Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis Erazo.
Hi Luis, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started to learn photography when I was a freshman in high school and immediately fell in love with the process. That same year, I auditioned for an internship at a local community newspaper and was accepted. When I wasn’t in class, I would go on assignments and worked in the darkroom every chance that I could get. I eventually went off to college to continue my photography education, assisting for other photographers and freelancing for an array of different companies and publications. At 19, I opened my own commercial photography studio and four years later, I moved from my native Puerto Rico to the U.S. to further my education. My studies opened my eyes to the craft of Art Direction. So much so that I signed up for an intensive two years bootcamp at a portfolio school in Atlanta. That prepared me for the next 15 years of my career, where I worked as an art director/creative director in ad agencies across the country. During that time, photography took a backseat and I only shot personal non-commercial projects. However, photography was always my passion and first love, and she was calling me. So, I decided to take it up again professionally and started building a portfolio from scratch while freelancing as both a photographer and art director. Everything came full circle when I moved back to Atlanta in 2020 and opened my own photography studio in 2021. The journey has been exciting, fulfilling, and humbling at times. Being an enthusiast of all things creative though, I couldn’t completely walk away from brand building and am currently working on launching Platonic, a multicultural branding studio. A little more on that later.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been smooth. When I moved to the US, to say there were challenges would be an understatement. I had very little money. I couldn’t speak English, didn’t know a soul in the city, and had no clue of where I was going to spend the night. In addition, the photography industry is very competitive and you have to work daily in order to stay relevant. Once I was able to get out of survival mode and think about starting my own business, that’s when the real struggles began. But rather than focus on those details, I prefer to sum it up by saying that I’m here. I set goals, achieved them, and I’m proud…even if the route it took to get there wasn’t perfect.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a photographer at heart and a creative director by practice. As a photographer, I specialize in product and food photography. I also love doing creative portraits. As a creative director, I excel at bringing my conceptual thinking skills from my years in the ad world into the images I produce for clients. To this day, I’m probably proudest of those first few photos I took back in Puerto Rico as an intern. While I don’t have them around anymore to look at, they are seared in my memory. Those early experiences have made me the shooter that I am today. Curious, tenacious, and always looking to tell a unique story with every snap of the shutter.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I hope your professional journey takes you to places you never thought possible, mine certainly has. I wake up every single day wanting to be better and to take pictures that don’t say 1000 words, but rather only say one….wow!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@luiserazo.com
- Website: luiserazo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luiserazostudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luis.erazo
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/luiserazostudio
