Life & Work with Edgar Barradas of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Edgar Barradas

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I come from a small town in Veracruz, Mexico, I migrated to the United States when I was 18 leaving mostly everyone and everything I knew behind, all with the hopes of reuniting with my father and brother, learning English, and building a better future for myself.
I am 37 today which means I have lived longer in The States than in my homeland, the USA has been a wonderful country and I’m proud to say that soon I will finally become a citizen.
I’ve long loved arts, crafts, music, and photography, and somehow destiny, luck, and some skills have brought me to where I am today. I worked hard, very hard in Texas for many years, with lots of manual labor, building, fixing, and repairing all sorts of things around, becoming a handyman, honing my problem-solving skills, while still practicing my love for music and cameras.
Love is what brought me to Los Angeles more than a decade ago, and while that didn’t flourish in the long run, I knew one thing, I had to prove to myself I could be on my own, and be self-sufficient. The city embraced me, and I embraced her back, LA had everything I wanted, and I was in love once again.
I worked several years at a restaurant as a busboy and eventually as a server, which helped a lot with my confidence and introverted self, and sharpened my attentive, responsive, and multitasking skills.
One November I decided it was time to move on from the restaurant business, at that point, I hadn’t spent a single Christmas with my family in Mexico for over a decade, and it was about time. I came back to th US a couple of months later and joined Mixografia, a fine art print shop that expands the realm of printmaking by incorporating dimensionality and relief into a traditionally two-dimensional medium. This job taught me to pay an incredible amount of attention to detail, something I bring with me everywhere I go, and something I think about when taking photographs.
Having my eye behind the camera in an environment that is rapidly changing is thrilling, this is where all my previous skills and experiences come together. Nothing makes me feel more alive than knowing I nailed a shot and captured lightning in a frame.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think we all struggle through one thing or another, for me, learning English the first few months, and not knowing what to say or respond.
The hard days of work under the relentless sun really humbled me. The uncertainty of work and the uncertainty of the future ahead. Being homesick and away from family was hard on the heart. Leaving everything behind once again. And last but not least my immigration status which I thankfully don’t have to worry about today.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in concert Photography and live events, I’m most known for the photographs I’ve taken of the band Metallica, they are my passion, my life, and the fire that fuels my heart. Thanks to their music and fans, I’ve traveled the world, making some of the deepest friendships anyone could hope for.
What makes me the most proud is to hear friends and fans praise my photography skills despite not having the access the band photographers have, which answers the subsequent question, the hunger to nail a shot with the limited space and gear I have is what makes my perspective different and sets me apart.
When I do have access I ask myself how can I make it a different? How can I make the artist and my photographs stand out? Challenging environments lead to unusual approaches that generate interesting images.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Although I am very outgoing and seem to be an extroverted person, inside I’m quite introverted and shy, I enjoy my solitude.
I do not work for Metallica or have any “special access” as some may think.
Some of the best photographs I’ve taken had been shot with a small point-and-shoot camera, gear matters, but experience matters more.
My regular everyday job is not being a photographer, it is being a master printer at Mixografia.
Being tall is great for concerts but horrible for travel.
Lots of photographers, including me, rarely get paid for photos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.edgarbarradas.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgartmcc/
• Twitter: https://x.com/EdgarTMCC

Image Credits
Profile photo –  Jose Tejeda
Other photos – Edgar Barradas