Meet Jorge Barcelo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge Barcelo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jorge. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I received my first camera in 2006. I was still in high school then and before graduation I had started shooting with a couple girls in my classes that were interested in getting into modeling. Soon after, I began to stray from photography and eventually dropped it all together.

Fast forward to Spring 2017 and I received a job offer in LA. The job was/is very difficult and I nearly quit on several occasions because I felt like a total failure. It didn’t help that I didn’t have any friends in the city. Eventually, I started to figure work out and things started getting better. Halfway through 2018, I finally had enough. I needed to make friends so I started thinking about getting back into photography to take my mind off work on the weekends. I spent most of summer reading and watching anything that would teach me the basics. That’s when I learned about LMM and I just started going to as many of them as I could.

Thanks to Rachel’s operation, I was able to get years of practice in a very short amount of time. I was able to network with so many people. That’s where I met some of my best new friends that have helped keep me motivated and pushed me to get better. Eden, Lindy, Ryan, Rachel, Sara (I love you all).

I continued this every weekend in 2019. I started doing headshots and family portraits to pay for new gear then used that gear to make my personal work better. I also had a chance to shoot with Model Hunt and that was a great experience. No matter what I was doing, though, I was always having the most fun when I’d sit and plan out a shoot. I enjoy making sets from scratch. Going to arts&craft stores and getting materials to make the scene exactly how I’d imagine it.

Now it’s 2020 and I will continue that trend. It’s not even the end of January yet and I’ve already got three major projects done and February is even busier. If I do things right, maybe I’ll be able to showcase my work at this year’s NudeArtLA event in the Fall/Winter and I’d like for you all to come.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
F&%K NO. Holy hell it’s been a roller coaster. There’s a very funny graph on the internet called “Stages of a Photographer” and I hit the “dammit, I suck” part of the graph many many times. My biggest struggle has always been trying to figure out exactly what kind of photography I want to do. I’m still primarily a weekend photographer so I have a limited amount of time to really do it. Especially when the sun goes down early.

I don’t understand hashtags or social media very well so maybe I’ll invest more into having someone teach and mentor me on that.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Jorge Barcelo Photography – what should we know?
If we’re talking about my day job, I work for a company that specializes in being a full suite service provider in the after-sales Automotive industry in LA & SD. My day to day involves me analyzing sales reports, growing our client’s business, and managing our staff.

As for photography, I don’t think I’d ever do it full time. I have a couple of other business ventures I’m working on as well. I do know I want to specialize in fine art photography, though.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Persistence and knowing when to take a break.

Aside from professional athletes, I don’t believe anyone’s born a “natural talent” some people might be a little bit better at first, but it’s not a race. It’s so easy to get in our heads and call it quits when we’ve hit a roadblock, but if we take a step back to breathe and come back in a couple hours or a couple weeks – how ever long you need – you can get right back at it.

Also stay away from toxic people. Surround yourself with other people that are also passionate and don’t sabotage others in the process.

Pricing:

• Headshots – $200
• Family Portraits – $300

Contact Info:

• Website: jbarcelo.com
• Email: jbar3@mail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jorgebarcelo_photography
• Other: instagram.com/shooting_with_jorge

Image Credit:
Lia, Alex, Amber, Steph, Dee, Stephanie, Lu Reis

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