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Danny Perez
@dannybperez
Best of the week 30 at #nomadict 2020
I’ve always been drawn to the arts. As a child, music was a huge part of my life and naturally, as kids typically do, I gravitated towards the loudest instrument… the drums. Through countless hours of practice I was able to teach myself how to play the drums and later picked up guitar, bass and piano. Through this creative outlet I found myself not only being able to hear music but see it too. When I would listen to a song, I could see the visual artwork that would match it – from directing the music video in my head to visualizing its album cover and overall artwork.
"Once I got my hands on a camera and was able to manifest some of those visions I had, I was completely hooked."
"I remember the exact moment when I knew that I wanted to pursue content creation."
My first camera ever was a Sony a6000. I bought it to capture a few moments with my wife on our honeymoon. I had no idea what shooting “RAW” meant, what FPS was, shutter speed, ISO, nothing…. I don’t like to say it, but I was an auto shooter. Then I came across a few videos on Youtube showing how to create cinematic footage using an a6000 and how to mimic an S-log profile by playing around with the color settings. I decided to make my doberman, Rosco, my first subject to film. I took him out during golden hour, asked him to sit, paced out about 30 ft, called him over and hit record. I filmed 1 video of him at 60fps and that was it. Seeing my dog run in slow motion at golden hour was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. It looked like something straight out of an action movie and I couldn’t believe that I created that. I felt like Michael Bay on a Transformers movie set!
"The fact that I had this at the palm of my hand sparked a curiosity to see what else I was able to create and wanted to push the boundaries of what I could do creatively in as many places of the world as I could."
I’ve been blessed enough to visit some beautiful places in the world but the one that made the most impact on me was right in my backyard at Taft Point, inside Yosemite National Park. To me, Taft Point is a place everyone should see at least once in their lifetime during sunset. The first time I went to this location was during the time I made the decision to commit and immerse myself in photography. I’m sure others can attest to this, but once you pick up a camera you see the world differently and appreciate things you never had before, like the way light breaks through a room and all of the different textures you find in the outdoors. When I first laid eyes on the miles of granite rock and trees covered in golden light I was in absolute awe. I couldn’t believe that something this beautiful could even exist.
"This moment really made me wonder what else was out in the world and what moments I was able to capture."
When you look at my Instagram feed, you see that I enjoy diversity in my work. I never want to leave a stone unturned when it comes to creating. I think by being as diverse as possible, you’re able to find what you enjoy most and what you’re really good at. We all have certain styles we gravitate towards, though my favorite styles definitely come in waves – right now I love shooting cinematic landscapes. I’ve been pushing the boundaries of compression at 200mm and, when appropriate, adding a subject in the foreground or background of the scene. Photography allows me to be creative, and I believe creativity is what makes you.. you.
"Knowing that there’s a blank canvas out in the world for you to paint any way you’d like, gives me a reason to get out of bed and chase it."
When I look at this winning shot of Multnomah Falls, the first thing that comes to mind for me is Mamba Mentality. I grew up a die hard Laker fan and an even bigger Kobe fan. If you don’t know anything about Kobe, know that he had a work ethic and a focus to achieve his goals that was unmatched. This mindset was definitely necessary to get this shot. I wish I could say everything went smoothly for this shot, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It was a rainy, windy day out in northern Oregon, I was there only for a few days and needed this shot. I was not only fighting the rain but also the water from the falls splashing back at me from the winds. On top of that, I made it even more difficult on myself by wanting to shoot at a 1 second shutter with a subject standing in the middle of the bridge. I knew I needed a game plan to pull this off, so I set the tripod exactly where it needed to be, unmounted my camera to wipe off all the water that was on my lens and just waited. There I stood, holding my camera inside my jacket, waiting for the right time to make my move. My patience paid off and a little girl peeked her head over the bridge and stayed stationary. I knew this was my shot, I mounted my camera, all my settings were locked in – click…got the shot. Felt like the game winner.
WINNING PHOTOGRAPH
BEST OF THE WEEK 30
For this particular shot, it was the most fun I’ve ever had editing a photo. I really enjoyed this one because I had a vivid vision of what the final product would look like and I worked hard to make it come to fruition. The goal was to bring warmer tones to the picture and make it look like it was from a fictional book or movie. I want people to escape when they see my work – that was the goal for this shot. The photo was captured one day before Kobe’s passing but everytime I look at it, I’m reminded of the drive and fire I was able to pick up from him. Rest in peace, Mamba.
For me inspiration comes in so many forms. From the amazing creators I see on social media to music, movies, locations and new gear. But when I sit back and think about it, the inspiration to create comes from wanting to make something as unique as myself. Like a fingerprint, nobody can create something exactly like you. You can drop two photographers, in the same location, to shoot the same thing and you will get different results.
Integrating words into my visuals is also part of my fingerprint. For me, typography is like throwing your favorite hot sauce on bland food. All of a sudden that plate is fire! It’s another way to be creative, add a certain mood to my work and most importantly – storytell. Storytelling is something I feel should be top of mind for creators. Typography allows me to strike emotional chords in ways I couldn’t have with just a photo alone. A simple phrase to sum up the overall vibe of a photo can add huge cinematic value to it. It’s really easy to overdo it at times, so I always keep it in my back pocket when I feel a photo needs a little extra spice or if I really want to showcase my storytelling.
"I didn’t think about the value words could add to photographs in the beginning. A photo was something visual and words belonged to written content, but my vision has changed and will continue changing."
Photography is an amazing way to remember that you’re always growing and evolving. Do you ever look back at your first couple shots you posted on Instagram and just laugh? Been there, done that! Being able to see yourself grow through that awkward stage to ultimately find your own unique creative style is something I can apply through all aspects of life. There’s always something to discover about yourself. And instead of feeling “stupid” about decisions we made before or how we did things, we can be grateful for our growth, for the path we are able to walk safely with some healthy challenges along the way, and laugh at how we dealt with certain things back then.
The people who have made this all possible for me are my parents and my wife. Both my father and mother came to the United States from Mexico as children and had to work extremely hard for everything they had. To see them go through life and conquer every obstacle that came their way has inspired me to do the same for myself. If it weren’t for their sacrifices I may have never been able to get a camera in my hands and fulfill this passion of mine. And my wife Cynthia – she has always encouraged me and genuinely believed in my work and passion. For that I owe them everything. Love you all so much.
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