EDITORIAL

Jose Arroyo

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Moevir Magazine October Issue 2020 featured edition

[From Butch to Glam]

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1861527

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1861533

Male Model: Chancelor Dayne Benson @chancelordayne

Photographer: Jose Arroyo @arroyo_photos

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Tell us something about you. Maybe your life, profession, habit, dream?

Jose Arroyo is an internationally published photographer known for his use of dramatic lighting in his portraits and artistic nudes. Born in Humacao, Puerto Rico Arroyo began taking pictures at age 15, after receiving his father’s old camera as a gift. He began photographing the male nude art form in 1988, after moving to San Diego, California. He has been a resident of Los Angeles for the past 30 years sharing his home with his two dogs, Logan and Jasper.

He always approaches his subjects in his artwork in the same manner he would seduce someone he’s attracted to. He has found that he gets the best results with models he “fall in love” with.

What made you choose this profession?

I have always been intrigued by beauty in the human form. Growing up I didn’t see myself as “photogenic” and part of my own healing process involved working with others who felt the same way and capturing them at their best, showing that everyone is beautiful and as an artist it’s my personal challenge to capture such an angle and moment in time. My artwork is very personal and allows me to express myself through the models I work with.

Could you share how do you expand your vision of art, fashion?

I’m always spending lots of time studying new photographers and artists, creative new styles and learning new technology and techniques to fine tune my work.

If you have a superpower or talent, which one do you wish to have? Why?

I would love to be able to become invisible. As a photographer. I’m the ultimate voyeur, love to people watch and ideally capture them with my camera at their best when they are not posing.

Do you have any problem on the way of your profession? How did you solve it?

I’ve been capturing images for 34 years and in this day and age of smartphones and social media, everyone likes to think of themselves as a photographer and a model, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing out and of itself.

However, many lose perspective of what really matters in creating art. Nothing is worse than having as your ultimate goal thousands of likes in Instagram or twitter followers. Nothing grounds me more than reminding myself that my own Yorkshire terrier, has thousands more followers than my photography page in Instagram.

Who do people impact most in your profession? What do you learn from them?

Annie Liebowitz has been a great inspiration in portraiture. I love the way she manages to place her subjects in very vulnerable positions and out of their elements. Herb Ritts was a major influence in developing my style with the black and white medium.

Victor Skrebneski inspired my black and white nudes with its dramatic lighting. Joel Grimes is a current inspiration in pushing me to further develop an unique style in the era of digital photography where you can succeed both as a photographer and an artist.

What do you think about your work? Is it what you like, or simply saying a dream?

I think of myself as an artist, and an illusionist. You can define an image as an illusion of reality, a moment captured for eternity, which has been created by manipulating light and all sorts of factors in order to express a specific emotion and elicit a certain response from the viewer.

In modern society, lots of people want to be famous, influential. How do you think about it?

As an artist and photographer, it is very tempting and easy to succumb to the recognition that your work brings, sometimes making you feel important. Whenever I sense that its getting to my head, I make sure to have a heart to heart chat with myself and bring myself back to reality. After all, you’re just capturing that perfect moment in time, preserving it for an eternity.

To become famous, what kind of qualities do you think the person should have?

Fame can be both a blessing and a curse. You need to develop a thick skin and not lose perspective of what drives you in the first place. Always aspire to push yourself, do your best, and be your best. Above all, stay humble and always say thanks.

What will be the suggestions to new photographers?

Follow your instincts and focus on exploring your creativity more than on the technical aspects of it. Work on creating your own unique distinctive style.

What is your favorite camera? Why?

I began taking pictures with a Minolta St-100 that used to be my father’s. When I made the transition to digital, I switched to a Canon 30D, followed by a Canon 70D and just recently upgrade it to a Canon EOS-5DS-R. Currently, my favorite lens is the Canon 35mm 1.4 II lens for its sharpness in full format.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I’m always getting inspired by my surroundings. I’m always composing and creating scenes in my head as well as looking for my next muse.

What are the most difficulties during your shoots?

When it comes to portraits, nothing kills my inspiration and mood more than someone who has developed a certain “look” from which he doesn’t want to deviate and take risks. It’s very stifling to my creativity.

How often you create new works?

It depends. If it were up to me, I would be shooting every day. The process of shooting, creating new work is my ultimate high in life. I’m fully alive when I’m behind a camera.

What is the most important thing for creating new work?

The inspiration and your source. A good picture is one which elicits a strong emotion, be it a sense of awe, surprise or shock. Any image that evokes the desire to go back and admire it carefully makes it a good picture.