World Premiere Interview: Bell Soto Photographer

Interview by Christopher Uvenio

I love Bell Soto's work of photography, full of life, inspiring, theatrical, masculine, beauty and most of all Bell Soto's work is a Work of Art!

I was born in Lima Peru, and went to college over there and later went to SCAD and International Center of Photography in New York."
"I love expressive lighting in studio...I like to feel  "a moment"  or sometimes something very graphic and direct."

"I always admired the work of photographers that survived the trends and politics of fashion industry because of their work, talent and intelligence..."

                        -Hello Bell, I am really flattered you accepted to be interviewed for my Blog!, just to start this interview off, please give me some brief background information.
I was born in Lima Peru, and went to college over there and later went to SCAD and International Center of Photography in New York.

-What got you interested in photography?
When I was a teenager everybody wanted to do fashion, in Peru the late 80s I used to take pic of my friends and one day a magazine wanted to publish them and that is how it started. I went to school for communication, since photography was not  considered a career. I finished and I applied for a Fulbright scholarship and I was granted one, and that gave me the validation that I was serious about my photography to my family, since they always thought I should be an engineer or architect.

Did you take any courses or did you go to a school to learn  photography?
I did college in Communications and then photography in New York. Later I assisted a couple of photographers and I learned a lot of the technical part with that experience. However, I think a background and education in Art and History is very important. Nowadays, anybody can pick up a digital camera and shot a gorgeous model in great clothes, make friends with an editor and get published but I think that culture is something that makes your work stronger and not just a flavor of the moment. Even though in fashion is all about "now". I admire more the work of people with a longer career.

-What are the common elements of your photography style? How would you describe your shooting style?    
I think my style is very eclectic. There is a tendency in our industry to label the work of photographers, in order to classify and make you a product. I do not think that is natural to an artist. I do not think it is natural to keep the same style over the years either. Big painters go through faces. But unlike painting , fashion is a commercial art so we have to play with some rules. I love to shoot in studio with connection with the model. I love expressive lighting in studio...I like to feel  "a moment"  or sometimes something very graphic and direct. On location, I like to have a more cinematic approach to the image. As if they are cuts of a film or something like that.

-What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
 I like people that inspire me. I have done projects with totally unknown women from Amazon and countryside in Peru and they are as intense and interesting as fashion campaign models, which I have shot as well. But in a very competitive industry as fashion, people do not really look at your work as  image, but put into consideration all the politics of who you work with, and who you shoot. I am grateful I have access to a great selection of talent but I tend to choose to photograph the people that I feel connected or inspire me.

-How do you compare shooting in the studio to on location – any preference?
In studio, I really prefer to shoot something very minimal and graphic. I like to focus on the light on the subject and try to get an emotion.  Yes, our industry can be vain about external beauty, but being in this for so long, I need to feel there is some soul on the person or the image I am making. It is a great feeling when you get that. because after all, even after all the retouching, it is humans I'm working with! On location, it is all about a mood, a story in a second. The subject is an element of the whole picture.

-How do you feel about digitally enhancing photos and to what extent do you utilize it?
In photography I started working with film, and there was a time I did not want to shoot in digital because it felt too fake. However, I think technology made possible to get a good feel with digital and I like to play with it. There are 2 trends of natural raw against a very ultra retouched imagery. I play with both, I like to enhance colors and retouch to an extend, the most important is the emotion that enhancement adds to the image. If the image is good, it does not need so much retouching to make it more expressive. Most of my images are shot as it is, specially with locations. I am not a big fan of using one head of one picture, arm from the other, neck for another etc...but I think the media is making us all become more addicted to perfection.

-You are a very successful photographer, do you have any advice to photographers starting out in the fashion industry?
Success is a very complicated concept. In America success is more about money while Europe is a little bit more inclined to quality and art. I live in New York, so I think it is important to combine the art and commerce. I am not big on great sets and lots of people around kissing each other cheek and telling each other how fabulous is everything. I prefer something more quiet and real. People should also keep in mind, that it is just clothes, and pretty people but it is not  like we are saving lives or discovering the cure of major diseases in the world.



Photography, like Fashion,  have this amazing aspect of creating an escape to people, and I believe that photography and lately film / video is another expression of art, and in that sense, it should move and inspire others to create and dream. When I was in Peru, I would look at work of other big photographers and I would admire their talent and the beauty of their images, even when it was big shoulder pads and extreme 80s makeup!..it inspired me to move by myself  to another country not knowing anyone, and has helped me to continue and because of that I have had a great experience in life not only as a photographer but as a person.                                                                             

-Please share with me some of your recent and upcoming projects...
I always admired the work of photographers that survived the trends and politics of fashion industry because of their work, talent and intelligence. Times, however, have changed so much and the access to so many points of view have created a confusion on direction on art, photography, fashion etc. In response to that, to me, I think it is important to try to find your real inspiration inside, and try to put them on the work that you do. I started to work on film and video because it gives me another element to express myself.

Many magazines have a direction and most publications do not allow you to do or shoot and publish just anything you want, there are some rules, politics and advertisers to please. I try to shoot my own stuff even when I know I will not publish it. Maybe I will do a show later on, Now I am working with amazing people that keeps me inspired and the video is something that I hope reaches the sensibility of more people. I am learning all the time and it is refreshing for me because it keeps me curious about learning a new media. I will probably keep shooting photography till I can not do it anymore. I love what I do!

-Thanks again Bell for taking your time to answer my questions, it was a gift to me and my readers!

You're welcome!