Daily Inspiration: Meet Edward Carreon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Edward Carreon

Hi Edward, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In the beginning he aspired to smuggle gems from Sri Lanka and live on the island of Fatu Hiva where Gauguin painted. Instead moved to Micronesia and got lost for two years. Fell in lust. Slid down a coconut tree; very painful. Saw a blue moon. Was attacked by sharks but got lucky. Built houses, speared fish, Fell in love. Went home empty-handed. Went to school, got bored then graduated. Lived in Mexico, fell in love, and got drunk with a cartel hitman. Lived in an Indian village, broke two ribs, lost all his money on a cock fight, got lost in a cave but now is found. Published widely acclaimed work. Made Mama proud. Worked for newspapers. Worked for The New York Times. Walked in the desert, got a heat stroke, thought he saw God or Jerry Garcia. Recovered. Worked for Life, Fortune, Newsweek, and National Geographic. Went to Cuba and smoked cigars. Fell in Love. Married in Havana. She saw him coming a mile away. Fortunate tragedy. Recovered. Worked for the New York Times, Discovery Channel, Amgen, Target, etc. Worked in Latin America. Fell in Love with the wrong woman then Fell in love with the right woman Got Married, wife, kid, beagle, and garden. The whole nine yards. Beagle ate the house. Likes tomatoes, green tea, impossible hikes, and Ayahuasca ceremonies. Most pressing question: “Who are you ?”

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are no smooth roads in photography. My main struggle was ignorance; not understanding the landscape or myself. If I had it to do over again, I would have done a dozen internships to understand the difference between a photographer doing B2B work and agency work. Also to know how to talk about money. Most photographers are their own worst enemies and fail to grasp that only 10% of us make over $90,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Additional struggles included an inability to talk about money. For me, it was like asking someone if I could see their sister’s underwear; it was embarrassing. I also did not understand my value as a photographer. These understandings took me a long time to comprehend.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a generalist with a focus on industrial, corporate, architectural and healthcare photography. In retrospect, it is a way I developed to combat boredom. I cherish the challenges of doing things that are on the borders of my knowledge and experience. When the potential for failure looms, it focuses me in a way that I cannot achieve otherwise,

I would say that I am one of the top three industrial/corporate/healthcare photographers in Los Angeles.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I do Ayahuasca ceremonies.

Pricing:

• $2,800-3,500 per day for industrial/corporate/Healthcare/Commercial
• $2,200-$2,500 per day for Architecture
• $850-$1,500 for Editorial

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carreonphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardcarreonphotography/

Image Credits:
Edcarreon Photography