Shootings

Piel y Plumas

Has visto desde muy cerca y todo el día cómo vuelan los pájaros del mar? Parece que llevaran las cartas del mundo a sus destinos. "Canto general" (1950), Pablo Neruda

Este proyecto comenzó así, con ganas de volar y seguir el ejemplo de los acompañantes de mis retratos.

Cada retrato ha sido elegido cuidadosamente para representar el eterno vínculo que existe entre el ser humano y la naturaleza, mostrando la vulnerabilidad entre ambas especies.

Scarlet Night

Who doesn't like Film Noir?

Who doesn't like Film Noir?

Tuve la fortuna de tener una sesión de fotos semi-espontanea en el estudio de mi amigo (y gran maquillista) Bryan Rivera. No pude evitar relacionar este maquillaje con aquellas películas con un clima obscuro y misterioso como lo son las clásicas del Film Noir. 


I spontaneously did this photoshoot at my friend's MUA Bryan Rivera's studio. I couldn't help connecting this fine makeup to a dark, moody night like those in some classic Film Noir stellar.

Model: Yuri Torres

Digital Memoirs

When Kai fell silent, she risked a glance at him. He was staring at her hands [which she always holds mechanic gloves over to hide her...you know, cyborg hands]...
”Do you ever take those off?” he asked.
”No.”
Kai tilted his head, peering at her as if he could see right through to the metal plate in her head...”I think you should go to the ball with me.”
She clutched her fingers...”Stars,” she muttered. “Didn’t you already asked me that?”
”I’m hoping for a more favorable answer this time and I seem to be getting more desperate by the minute.”
”How charming.”
Kai’s lips twitched. “Please?”
”Why?”
”Why not?”
”I mean, why me?
— Marissa Meyer, Cinder

Model: Marimar Espinosa

MUA: Bryan Rivera

(My Own) Wedding Shoot

It was fun getting all dressed up and fancy after the wedding, even more fun looking for a spot that could look like a somehow fantasy forest.

For me, location is an important element in each shoot. It has to have the mood, the colours and the lighting that I am looking for or at least get as close as I can to what I am imagining in my head. However, it isn't that easy. My hometown Aguascalientes is not very "foresty", but you can find wonderful spots when you find out there is always more than meets the eye.

This shoot was taken driving 10 minutes away from the city, next to a private park, right in front of the streets where cars passed all the time, and a fence crossed most part of it.


Fue divertido volver a sacar el vestido, subirse al coche y manejar hasta encontrar un "spot" que parezca interesante. 

Ubicación siempre suele ser un elemento importante para mí cuando trato de juntar un concepto específico. Debe evocar el estado de ánimo que busco, los colores, iluminación, etc... En esta ocasión buscaba un estilo de "bosque encantado", no muy fácil de encontrar en Aguas (al menos no en la ciudad). Sin embargo, no resultó tan difícil si se sabe buscar mas allá de lo obvio. 

Estas fotos fueron tomadas a unos minutos de la ciudad, cerca del Centro Ecológico Los Cuartos en Aguascalientes. En realidad, estaba algo sucio, los coches pasaban justo a un lado de nosotros y había una reja que dividía el parque privado. Pero los "spots" siempre están ahí donde menos lo esperas.

"Woods Calling" Before & After

I realized I've never shared the process behind all the stories I try to tell with my photographs. Usually, it all starts with a sketch.

Creo que nunca he compartido el proceso detrás de las historias que quiero contar a través de imágenes. Casi siempre, todo comienza con un dibujo. (Muy feo, por cierto) 

I've been trying by best to follow a certain methodology when it comes to creating a concept, delivering the photo shoot, and developing the final result in post processing. So far, I am still kind of a mess. I have the idea, sometimes  I sketch it out, but I still have trouble thinking about location, props, colors, etc.. Once in the shoot, I get kind of nervous, sometimes I follow the sketch, sometimes I take other paths, and sometimes I totally wing creating a new concept right then and there.

Puesto que soy un desorden andante, últimamente e intentado seguir una metodología para cada concepto que quiero retratar. Desde la idea, la sesión fotográfica, y la post-producción. Tengo el concepto en mi cabeza, a veces lo dibujo, pienso en lugar, accesorios, colores, etc.. Ya en la sesión, mi nerviosismo sale a flote. A veces sigo lo que dibujé, pero la verdad es que a veces desvarío en otros temas y sale un concepto completamente diferente al que había pensado.

On post-processing, I am not that much of a disaster, I've managed to follow certain basic steps. Sometimes I just don't know what it is that is bothering me about a photograph or what it is this photograph has that makes it special.  My solution: close the computer, go out and do something nice, continue next day. I am always surprised about how different a photograph speaks to me after a one day of doing something different.

Tengo un poco más de orden en la post-producción. Existen pasos básicos que intento seguir para tener una fotografía decente al final, aunque hay veces que no sé qué es lo que necesita o le falta a la imagen. En estos casos, cierro la computadora y hago algo completamente diferente, me despejo de cualquier cosa que tenga que ver con la foto. Al día siguiente pareciese que es una foto completamente diferente a la que había visto un día antes.

This is the final outcome. Hope you like it! Big thanks to Anahí García for modeling for me and almost getting eaten by mosquitoes and to makeup artist Bryan Rivera for getting on-board with this concept for me. 

El resultado final! Gracias Anahí García por modelar para mí y soportar la horda iracunda de mosquitos que quisieron atacarte. Y gracias a MUA Bryan Rivera por entender cada concepto que quería sacar!

(My Own) Engagement Shoot

Creating self-portraits is one thing.. but "couple-self-portraits" is another...

I don't know why but there's just much more logistics to acomplish. Between finding your frame, guiding your partner on where to stand and how to pose, while you see where you're gonna stand and focusing on what you're going to do. That, and then add a little smoke machine on a windy day, and you are bound to forget something. (The ring shot, maybe?)

I guess it's sort of the way life is, you can't direct the wind on where to go. You may not have control on all the circunstances that surround you, but all is good thanks to good company. :)

This guy is my rock, may I introduce you to Jorge, the guy that is always pushing me to move forward. Can't wait to start this new chapter, all the ups and all the downs, wind and calm, springtime and winters I get to share with my best friend. Lots of inspiration to come.

Anyways.. This is how I do engagement shoots.

Shoot! I forgot the ring shot! Ok, no biggie:

One ring to rule (his) all.

One ring to rule (his) all.

Special thanks to our handy helper Grecia. Funny shot getting the smoke right (ha.. sure):

Spring Awakening

Spring is here, and with it, comes my dreaded allergies.

As much as I prefer shooting on location than in a studio, sometimes my own body is begging me to go inside, have some candy and watch a new movie; to stay as far away as pollen as I can. Now, I am looking for a way to push myself against every obstacle, in my case, often against every excuse I have to go out and shoot.

I asked my friend Noemi if I could go out and take some portraits of her in the flowers. I was inspired by the idea of seasons changing; life is a bunch of cycles that we open and close. There is something quite beautiful about change. I myself am a person who is often terrified by change, but deep down inside I know that even if change comes with some tough side-effects (like my horrible allergies) something beautiful always ascends from it (like these flowers). The thing about it is just taking the leap.

Gracias Mimi :)