We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Orlando Pelagio. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Orlando below.
Orlando, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Being successful is subjective — some will think of it as a monetary goal to attain and others will see it as bringing people together for something that serves a greater cause. Specifically for me, it has always been two things: how to make this world a better place with the medium I have chose to be passionate about and how to create a lasting legacy for myself.
It’s very easy to lose yourself in the idea that success needs to be one way or that it’s strictly related to what you set out to do for yourself; often times that leads to self deprecating thoughts and discouraging because if things don’t go one way or success doesn’t find you sooner then it feels daunting and like it’s never going to happen.
But other the years, I’ve found that success if just the patience I’ve had to learn what I like best, creating a safe environment during my shoots, and being confident in myself not only to say that I am a good photographer but just being myself. I’ve been fortunate enough to book incredible shoots with talented as hell people that have now become friends, I’ve been better at reaching to potential clients, to magazine that I want to work for, or just being more sure of myself with decisions that are integral to making a shoot successful!
Orlando, 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?
I’ve always been interested in the arts field. Younger me had the ambitions of wanting to become a comic book/manga illustrator and work on anime shows. But I grew up in a household that never saw art as a viable source of income, and I was pushed to find something in the medical field or something that would keep me financially stable.
During the last semester of my senior year in highschool, I begged to be let into a photography class because I was never given the chance and it was something that interested me greatly. Miraculously, it happened, I learned two years worth of work in a few weeks and graduated. After that, I carried my ambition with me, got a few day jobs to save up for my own camera and just keep shooting until I found that I enjoyed interacting with people and taking their portraits.
I got involved with fashion because despite feeling like Vogue and all these big editorial were unattainable for people like me, I wanted to prove the world wrong (especially myself). I feel like every artist goes through phases of confidence and phases where they compare themselves so much that they want to throw in the towel and call it quits. Rejection came when I reached out to local agencies and I wasn’t directly told no, but was told to work on my portfolio before they would consider working with me. Normally, rejection would make me feel like a failure and I wouldn’t pursue, but photography was the only thing that kept telling me to keep going — so I did!
Eventually, they said yes, and the rest if history!
I’m most proud of my perseverance — because I never stopped, I was about to “find my style”; learn that growth is never ending; that it’s ok to be particular about how and what you shoot; that what works for me isn’t necessarily being jack-of-all-trades but to be really focus on one or two things and become really good! I shoot very clean and minimal; I’m a social butterfly and so talking to people during the set is always great to figure out how a client wants to be photographed or even HOW to photograph them in the best manner. My job is to show them how to see themselves in a different, but positive light or one they’ve never seen. It’s 10% me, and 90% them — it’s a collaborative effort, and people allow me into their worlds. Same for brands: how can we bridge gaps that haven’t been thought of to elevate and make it what it should be!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Meeting people and getting the opportunity to work with them. I’ve made some incredible friends throughout the years who are insanely talented at their respected careers. Make up artist, hair stylists, clothing stylists, celebrities, etc etc.
It’s all a collaborative effort to me — whether it be a big production with plenty of minds chiming in or moving parts; to the more intimate shoots where it’s just me and the model or person in front of my lens.
It’s just repeatedly reminding yourself, what do you want to learn, what to you want to bring to the table, and how can we make this the best it can be.
You meet people who will give you directives and are very particular about how they want to be seen or how they want their brands to be seen and then you have those that want you to essentially translate who they are “how do YOU see me?”
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
This is going to sound so “Hall-Mark-Movie” esque but being kind and humble.
People have bad days and show up to set ticked off about something and somethings do lash out: treat them with kindness.
Why not compliment the person in front of your lens with things like “you’re doing so great; you look amazing; ahh, these photos of you are coming out so good!” because one it’s the truth and two, why not!?
The humility comes into play the bigger gigs and bigger players come into the picture. It’s easy to get lost in the sauce of “success” and grow that ego, but never forget where you came from and always be thankful for the where you are. I’m a firm believer in thanking everyone that has ever helped me in one way or another. Yes, you may do the majority of the leg work; you may have to fend of self-deprecating thoughts and gone through the ringer, but just never allow the bitterness of the world make you bitter or cocky.
Contact Info:
- Website: orlandopelagio.com
- Instagram: orlandopelagio
- Other: https://www.theagencyaz.com/divisions/artists-photographers/portfolios/orlando
Image Credits
All images taken by Orlando Pelagio First Image — Jordyn Schneider walking for Grace Walton at Atlas Season IV (Model represented by Ford RBA) Second — Zeyi modeling for Cayla Gray x Phillip Roberts collab titled “LEGACY” ; shot at Afternoon Studios Third — Ella Smith shot on location; styled by Bella Camperlango (represented by The Agency Arizona) Fourth — Jack Sandner photographed at Afternoon Studios (The Agency Arizona) Fifth — Lindsey Clint photographed at Afternoon Studios Sixth — Anthony Lyons photographed at Afternoon Studios Seventh — Madeline photographed at Afternoon Studios; styled by Lauryn Wylde (The Agency Arizona) Eighth — Sho photographed at Afternoon Studios (The Agency Arizona)