We recently connected with Alejandro Cortes and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alejandro, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Unless I’m on a TV show or a feature film, I never quite know what the next month will look like, or where I will be working. Each year is different, and work comes in waves. This means I rely on my professional reputation to stay financially afloat. My clients come mostly through word of mouth- an email or a text from someone who saw my website or cinematography reel or simply heard about me from another client.

I started working in the Film & TV industry in 2013 as a camera assistant for little to nothing (mostly nothing) during the first couple of years as I was going through college, just to get established and noticed. It wasn’t the easiest, most conventional path, but some people could see that I wasn’t driven by the paycheck or the position, but by a genuine desire to learn and get better with each job. This mentality made me a valuable asset on a film set, as I became known for going above and beyond. By the time I graduated film school, I had a solid network of people willing to hire me on bigger projects.

Winning awards is always good for publicity, but I truly believe that the people you meet along the way can shift your career and open new doors that help you evolve as an artist, especially when you surround yourself with professionals that challenge and inspire you.

Here’s one of the best advice I’ve ever received: “If you want to be an artist, don’t do it for the paycheck. Money is a byproduct of your commitment and passion to the craft”. I like to believe that I’m able to make a living out of this career because of my work ethics and curiosity to explore each story with a fresh set of eyes, not necessarily because I know how to work a camera. Anybody can learn how to be a technician on YouTube these days. Capturing and conveying a unique perspective is what I strive for as a photographer.

Alejandro, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Mexican cinematographer with over a decade of experience shooting documentaries and narrative films, as well as commercials and branded content. Based in New York City, I also work in LA and Mexico.

In 2013, I dropped out of engineering school in Mexico to pursue a career in cinematography- one of the most challenging and unpredictable fields, in one of the most expensive cities in the world. As scary as it was at the time, it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. My work as a cinematographer consists in transforming words into moving images that tell a story in a visual medium. I get to travel and learn from incredible stories around the world.

I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed clients such as Adidas, Dior, Harper’s Bazaar, Amnesty International, National Geographic, Netflix, Discovery, Disney + and Peacock. Additionally, I have worked with artists like Alicia Keys, Cindy Lauper, Bella Hadid, Anya Taylor-Joy, Issa Rae, J-Balvin, Killer Mike, Julianne Hough, and more.

Recent highlights of my work include “Black Girls Play: The Story of Handgames,” which was shortlisted for the 2024 Oscars and won Best Documentary Short at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. I also received the ASC Haskell Wexler Heritage Award for my work on “Adrift,” which was considered for the Oscars in 2019.

Whether it’s fiction or documentary, I am able to witness some of the most amazing stories and places and capture them for a living. I feel fortunate to share some of my insights here.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first started out, I thought that a good cinematographer should be able to make anything or anyone look beautiful. I was a bit obsessed with lighting, and I focused my energy in making ‘technically beautiful’ shots, not paying enough attention to the visual storytelling. Thanks to one of my mentors, Dejan Georgevich, ASC, I learned that a memorable image doesn’t necessarily have to look perfect; it rather has to fit in its context, making the viewer forget about the look in the first place. That helped me understand that what actually makes a good cinematographer is knowing where exactly to stand with the camera and how to tell a story with light, shadows, angles, movement and lensing, and though that process, becoming ‘invisible’. In other words, it’s not about making subjects look great but rather crafting images that generate an emotional response in the viewer. Time has taught me that often times, ‘less is more’.

Portraying emotions in a subjective medium is tricky. However, images have a unique, universal quality that can generate empathy in a way a spoken language might not. I am now more interested in creating images that are meaningful rather than beautiful.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I feel incredibly fortunate to travel frequently for work. What I love most about having a camera on my shoulder, especially when shooting documentaries, is that I get to experience life through other people’s perspectives and learn about their realities, I believe these immersive experiences ultimately impact my view of the world. One day, I can be working with an A-list celebrity, and the next, I can be covering a true crime case. I have to be open to whatever comes. No job is ever the same, offering a new location and a completely different experience each day. This to me is more fulfilling than the final product itself- Just being present in those moments is deeply rewarding.

When it comes to fiction or narrative, I love to design worlds and images that are more carefully crafted. The process of orchestrating shots to evoke an emotional response is fun and challenging because it’s creative and technical at the same time. It’s a collaboration with other departments and artists to make believe something that is coming from the imaginary. I love being on set fabricating those moments. Ultimately, seeing how audiences react to certain shots we’ve worked so hard on is what makes the experience truly satisfying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alejandrocortesdp.com
• Instagram: @alejandrocortesdp
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6532189/

Image Credits

Mike Doyle