We were lucky to catch up with Omar Castanon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Omar, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

As a portrait photographer, it can’t be understated just how important people skills are. Taking snapshots of oneself is a fairly common task, but to have your portrait taken by a complete stranger is a very vulnerable experience. Being able to quickly put clients at ease will take a lot of the uncomfortableness out of the experience and will more freely allow your clients’ inner beauty to shine through. This can also help boost your sales by increasing the likelihood of clients sharing their experience with you theough word of mouth.

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

I am currently finishing up my master’s degree in international affairs and global enterprise. I enjoy meeting and working with people from different backgrounds. I was drawn towards portrait photography because I genuinely enjoy hearing every individual’s personal story and pride myself on being able to help clients capture themselves in photos in a way that only they see themselves. I like to add a cinematic flair to my work because everybody is the main character in their own story and they should have photos that reflect that. My most recent collection that centered on emotional fallout from living in quarantine was just shown in an art gallery in London. I hope to continue to create photo series that lay bare the human experience.

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

Making a print of my photos and experiencing them in full right in front of me. It’s much easier to lose yourself in the scene when you do this as opposed to seeing the photo on a phone screen. Being able to fully see the work realized and reflect on what it means to you is an incredible feeling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The most frustrating thing in the world is having an idea in your head and being unable to bring it to life because your artistic skills aren’t adequate. It’s what drives me to this day to learn new lighting techniques or research different camera tricks. I enjoy the creative challenge of figuring out ways to accomplish these ideas in person rather than manipulating the photo through editing to do so. Those are two different ways of thinking and I believe one embraces the beauty in imperfections, while the other attempts to bring perfection to life. Almost every photoshoot I do, the client(s) joke about having their insecurities photoshopped out of the photos, but I don’t like that way of thinking. I would rather celebrate and embrace individuality rather than chase an ever changing idea of perfection.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Omarcastanon.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/omargottheshot