in it with all my strength. It doesn't matter what you want
to do in life, it is how you feel about it and go about it
that counts. My advice is to please feel about it strongly
and devotedly and go about it full of passion and rage,
because sometimes when we are mad at society and
release that anger in a POSITIVE output, it fuels our brain
to believe that we will succeed regardless of all those
who impatiently expect us to fail.
- Do you have a favorite topic/subject to photograph,
and why?
I am a portrait photographer. If there is not a human in
the frame I feel that I am shooting an empty image. It’s
horrible wording it in such way, because there are so
many amazing landscape and panoramic
photographers, who, thanks to them, help us see the
world; places that we may never visit. Sadly, I truthfully
suck at landscape and panoramic photography. Within
the portraiture category, I shoot commercial, editorial
advertisement portraits. Recently I have been focusing
on a collection of male images, both artistic and fitness.
I am currently shooting my first upcoming coffee table
art book which will feature over 60 male models.
- Do you enjoy working in Miami, and why? How does
it compare to other cities?
This is a tough question. Being a Chihuahua/Arizona
native, which both are land locked states, Miami seems
like paradise. When I arrive in Miami the word
“vacation” pops in my head and I instantly want to
forget about everything. Lying out in the sun and taking a dip
in the beautiful ocean is truly my priority. I have various clients in Miami and
to do in life, it is how you feel about it and go about it
that counts. My advice is to please feel about it strongly
and devotedly and go about it full of passion and rage,
because sometimes when we are mad at society and
release that anger in a POSITIVE output, it fuels our brain
to believe that we will succeed regardless of all those
who impatiently expect us to fail.
- Do you have a favorite topic/subject to photograph,
and why?
I am a portrait photographer. If there is not a human in
the frame I feel that I am shooting an empty image. It’s
horrible wording it in such way, because there are so
many amazing landscape and panoramic
photographers, who, thanks to them, help us see the
world; places that we may never visit. Sadly, I truthfully
suck at landscape and panoramic photography. Within
the portraiture category, I shoot commercial, editorial
advertisement portraits. Recently I have been focusing
on a collection of male images, both artistic and fitness.
I am currently shooting my first upcoming coffee table
art book which will feature over 60 male models.
- Do you enjoy working in Miami, and why? How does
it compare to other cities?
This is a tough question. Being a Chihuahua/Arizona
native, which both are land locked states, Miami seems
like paradise. When I arrive in Miami the word
“vacation” pops in my head and I instantly want to
forget about everything. Lying out in the sun and taking a dip
in the beautiful ocean is truly my priority. I have various clients in Miami and
career, to me it is a way of living; capturing moments and memories that are
truly everlasting because I stopped everything around me, for that one moment
in time, and clicked that shutter.
I freeze history every day; I record life every single day.
That to me is worth living.
- Was your family supportive? How did they feel having their bathroom turned into
a darkroom?
My family has always been supportive of all that I do. Most humans are creatures
of habit; I am honestly a creature of change. Every day I have or want to do
something new. My family is used to that by now. It was quite challenging turning
my mom’s bathroom into a darkroom simply because it wasn’t a spare bathroom,
so everyone had to be on a schedule the days that I had to develop film and
print images. It is not easy to be on a bathroom schedule because our organisms
can easily and relentlessly dictate different, but we got through it.
- How did you go from a hobby to a full-blown, very successful career?
Everything has happened so fast that sometimes I ask myself, how did I get here?
I started shooting my neighbors and friends every other week or so, and now, I am
shooting at least 4-6 sessions a week and editing at least 5 hours a day. I have
deadlines every week from various states and countries overseas. I feel blessed
and honored to be able to do what I love and get paid for it. I feel that from day
one I have been dedicated and focused on what I want, and hard work does pay
off. I am nowhere near where I want to be as an artist and a person, but I am
confident that I will continue to grow towards my desired paths and destinations.
- Any advice to our young Latino|LGBT audience?
Certain people may not agree, but I believe that we are all given the same
potential to become and do whatever it is that we desire to do, regardless of
our ethnicity, age, or sexual preference. At the same time I feel that the three
truly everlasting because I stopped everything around me, for that one moment
in time, and clicked that shutter.
I freeze history every day; I record life every single day.
That to me is worth living.
- Was your family supportive? How did they feel having their bathroom turned into
a darkroom?
My family has always been supportive of all that I do. Most humans are creatures
of habit; I am honestly a creature of change. Every day I have or want to do
something new. My family is used to that by now. It was quite challenging turning
my mom’s bathroom into a darkroom simply because it wasn’t a spare bathroom,
so everyone had to be on a schedule the days that I had to develop film and
print images. It is not easy to be on a bathroom schedule because our organisms
can easily and relentlessly dictate different, but we got through it.
- How did you go from a hobby to a full-blown, very successful career?
Everything has happened so fast that sometimes I ask myself, how did I get here?
I started shooting my neighbors and friends every other week or so, and now, I am
shooting at least 4-6 sessions a week and editing at least 5 hours a day. I have
deadlines every week from various states and countries overseas. I feel blessed
and honored to be able to do what I love and get paid for it. I feel that from day
one I have been dedicated and focused on what I want, and hard work does pay
off. I am nowhere near where I want to be as an artist and a person, but I am
confident that I will continue to grow towards my desired paths and destinations.
- Any advice to our young Latino|LGBT audience?
Certain people may not agree, but I believe that we are all given the same
potential to become and do whatever it is that we desire to do, regardless of
our ethnicity, age, or sexual preference. At the same time I feel that the three
www.ambiente.us FEBRUARY | FEBRERO 2009
PhotoFlash|Hot , Young Photographer making waves in the
Industry | CARLOS ARIAS
By Herb Sosa
Despite only being in his early 20’s and only having discovered his passion for
photography just over five years ago, Carlos Arias is already producing and
working alongside world-class artists in his field. With his first coffee table book
of male subjects in the works, this self-taught photographer and post-
production artist is hot, and he’s only getting started!
Carlos recently sat exclusively with AMBIENTE to share some thoughts on his life,
works and philosophy.
- Tell me about coming to the U.S. with your family, and that experience for you
personally... Expectations, fears, dreams, etc...
I moved to the United States in 1995, at the age of nine, with my parents and my
sister Shannon. It was a life changing event. I did not speak one word of English,
and everything about America was like something out of futuristic movie.
Automatic doors in groceries stores were just unbelievable to my eyes! (That
should give you an idea of how every insignificant detail in the eyes of others,
was new and exciting to me.)
I am sure my parents had major fears about it all, but honestly to me, at that
PhotoFlash|Hot , Young Photographer making waves in the
Industry | CARLOS ARIAS
By Herb Sosa
Despite only being in his early 20’s and only having discovered his passion for
photography just over five years ago, Carlos Arias is already producing and
working alongside world-class artists in his field. With his first coffee table book
of male subjects in the works, this self-taught photographer and post-
production artist is hot, and he’s only getting started!
Carlos recently sat exclusively with AMBIENTE to share some thoughts on his life,
works and philosophy.
- Tell me about coming to the U.S. with your family, and that experience for you
personally... Expectations, fears, dreams, etc...
I moved to the United States in 1995, at the age of nine, with my parents and my
sister Shannon. It was a life changing event. I did not speak one word of English,
and everything about America was like something out of futuristic movie.
Automatic doors in groceries stores were just unbelievable to my eyes! (That
should give you an idea of how every insignificant detail in the eyes of others,
was new and exciting to me.)
I am sure my parents had major fears about it all, but honestly to me, at that
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young age, it was simply a
dream-like world. I am forever
thankful to have arrived in the
land of endless opportunities.
- What about a camera
(photography) interested you
and why?
I have always been a visual
person. Even in school or day
to day duties, I am the kind of
individual who needs to see an
example in order to
understand or learn a new task.
Photography is the one art
form that fully captured my
attention. I honestly cannot
explain why or what about
photography it is that I love; I
am simply drawn by images
everywhere I go. Certain
friends do not like my company
during a shopping trip to a
department store because I
stop to examine every
advertisement shot in every
corner of the entire store. I no longer feel that photography is a hobby or a
dream-like world. I am forever
thankful to have arrived in the
land of endless opportunities.
- What about a camera
(photography) interested you
and why?
I have always been a visual
person. Even in school or day
to day duties, I am the kind of
individual who needs to see an
example in order to
understand or learn a new task.
Photography is the one art
form that fully captured my
attention. I honestly cannot
explain why or what about
photography it is that I love; I
am simply drawn by images
everywhere I go. Certain
friends do not like my company
during a shopping trip to a
department store because I
stop to examine every
advertisement shot in every
corner of the entire store. I no longer feel that photography is a hobby or a
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| . Fresh-Squeezed Paradise MIAMI RIVER INN miamiriverinn.com |
. LGBT/Latino/Hispanic Civil Rights unitycoalition.org |
| . IMAGEWEBDESIGN herbsosa.com |
| . 70's Inspired Purses GLOSSgear.com |
| . AMBIENTE ONLINE STORE |
| . CLICK to SHOP |
. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals |
I work there often, but in such beautiful city, it truly does feel like work when I
have to shoot.
- What do you hope your photos say about you?
Even though photography is part of my everyday life, it is only a portion of who I
am as a
human. I don’t think that a photograph can say enough about me to fully
describe who I really am. If when someone sees my work and enjoys it, if they
notice the passion that I have for what I do, if they care to frame it in their home
or care to show it to others, that to me is more than enough. That would assure
me, that perhaps subconsciously, I helped someone to notice and feel
something. If my photography can say more than that about me, to all of my
viewers, then it would be the best bonus ever!
For more on CARLOS ARIAS | www.carlosariasphoto.com
www.myspace.com/carlosariasphoto
have to shoot.
- What do you hope your photos say about you?
Even though photography is part of my everyday life, it is only a portion of who I
am as a
human. I don’t think that a photograph can say enough about me to fully
describe who I really am. If when someone sees my work and enjoys it, if they
notice the passion that I have for what I do, if they care to frame it in their home
or care to show it to others, that to me is more than enough. That would assure
me, that perhaps subconsciously, I helped someone to notice and feel
something. If my photography can say more than that about me, to all of my
viewers, then it would be the best bonus ever!
For more on CARLOS ARIAS | www.carlosariasphoto.com
www.myspace.com/carlosariasphoto
CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL |
| . |
“labels” listed above could somehow be
seen as minorities or obstacles. Yes I am a
Hispanic, Gay, Young Artist and I can
provide myself with an abundance of
reasons why, in the eyes of today’s society,
I am destined to fail. When I start thinking
about that, I close my eyes, and tune out all
the noise of the world, and I feel my heart
beat. That sound proves to me that I am
alive, and I deserve to have whatever I want, as long as I work for it and believe
seen as minorities or obstacles. Yes I am a
Hispanic, Gay, Young Artist and I can
provide myself with an abundance of
reasons why, in the eyes of today’s society,
I am destined to fail. When I start thinking
about that, I close my eyes, and tune out all
the noise of the world, and I feel my heart
beat. That sound proves to me that I am
alive, and I deserve to have whatever I want, as long as I work for it and believe
