We were lucky to catch up with Fernando Guerrero recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Fernando thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

Yes, taking a vacation is a must. Big Sur is my favorite place to visit. I enjoy being able to reset and be fully in nature. There’s no cell service, so it’s perfect, but of course, I bring my camera. A vacation in nature for a few days or a week can do wonders. Feeling overwhelmed, go for a hike. It’s a reminder to take a breath and refocus. My advice is to take a break, see everything from afar, schedule accordingly, realizing your body can only handle so much. A vacation can sound expensive, but nature is free.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi my name is Fernando Guerrero, 
I’m a Southern California-based portrait photographer who focuses on the queer arts and artists. Sparked by one of my first jobs at House of Blues, my photography career began in 2005 when I started shooting live performances by local bands in Los Angeles and Orange County. To this day, I enjoy shooting live and capturing that moment you want to remember. I seek to convey both my subjects’ beauty and raw edginess – a natural look or fictional setup. I work with many creative artists, capturing the magic on stage, and what comes before and after a performance. This has helped me create the insightful portraits of musicians, dancers, and other performers. I earned my BFA from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California.

I am available for photography services like portraits and events. I am currently working on building multiple bodies of work highlighting members of the LGBTQ community and sharing our stories.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I love this question because it covers change, fear, strategy, and inspiration. When you are not fulfilled or bored, it is time to move on. Most creatives experience discontent and need to move up or switch things up. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced this.
Since we last spoke, I was starting to move my photography into the queer erotic arts—particularly gay men who have a story to share from our history and culture. My business and romantic partner, James, had been offered a fantastic job. I knew the change of working as a duo (photographer and makeup artist) would need a significant pivot. Most of our shoots included glamour; makeup was a huge part of the look. Now I’ll mainly shoot men with a vintage look, paying tribute to the queer erotic art photographers. Highlighting our history, which many aren’t aware of, is a goal because these artists tend to be ignored in history. As well as the many who are no longer with us due to the aids crisis in the 1980s and 1990s. My mission to express images with a similar queer aesthetic basing the vintage look off a time when these photographs would be considered legal, hidden in secret, labeled with shame and anyone distributing or creating this work could be place in jail or depending on the country death. Male pinup and beefcake erotic art was always something I wanted to photograph, and I wasn’t sure how to restructure. Long story short, you take what you already know and your style and you find other creatives to help guide you towards your goal.
Another thing I’d like to highlight is that photography and this industry are constantly changing. The art scene is continually evolving. Looks and styles come and go; after 10-15 years, they’ll probably return. Fees and budgets increase or decrease, new people enter the industry, while others exit. The technology, gear, social media, and now AI never stay still. Expect change; it can be scary, exciting, or challenging, but it’s inevitable. Always have a backup plan, a strong strategy, and people you trust to give the best advice. There is no one formula for everyone. Find out what’s best for you.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to use my imagination and creativity to create the work. My favorite is sharing ideas and collaborating with like-minded people, having a community that can share information, and making the ideas more achievable. I love being around creativity; if I am at a gallery or museum, or watching a documentary at home, I can always learn something that can be applied to my work. Seeing what is already out there, and how can my work be different? What do I want to highlight and how? There’s a type of magic when certain artists with creative backgrounds are placed in a room together, and the creativity can be endless. The conversations are unique and exciting. Once there is trust between the talent and photographer, pitching the right idea and the creative result will undoubtedly be unique, and the goal is always to create a strong work of art. To stay creative, I love looking back and studying different art movements, from a historical and cultural point of view. Whenever certain creatives end up in the same city area, you mix fashion, music, and art, a new style starts, new sounds, and a new culture is born. Especially looking back to previous decades and how they can shift so differently from what came before. I am currently working with members of the queer community to share our history and highlight stories to bring awareness to generations to come.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://guerrerophotos.com
• Instagram: @byfernandoguerrero
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-guerrero-photos/
• Other: Behance:www.behance.net/fernandguerrer3

  Bluesky:
  @fernandoguerrero.bsky.social‬

Image Credits

All photos by Fernando Guerrero

Thanks to all the models:

Rick Herron, Orpheus, Scott Graham, Carlos Enfedaque, Ralph Bruneau, Michael Espinoza and Jacob Hartmann, and Jax Phoenix