Hailing from Cali, Colombia, fashion photographer Cesar Balcazar is no stranger to year-round sunlit streets. At 26, Cesar has spent his days shooting in Colombia, Argentina, New York, and Miami. After having photographed some of the most renowned celebs in Latin America, and having his shots have grace the covers of Hola!, TVyNovelas and Cromos, it’s safe to say Balcazar has left a huge mark in the Hispanic market.
We here at Style Mafia have had the honor of collaborating with Balcazar, pairing his passion for photography with ours for fashion. Creative Director, Simonett Pereira, and Balcazar met through a mutual friend late last year, and since have worked on editorials, personal work and most recently the Style Mafia May 2014 lookbook: Here For You. We caught up with Cesar this week to about his trajectory as a fashion photographer. Check out our interview in this first edition of Art Talk below.
---------------
SM: What made you want to become a fashion photographer?
CB: I have an immense adoration and respect for women. Fashion photography is the vehicle I use to express that. And I think it’s a beautiful way to express those feelings and highlight their brilliance.
SM: Tell us about your experience while shooting in Miami.
CB: It’s an excellent place to shoot because it’s the perfect union between the Latin American and North American markets. Miami is a city that’s growing exponentially and I think that in a few years it’s going to be one of the major fashion cities of the world. It’s a good place to be, no doubt.
SM: Tell us about the strangest thing that’s happened to you on a set.
CB: I think I’ve always been lucky enough to have a good team of people to work with… so weird things don’t really happen. I think that the most exciting, spontaneous moment is when everyone on the team is focused and working towards the same goal. It leads to this explosive moment where everyone is proud and overjoyed at seeing the results. You can just see the excitement on everyone’s face. When I’m like “Oh look at this picture” and they’re like “Ah! Amazing!” and everyone’s just so happy. That’s the moment. I try to make that moment happen in every shoot I work on.
SM: What are some of your favorite spots to shoot in Miami?
CB: Miami is the ideal place to shoot photos on the beach. I love the weather and, although it’s basically summer year round, you’ll never have the same shoot twice. I love that the lighting is different and there’s always an element of diversity.
SM: What do you consider has been your biggest accomplishment career-wise thus far?
CB: It still hasn’t happened but it’s going to happen soon! I’ll be having my first exhibition in New York next year and I’m confident several projects will be stemming from that.