We were lucky to catch up with Paulo Shishido recently and have shared our conversation below.
Paulo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Two things definitely stand out from both my mom and dad.
First, my mom, she is the most selfless person I know. She won’t eat so that you can. I always tell her (in Spanish)- Ma, como tu vas ha ayudar a la otra persona si tu no te ayudas a ti misma primero? (Ma, how are you going to help others if you don’t help yourself first?). Being selfless isn’t a bad thing, but it’s always looking out for others that’s the point.
Second, my dad, and it’s the lesson that has stuck with me from the day he put being a father into perspective. Remove your ego/pride from the situation. My son’s mom invited me to take our son, Luca, to Disney for the first time when he was still a baby. I didn’t go because at the time I felt we were not getting along. I told my dad what happened and he said to me- Now you missed out on sharing Luca’s first trip to Disney because you weren’t getting along with her? You’re not going to enjoy your time with anyone else other than Luca; lesson learned.
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
Let’s see… the way I got into this creative space was not by pure coincidence. I feel my dad always loved to document moments via photography. He always loves to break out old photos from his teenage years, my brother and I’d old school photos etc and reminisce. Recently, while on vacation to North Carolina, I went over to his house and wanted to see the photos of one trip we took to Peru. We went hiking out in the country and came upon a river where my brother and I played in the shallow water surrounded by huge boulders. On this same vacation to North Carolina, Luca and I had the opportunity to do the same at Lake Lure with one of my best friend’s family. I’m glad Luca got to experience what I did as a kid. As I look back on it, I carry on the tradition of documenting and photographing these moments for him.
There are several photos/moments that I look back on that sparked this creative outlet. One is a photo my brother took of me when I graduated Florida International University (FIU) in 2009. I was crying because my grandfather came to mind and he captured a single tear streaking down my right cheek; it definitely gave me the feels. My grandfather always told me to get a higher education and I finally accomplished that feat, for myself and for him.
Another moment was when @chocolatemilkme praised me in the way I was photographing Luca in his toddler years. I was shooting with an iPhone 5 and Moment wide and fish lenses, then progressed to my dad’s Canon 60D and moved onto a Canon 5D Mark III with Canon’s 24mm, 35mm and 85mm 1.4 lenses; which is what I currently shoot with.
I believe what sets me apart from others is the ability to capture candid moments or freestyle a photoshoot if things do not go according to plan. That’s what brings me joy; for a person allowing me into their space and giving me the opportunity to capture what I’ve been able to capture with Luca. Those are intimate/personal moments that I feel someone will truly cherish. Or just simply go out into the city for street photography; that’s what I’ve been finding has brought me the most joy lately.
Something I’m definitely proud of is the album cover I photographed for @mccoywitme (Marques McCoy) The Emerald List. He’s a Hip Hop head like me, so the energy was there from the get. He wanted a Reservoir Dog-car trunk-type shot. We set out one Friday night to Downtown Miami and knocked it out. Using an iPhone to set the emerald green lighting from inside the trunk of his car, I jumped in the trunk to get that low angle, BAM!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is that an idea can come up at any moment. For instance, while on vacation, I took Luca, my godson and his brother to play basketball at a cul de sac in their neighborhood. After they were done playing I asked them to pose for a “team” photo. Although only three of them in the photo, it reminded me of the team photo from The Sandlot. I’m sure they’ll look back at it and know exactly what went on that day. I know Luca will, he has the memory of an elephant! I used my Canon Sure Shot 115u point and shoot with Kodak Portra 400; need to get these developed ASAP! shoutout @PalmFilmLab!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I for one don’t necessarily have a “goal” or “mission”. I’m a go with the flow type photographer/person and creature of habit. I photograph when I want to and as a creative outlet. There’s no endgame. I don’t do it for clout or likes or even money, I do it because I truly enjoy the craft.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.1005photography.com
- Instagram: 1005photography
- Twitter: shidkid
Image Credits
featured photo by @jonjonvisuals