We recently connected with Michael Perdomo and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It was 2009 and I had just returned from my first trip to Europe and the travel bug bit me hard. The novelty of everything being new was a feeling I was actively invested in and I wanted more. A realization hit me as I was researching potential trips: I have the privilege of living in New York City, a place many people dream of experiencing or even seeing once in their lives. I’ve been here my whole life and had never even been to the Statue of Liberty.
A camera made me a tourist in my own city. It was truly like moving to a new place. I began a regular practice of going out at night on my bike and shooting anything that interested me. I discovered a real passion for photography, particularly on the street. After feeling like I was sick of being here, I fell in love with New York again.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Through my interest in street photography, it was easy to pivot into my other specialties. I’m a huge live music fan so, music photography was a natural path for me to take- I’ve been in the pit for many metal and hardcore shows. My connections through restaurant jobs got me my first culinary shoots and allowed to exercise my food styling muscle. The world of photos is massive and there’s so many ways in.

My love for fashion photography caught me completely by surprise, I thought I would check out the red carpet at NYFW at the insistence of a friend. From the carpet, I was able to talk my way on to the runway and found some real magic in there. The same creativity and boundary pushing I found in all my favorite art was present here as well. Getting deeper into my professional career called for specialization and fashion seemed like the way to go. I’m very proud of my work on fashion. I try to ride the line between document and editorial in my work. Finding real art in real moments. Coming from the outside can be challenging at times, there’s a culture and practices that you have to learn in fashion. Ultimately, I feel like my initial outsider status had become an asset by helping me see something different others may not.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’m driven by a desire to understand and be understood. I try to make art that facilitates that. A lot of my understanding of the foreign started as a seed planted by a photo, or a short story, or a film. You see a photograph of a spice merchant in Morocco and it makes you wonder “how do they store and transport that? “,”How does their day move?”. “Who are they? ”
I also try not to get too intellectual about it. Sometimes, I just make pretty (or ugly) pictures that people like to look at.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being able to communicate your ideas and, again, be understood. The ultimate goal in art is to have someone look at something you made and understand not only the process, but also how you were actually feeling or thinking while making it. To make a real connection.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.perdomostudios.com
• Instagram: @thinkinternational

Image Credits

Michael Perdomo