We recently connected with Mason Perez and have shared our conversation below.

Mason , appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

My learning process has taken many turns. It all started when I was 12, I decided I wanted to get into photography but didn’t know where to start, so I was just snapping photos of my friends and family on my phone until one day a local studio in my hometown reached out to me to get an understanding of my process (since a lot of their clients were starting to hire me because I wasn’t charging anything, and still producing semi-decent photos). Through meeting with the studio, I was invited to intern at their space and learn the ropes of the industry and how to properly utilize professional equipment.

From there, I became well versed in professional camera settings and mastered the basics. From there, I started dabbling in more portraiture and in 2017 I moved to Portland, Oregon. In 2021, after the world had basically shut down for a year and I’d effectively lost my sense of belonging in the photography space, I was introduced to a local studio known as Coolhand Studios that provided me their space and top-of-the-line equipment to practice my skills, completely free of charge. This fire started my career, and catapulted me into studio editorial and fashion photography.

Knowing what I know now, I would’ve spent more time advocating for my interests and asking more questions, networking, and putting myself in spaces where I could cultivate my learning. I was always very shy and intimidated to tell people (especially other photographers I admired) that I wanted to do photography, and I can’t help but feel if I had done so earlier on what opportunities to learn and grow may have presented themselves. Through the years I have grown an appreciation for my ability to speak up, connect to others, and share a collective interest in photography with other artists. The ability to be personable, approachable, and a solid networker transcended my career and opportunities to create.

I think people get in their own way more than they think they do, speak up, speak your truth, and share your passion with everyone. You never know who can change your life because they see in you what you aren’t quite able to see in yourself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Mason Miles, and I have been a portrait/editorial photographer for 13 years. I discovered my passion early, at just 12 years old. I was fumbling around with my phone camera and snapping artsy photos of my friends and family at any chance I got. My older sister was a senior in high school, and my mom had me take her senior photos on my phone, which came out utterly “fine”. She still loves them to this day, which I think speaks to my lasting impact as an artist. I love that I was able to give her that experience. I felt such a sense of pride in being able to take pretty photos and had a basic understanding of angles that afterward, I begged my uncle to help me buy my first camera from a chain store in our local mall. He did so on the contingency I kept straight A’s through middle school. It was the easiest thing I have ever done, in hindsight.

From there, I just kept taking photos. I would get out of school at 3pm and find whatever friend of mine didn’t have homework and ask them to model for me. I would snap 1000’s of photos and spend hours on my outdated laptop trying my best to edit them in the styles of my favorite photographers at the time. In the rearview of it all, I didn’t have much of a personal style, I really just wanted to replicate what I admired from other artists. Over the years, I have cultivated a style and flare all of my own.

I focus primarily on editorial and fashion photography. As a queer male photographer, something I have always excelled at is posing my subjects and helping them feel utterly confident and empowered. This is my most well rounded skill. It’s all about encouraging your model, reminding them how incredible they look while posing, making them laugh, and connecting with them beyond having them in front of a bulky piece of photography equipment sweating under the heat of studio lighting.

Every time a session ends, the model stares at the images in admiration, citing their inability to believe it’s “actually them”. This is what fuels me. I truly believe modeling for me transcends the way people perceive their own beauty and what they’re capable of. My brand can easily be perceived as “sexy” or “edgy” but what it really is, is simple; awakened empowerment. It is a celebration of what unique beauty means to so many people, and how I, as an observer and admirer of the human form, can shift someone’s sense of self. I believe I have become a master of the art of expression and confidence.

I am most proud to share a brand that isn’t too full of itself, but knows that quality only exists in the details. Every image I share almost certainly contains a multitude of pixels that are expertly crafted one by one to convene as one stunning piece of art. It is all so intentional and truly second nature to me now. These might be portraits, but they are truly a fine art piece in all the same way.

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

I think one of the most common lessons that myself and other artists in today’s world have to unlearn in our own time is the act of taking on every project just because you want the money. Don’t get me wrong, making it as an artist financially is so uncertain and challenging that I never hold judgement towards those doing everything they can to get by on their art. What I am truly referring to is learning when it’s right to say “no” to work you don’t truly care about.

I went so long taking on photography projects that meant nothing to me artistically, purely because I wanted to make a bit of money. Over time, this started to wear down my true passion for the art and left me feeling like I was only capable of producing cookie-cutter work that didn’t speak to the integrity of my artistry. I had to ask myself, does this excite me? Do I see a deeper benefit to taking on this project that goes beyond a dollar sign?

I had to reconcile with myself and make the decision that I would rather take photos for free for the rest of my life if it meant I got to create things I truly cared about, than take on one more wedding session, or newborn session, or headshot session. I know that what I am capable of creatively runs so much deeper than a transaction. I create an art that transforms people and through that, also transforms me. If I never made a single dollar taking the photos I do, I could still walk away being rich in energy, excitement, and spirit.

It is okay to do what you do for money and to survive, but don’t let it become the sole reason you’re pursuing your art. Let yourself reflect on how you feel after each project and if you feel like having done it brought you closer to your purpose.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In October of 2019, I was brutally attacked in my home by a model who had arrived heavily intoxicated to discuss a potential project. Somewhere in the conversation we took a wrong turn and the model became irate, they ripped my hard drive from my computer and bashed me over the head with it for what felt like hours but in reality was only about 3-4 minutes; before dropping everything and running out my front door. I was hospitalized and left bloody and bruised for weeks afterward. My hard drive with all of my images taken over 2 years prior, was destroyed and I lost everything.

I kept my blinds shut, turned off my phone, laid on my couch, and cried for 3 weeks. I lost 30 pounds, lost clumps of hair, and even deeper than that, lost my sense of self and what it meant to me to be an artist thinking if this was the type of risk I could potentially be subjected to, why would I ever pick up a camera again?

It took me 6 months to even consider taking on a client again. Every time someone would reach out, I would delete the message and pretend I didn’t even know it happened. I stopped telling people I was a photographer, and let myself crumple inward and forget about my drive to create.

After 6 months, I woke one morning and stared at myself in the mirror for an hour. It almost felt like I didn’t blink. I just stared into my own eyes and began questioning what letting go of the flame of my spirit, my true purpose on this earth, would be worth? In that moment, I snapped back almost instantly. I immediately called my favorite model of all time, and in less than a week later I produced some of the best images of my entire career. I put every feeling of doubt and shame aside, and created work that reminded me why I am here.

The images still hang on the walls of my home today, I reflect back on this time with pain but moreover, focus and determination. In the wise words of Beyoncé, you won’t break my soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Masonmiles1.com
• Instagram: @1800pickmasonmiles