Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rafael Llamas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rafael , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I honestly learned everything I know by being a student of the game. I was taught very early to look for mentors in your profession, people who inspire you, people who have a path you can follow to be where they’re at. I would say it is fair to say that most artists are very visual people, so literally watching a master is a great way to learn the moves.

The most crucial thing that a master can teach you is to shoot with intent, that is what I would go back and tell my younger self to do (also to learn proper lighting haha).

Every artist has an essential skill that carries their inspiration, I would say for me it’s the things I found “really freaking cool” as a kid, like the cover from Batman: Arkham City. I draw a lot of my vision from images that have stood out to me in my life. If it weren’t for covers like that or a lot of Caravaggio paintings I wouldn’t seek after a certain style.

I would say the obstacle that stood in the way was the same for other creatives, the stress of everything that stands in the way of doing what you love. There is a grind you have to face when you start climbing up, a lot of it is working jobs you know aren’t for you. It is hard to come out of that grind unscathed because creative people tend to make many mistakes until they learn to be as detailed with their art as they are with their lives, but I would say facing that obstacle is part of the journey. Throughout that journey, you must remain inspired, if you really love something it’ll always be in the back of your mind.

Rafael , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Rafa2w, Until this day I don’t know what the 2w means but that’s the creative persona I have been for a long time.
My name is Rafael Llamas, I was born in Colombia and grew up in Miami, Florida. #GoCanes

I got into the photography side of the entertainment business through my love for really beautiful frames. What I mean by that is everything that we can visually fit onto some sort of canvas, theater stages, portraits, movie scenes, covers for video games..etc

To put it simply that Is what I aim to deliver to my current and future clients, undeniable usable art to represent their projects.

I enjoy making visuals of a person’s confidence to perform, I want to build characters with my art, funny enough a lot of musicians are really good at portraying that on camera. I have gotten a lot more confident with that type of work because of my love for color and having variations in all my work. Once I learned the power of color grading and the freedoms it grants you I really started to dive into experimenting and making sure I always took advantage of taking that extra step with your final selects, or simply to have more art. I’ve learned these skills by being an apprentice of the game.

I have a lot to learn and do within my career but something I really value is my ability to attract other great artists to collaborate with and teach me even if sometimes I don’t have anything to teach them. because of that gift and the people that have been introduced, I have proudly been able to build ‘Star-Child’ a production company with my best friend, Maximilian Seed. We have been able to bring together teams to make awesome work and loved it so much that it allowed me to spark up a passion for producing I have had for a long time.

My ability to learn has inspired me and driven me this far. My amazing stage lighting professor, Arnaldo Bueso. my first mentor in Miami and a true film master, Miguel Angel Tamayo. One of the hardest working, dedicated, and detail-oriented photographers in the game, Lance Skundrich. All of these people and more have taught me what it is like to deliver in every step from pre- to post-production.
Rafa2w is a mixture of all the people who have taught me art teaching my 13-year-old self a master class of how to make something “really freaking cool.”

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission is to be free and have the freedom to illustrate any idea I have in my mind. I want to be able to build and have any sort of infrastructure available to provide for my loved ones. My family and friends provide a lot of support so knowing that I will be able to provide freedom and at the same time make great projects with my friends is the goal that has always driven me forward.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

In the map of consciousness, all the non-creatives are clumped in the middle. Meaning they will find reliability around their 360 view of the people they surround themselves with. For most, the creative journey is one of dealing with society and being alone. Wanting to make something out of nothing makes you think completely differently from most, therefore hard to relate to a lot of people since your 360 bubble of relatability diminishes. We tend to find comfort within ourselves because once you find the right people you start to get the same creative spark that you feel while creating in solitude.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rafaelphotostudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafa2w/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/starchildcreatives/