thank you for reading this and leave me a comment on what you think of my crazy life!
I want to write more . . . even just random stuff and try to write consistently so you can have your doze of my crazy life!