When I turned 30 back in 2001 I started a mortgage company in Florida and kicked some major ass until the real-estate market collapsed around 2007-2008. About that time I was buying property in Panama and trying to figure out how I could live in Latin America. Some investor friends said to me, "Colombia is the next place to invest; it's going to explode!" So I thought that sounds really dangerous, "Let's go!!"
So that's what I did, I embarked on a 3 week trip across Colombia in search of any and all opportunities. So different than Panama and the women were incredibly beautiful. I was single at the time and I thought I really need to be here. My mortgage business had come to a screeching halt so I downsized, rented my house and moved to Colombia. I had a couple of suitcases and some camera equipment. I started photographing everything. I mean I went crazy!!!
...I was obsessed with shooting people and this amazing country: COLOMBIA!
Initially I was going to look for real-estate opportunities but I decided that I wanted to see what I could get away with, my new life as a self-proclaimed photographer. Without knowing the language I somehow managed to meet people in Medellin and a few doors started to open up thanks to the kind people that I met.
Lore - photographer from Medellin
I met Lore while street shooting in Medellin. She had just finished with a degree in photography and we totally hit it off. I mentioned that I wanted to shoot for a magazine and she said she knew the people who run Toda Mi Boda, a wedding magazine. So we went together and I showed the people at the magazine my small crappy portfolio of images at the time (I had been shooting maybe six months) and they didn't seem too impressed. Then Lore mentioned she knew a model, Juliana Sousa, who was rather famous at the time. Of course the magazine changed their tune and Lore and I had were planning an editorial for the magazine! Here's an image that was on the cover (my first commercial shoot...a magazine):
Juliana Sousa - Colombian model
I had no idea what I was doing! But I didn't care, I was having so much fun with my new life as the "photographer!" Hahahaha. Lore helped organize everything: location, model, designers, makeup artist, etc. I just showed up with a couple of speedlights and a small softbox. I didn't really understand how to use the camera when it came to lighting. I just fiddled with settings until it looked good on the back of the LCD. It was quite funny. At one point the model said she was going to leave because she knew I was an amateur. But one thing I did have that everyone liked was a different style when it came to lighting. I liked it dramatic and that was a different style at the time in Colombia. The model and the people from the magazine loved the images.
I also did a big no no and invited a cute girl to the commercial shoot. I met her on a bus and she was stunning. Lore and the magazine were like, "you invited your own model to this magazine shoot?" I sure did! At first they said no, but I was such a happy go lucky kind of guy they said yes. Here's Carina from the shoot, a girl that I later dated for almost a year. (we dated and couldn't communicate verbally because I knew almost zero Spanish...it was different kind of love...lol)
So! I had a lot of success with the magazine shoot. I met a lot of people in Medellin as a result of that and continued to move forward in the photography world. I started a YouTube channel called Lightenupandshoot. Some of the first videos went mini-viral. Lightenupandshoot was based on my life as a photographer living in Colombia and my minimal approach to gear. Then I got invited to teach workshops with my simple lighting style all around the WORLD. So that's what I did: I traveled the world not knowing much about photography or the business. I faked it and people loved it because I was making photography fun!
San Francisco - Lightenupandshoot Workshop
Let me take a break from the main story and share short stories related to photography:
I began to meet all kinds of interesting people while living in Colombia. Models, indigenous indians, mafiosos, and so on...
But, I had the unique opportunity to meet the nephew of Pablo Escobar, Paolo Escobar. This is around 2009. Paolo was into parkour, a sport where they jump off buildings and do crazy flips/jumps. Amazing athletes. So Paolo and I became friends and I took some amazing images of him for a magazine out of Bogota. He was also featured in a bunch of US magazines and my Youtube channel.
Another story: I met an American expat living in Medellin during the same time as me. Robin Finley started his own magazine called the Arepa which was a magazine soley in English. He was the first to do a publication entirely in English at the time. He asked me to shoot a couple of editorials which were a lot of fun. This shot of me with two pregnant sisters. Robin had some crazy stories in the Arepa.
I also shot rock group the Ataris and a famous model named Toto.
The Ataris
Toto
So! I will fast forward to 2017. If anyone is interested in what happened in between maybe I can write a part 2.
In 2014 I had traveled the world, did a bunch of shooting, mentoring and decided I need to try my hand as a commercial photographer and I moved to LA. I shoot a big mix of commercial work, entertainment and personal work. My life is centered around making videos, art and photography.
Some recent work:
Actor/Director: Jeff Lorch
Singer/Model: Annelise
Producer: Tim Be Told
Thanks Steemit! More later on me and the people I shoot...
PS Here's a video that shows a bit of my personality and style:
Update of some more madness - I dig night photography because you don't know what you're going to get. I'd love to do a video on the project, but I need something like a Sony A7 for the low light.
Low light work:
This was a test, I call it "Electric Campsite in Corn Springs"
A car drove by in the middle of the night while I was photographing. I had a tripod and was doing 30 second exposures under a full moon.
