4/4/2019 SOCAL BASED PHOTOGRAPHERS!We're introducing 5 photographers to the CTXYZ COMMUNITY that create breathtaking images & videos that captivate their audiences all over social media! More and more people are using these platforms as a way to express themselves and showcase their art. I talked with 5 photographers who are doing just that and have created their own image online. READ THE INTERVIEWS BELOW! (PLUS - IMAGES FROM EACH CREATIVE!) SERRANDON - @serrandon // @shotbyserrandonWhat inspired you to start creating? As long as I can remember, I've had a very vivid imagination and the idea of seeing it come to life would really excite me when I was a kid. I used to wake up at like 5 in the morning to watch Saturday morning cartoons and I remember being so hyped and excited to see new episodes of my favorite shows. I knew I wanted to tell stories and create images like those, and I wanted people to feel the same excitement I would (and high-key still do) feel when I watch my favorite cartoons and sci-fi shows. What kind of gear do you use? I have three children. For photography, I use a Canon 80D. I have two lenses that I typically use which is a basic 50mm lens and 24 mm lens. I'm making it a goal to get a couple of more this year that I've been wanting to try out. For videography, I shoot with a Sony a6500 that I just recently paid off finally (yay!). I have a 50 mm lens that I honestly rarely use. I primarily use an 18-105 mm lens because of its range of options. I also have DJI Mavic Pro (my third child) which is a drone. I use it to capture aerial shots like landscapes. Other than that, I have a MacBook Pro that I work off of and I'm pretty dedicated to the Adobe Creative Suites programs. How do you process your images after a shoot? I pretty much stick with Adobe. For photos, I edit on Photoshop and for video, I work between Premiere Pro and After Effects for when my video requires special effects. Adobe really makes it easy to take care of everything I need without needing to download a ton of programs.
FOLLOW SERRANDON ON INSTAGRAM: @SERRANDON @SHOTBYSERRANDON BEA - @beacassoWhat message are you trying to convey with your photography? I want to make every women I photograph feel beautiful and confident in their own skin. Women empowerment is the message behind my photographs. Do you always shoot digitally? All my photographs are taken digitally and prefer shooting digitally because I like having control. I'm super nit-picky when getting the shot I need, so I will have to pass on film photography. Although I have experimented film photography and appreciate the art (so much) I enjoy taking digital images and post processing so much more. What motivates you to keep creating? If I’m not photographing/editing my images, I spend most of my time on social media looking at other creative’s work. Seeing my online creative friends share their work, keeps me motivated.
IG, Twitter, Youtube: @BEACASSO Website: www.beacasso.com Model in photo 1: @thrillamickilla Model in photo 2: @arxas_ MUA in photo 2: @gigilumakeup Model in photo 3: @jaimodelz DARIO - @d.vision_What/who inspired you to start creating? I've been inspired to create for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory was making a play-doh canvas in preschool. for the most inspiration it would be music. Whenever I listen to a special track that really sticks to my head I can visualize a movie in my head and then I bring it to life. There are many people that I can name that have all inspired me but the person that sticks out is my boyfriend (partner) Christian. He's really pushed me to go to film school and helped me achieved my passion in film-making. I wouldn't be as creative as I am now without his help. I owe everything to him. What camera and lens do you shoot with? For the past 2 years I was shooting on the Sony a6300 paired with the Sony 35 mm f1.8 lens. That combo seriously has given me so many opportunities and literally shaped my artistic style. I have just recently upgraded to the Sony a7iii with the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens and its seriously the perfect combo for both video and photo. What do you use to edit your photos end videos? For photos I use Enlight app. I'm always on my phone and to have an app on the go is super helpful and the creations are limitless. For Video I use Adobe Premiere Pro.
FOLLOW DARIO ON INSTAGRAM: @d.vision_ JORDAN - @jayphoriaWhat motivates you to keep creating? Despite how stressful the business aspect of photography can be, I keep shooting because I genuinely love the process. Having no inspiration to shoot some days, having models flaking on you, or even having rain ruin your perfect concept, are situations that every photographer eventually has to deal with. This is all a part of the process. I can't speak for everyone when I say this, but for me, there's nothing more satisfying than the anticipation of taking a perfect photo. That single feeling is what allows me to continue picking up the camera. I've also lived in the same city my entire life so knowing I haven't seen even one whole percent of what the world has to offer only further motivates me to keep shooting. Do you prefer film or digital? Why? Have you experimented with both? I started out with photography by shooting and developing my own film then slowly transitioned into shooting digital. I don't necessarily have a preference for either, but I can definitely say that digital is far more convenient and inexpensive than film so that's what I majorly shoot on. What message are you trying to convey with your photography? If anything, I want my photos to tell my story and the stories of those around me. If by doing so, I happen to evoke a series of emotions in the people I choose to share it with then so be it, but my goal since I've started photography, was simply to express who I am as a person and to have fun doing it. Maybe at some point down the line, that will change and i'll have a greater motive in creating my art, but for now, my message is to do whatever makes you happy in life and to ignore anything else that doesn't.
FOLLOW JORDAN ON INSTAGRAM: @AYPHORIA EZE - @ezephotographyWhat (or who) inspired you to start creating? My love for photography began at a very young age through watching my father’s journey as a photographer. My house was filled with photo albums from the countless pictures of family and different events that he would attend. As a young child, I was inspired by these photos and wanted to one day do photography as well. I started photography during my first year of high school when I acquired my first point and shoot Canon Camera. I would take pictures and videos of my friends throughout our days in high school and would also film music videos for myself and my close friend Trevion Richardson. During my last year of high school, I had my first hands-on experience working with a Canon DSLR (Canon T3), which my friend Jordan Hays let me borrow at the time. I immediately fell in love with the quality of the camera that would come from the photos that I would take. Once I graduated and went on to college at CSUF, I no longer had access to Jordan's camera so I asked my oldest sister if she could get me a camera body. Luckily, it was my birthday during that month and I was able to receive my first Canon Camera body. My mom then gave me enough money to purchase an 18-50mm lens, which led me to began capturing every moment of my college experience. At the time, I didn't consider myself a professional photographer and spent a majority of my time learning Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Lightroom. I would take pictures and videos of my college friends and edit every single day. As I transitioned into the spring semester of my freshman year, I was able to to have my first paid photoshoot with a former student from my high school, Karay Franklin. Although it was my first real shoot, I felt very comfortable, and we were able to create some magic. Fast forward into the summer after my freshman year, I began to take photography more seriously. I worked at a local pizza shop for three months and was able to save up enough to get an improved camera body & lens, a Canon 60d and a Tokina 11-16mm lens. Once those two items were acquired, I started doing a lot more photoshoots with different models. People would reach out to me, connections were made, and through that, I was able to build a large enough portfolio to create my website, www.visualsbyeze.com. During my Sophomore year, I noticed that there was a lack of online representation of African American students at the CSUF campus and I wanted to make it my duty to change that. I was able to start working directly with the Black Student Union (BSU) and African American Resource Center to showcase all of the events and the people that were within their organizations. Through my efforts, the first BSU website (csufbsu.weebly.com) was created, that displayed the phenomenal diaspora of black students on our campus. From then on, my strong work ethic and faith in God propelled me into this journey as a full-time professional photographer/videographer. What kind of gear do you use? Cameras; Canon 5d Mark iii, Panasonic GH4, Sony a6300. Lenses: 11-16mm,16mm, 27mm, 35mm, and 85mm. How do you process your images after a shoot? I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to process my images.
FOLLOW EZE ON INSTAGRAM: @EZEPHOTOGRAPHY
2/21/2019 LGBTQ+ MUSICIANS ON THE RISE
The LGBTQ+ community is home to some of the most creative artists that are constantly revolutionizing their space. Music has always been a way for people to connect with each other, which is why this article is a perfect fit for the CTXYZ Community page.
I interviewed 5 artists from across the U.S. that are creating some amazing and unique music! READ MORE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL ARTICLE FT. KNOX, ZAUL, MIKEY COOK, + MORE!2/19/2019 Kings in Beauty -- [MY FAVORITE FACES!] The beauty industry is booming and has been, especially in recent years! Reports show that the global cosmetic products market was valued at around 532 billion dollars in 2017 and is expected to reach approximately 863 billion by 2024! Insane right?! Makeup has always been viewed as an art form, but creativity within the beauty community has also spiked in recent years! Social media has given people the opportunity to share their art with the world and catapulted them to success. I've always been intrigued with makeup and the work that goes into it! I follow a TON of awesome makeup artists/enthusiast but these kings are killing it! Read below as I interviewed some of my favorites and got some insight on what their experience has been like and their favorite products! INSTAGRAM: @sisimshiny
INSTAGRAM: @neonmua
INSTAGRAM: @elidoffad
INSTAGRAM: @k3nnlife
INSTAGRAM: @alxxzanderr
INSTAGRAM: @worldofzach
INSTAGRAM: x.solrac
INSTAGRAM: @glamallama94
Daniel Hermosillo and Samüel Cortez are two artists based in California that create some of the most amazing and thought-provoking artwork I've ever seen. Whenever I come across an illustration I'm blown away by the overall personal aesthetic they each have. Both artists are uniquely talented and I've been obsessed with their art for a while. Read below as they each share their stories, including sources of inspiration and what's planned for the future! PLUS - See photos of their artwork & check them out on social media! Daniel Hermosillo — Long Beach, CA — 24 "As long as I’m creating and telling a story somehow, I am happy." What inspired you to start creating? "When I was in preschool, my teacher was huge on arts and crafts. It really awakened my creativity and as time went by, I would spend hours drawing in notebooks and hang my best drawings on my fridge. A few years later, my family went through a rough patch and the only way I could express myself and my emotions was through art. When I was in transitioning into high school, I was able to get accepted into a great art program that helped me develop this passion. I was able to focus on bettering my skill while telling stories and expressing ongoing emotions through art." Is there a piece of artwork you’re most proud of? "My senior year of Art School, I created and illustrated a gender fluid + body positive Fall lookbook/survival guide. I spent an entire semester working on that, creating characters, and fun outfits to show how fun it is to express ourselves through fashion, even if it means wearing sweats and a tee. I received great feedback from classmates and professors I respected. I learned so much about myself, others, and gender identity in the process (as well as trends and fashion of course.)" [PHOTOS ABOVE] What do you have planned for the future? "I really want to get back into character design or fashion illustration. I’m still trying to figure things out, but I’m freelancing and doing commissions on my free time to stay busy. I also want to post work that I never posted, for whatever reason, and share some cool illustrations I cherish with others and hopefully inspire at least one person." Daniel is an ongoing inspiration in my life, both with his creativity and personal integrity. With the use of beautiful color palletes, he has a way of telling stories and bringing them to life through his artwork. My favorites are the self-portraits & fashion illustrations! Not only an amazing artist, but an amazing friend as well. Follow Daniel's artistic journey on Instagram: @dvnnyarts // @dvnielhermosillo Samüel Cortez — San Jose, CA — 23 "I had these visions in my head and I wanted to draw them out... Now it’s just second nature for me to draw something." What is your go-to medium to express your creativity? "Originally it was always a classic paper and pencil. Never really went too far from it. Although at the moment its been a while since I’ve touched either of those. Now you’ll always find me with my iPad. I use the program Procreate and I can safely say it changed my whole world." Who is a creative that you admire? "This is such hard question. I admire so many people! I will say that two major influences in my work at the moment are Francisco Goya and Norman Rockwell. I’ve been working on some stuff that is heavily influenced by them both. I love the style of Rockwell and the profound depth of Goya’s work. If I were to describe my current self right now in my work I would have to say that I am located in a purgatory between these two." Is there a piece of artwork you’re most proud of? "I would definitely say there’s a specific group of illustrations that have a lot of meaning to me. Back in August I drew a set of 3 illustrations. To me these were made in a very dark time. Although to me they are the 3 that stick out from what I have done before. They all have this energy to them. Most of that energy is anguish, yet to me it’s a symbol of progress. Palm trees are my favorites, I have them tattooed on me. I absolutely have this attachment to them, I don’t know why or how but it’s been like that since I was a child. 2 of these 3 works show palm trees up flames. I poured a lot out of myself on to these and I feel that to me they’re some of my best work. It’s my grief but I’ll hold it up proud knowing that I’ve survived that time." [PHOTOS ABOVE] I came across Samüel's page about 11 months ago and instantly fell in love with his artistry. Definitely one of my favorite portrait artists, with an IG feed FULL of them! (I LIVE for his Gaga drawings.) Each illustration conveys it's own message, all while sticking to Samüel's brand. He constantly amazes me with his work and I'm so glad I'm able to witness it.
Follow Samüel's creative journey on Instagram: @samuhwell |
CTXYZ COMMUNITY was created to highlight self expression in all forms by giving creatives a platform to speak & be heard. |
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