Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Leal.
Peter, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt like I’ve been wearing all that hats. As I entered my late teens, I began a journey which had me feeling like a jack of all trades, yet a master of none. I just wanted to do so much. The invincibility of youth is so powerful. I would just say to myself – I’m going to that! And I would. Those who’ve known me a long time say I’ve lived many lives. I couldn’t agree more.
I’m the firstborn American son of two of the most loving immigrant parents. They sacrificed so much in order to live the dream of becoming US Citizens and raising a family north of the Mexican border. No matter how much they struggled in the face of adversity, they always kept a positive outlook on just about everything. They were so in love and would tear up a ballroom at any family or community function, not leaving a single tile on the dance floor untouched! These immortal visuals of them so happy and free are some of my favorite memories as a child. Seared in my being was a love for the arts and music and any beat that would seemingly possess my heart and move my body. That percussion ingrained in my soul has never left. I feel it’s always been there as I can barely function without music. I enjoyed watching old musicals or music videos that would raise me up attempting to learn the choreography, gazing at how a camera would capture an actor watching old films with my dad and impersonating all the different roles. Yes, I was that weird kid.
My father worked as a mechanic and mom eventually ran a daycare from home. At first, only Spanish was spoken in the household and as a result, my lack of English made me painfully shy in school. My parents grew up with next to no education living on remote farms. So it was really up to me to apply myself in school. I was fascinated by how people communicated. Yet, having no idea what they were saying. I developed a habit of people watching from afar. The way they talked and expressed themselves. I had so much love I wanted to share, yet had no idea how I could do it with a stutter in my speech. Some of my earliest ways of expressing myself was by hauling out some cardboard and a boombox to school so I could break dance during recess or put on impromptu magic shows with that starter kit I was so lucky to get one year for Christmas.
I eventually found my love for theater while in high school. I auditioned for my Dad’s favorite musical “Oklahoma” and got in as a dancer. I remember seeing my family from the stage. By this time, my father had already suffered a stroke during a surgery attempt to remove a brain tumor. Although I have glimpses in my memory of him sitting in his wheelchair and bouncing his head with the biggest smile as our production entertained the audience! A few months later, I would be holding my father’s hand as he drew his last breath. Looking back, I feel incredibly blessed to have had that experience as well as the chance to be at his side while he was sick. To say good-bye when it was time to walk him to the other side.
The drama-dept choreographer recommended I audition for Disneyland Entertainment. As a result, I started a four years stint there performing four shows a day and working 40 hours a week as an actor, dancer and acrobat while I was still a junior in high school. I was very lucky to be working because this was a pivotal time to be doing so. Through all those hard times, theater, music and dance were my escape into dealing with loss and grief. I was mesmerized by all the magic one could create with elaborate costuming, make-up and transforming worlds with color and light design. I dove in headfirst, eventually earned my degree in theater and continued working productions for the stage and screen for the duration of my twenties.
After wrapping several months filming work as a warrior chimpanzee on Tim Burton’s remake of Planet of the Apes, I felt a desire to return to school and study cinematography at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. The program was full and so I ended up taking on a beginning photography course as a prerequisite. Our instructor Chauncey Bayes made the class feel like we were in Dead Poet’s Society with Robin Williams. He bears a sincere passion for life and knows how to capture it within a single frame. That experience had me making a huge left turn when a friend took a look at my portfolio and begged me to shoot her friend’s wedding. I said NO out of fear! We had this conversation several times. By the third time she came around – I agreed to face my fears and prepared to shoot the wedding.
The bride and groom were thrilled and a few months later, I was on a flight to Costa Rica to shoot my second wedding. The next two years I was awarded consecutive first place prize awards at the Orange County Fair Annual Photography Competition. Soon after, I had earned a scholarship after sending my portfolios out for review. By this point, I really felt I had found my new jam! I really just wanted to stop wearing all the hats and pick something! An avenue I could make a steady profession in. The risk of taking on work while in school for the same profession was a blessing.
I truly miss those dark room days! They were full of nostalgia and healing energy. Those days and nights in the darkroom were like Tai Chi or Yoga for me. I would spend hours most all days of the week developing film and making prints the old way. It motivated me to learn as much as I could in order to be the best I could be. I continued exhibiting my work wherever I saw opportunities and started shooting headshots on the side. The undying love my parents shared had further catapulted me to keep shooting weddings. And then the money I was fortunate to earn kept going back into my photography education. Although – I knew I didn’t just want to exclusively be shooting weddings and events. After completing the program requirements, I returned and took up every single route and advanced class the Orange Coast College School of Photography had to offer ranging from Advertising, Fashion, Commercial Architecture and everything in between. It wasn’t until I started taking my camera to music festivals and shooting my favorite acts when I realized everything started coming full circle!
I loved connecting with performances from the front rows of crowds, snapping away and then loading up my favorites to social media. By this time, tagging was just beginning on Facebook and those marketing tools made a huge difference in connecting with the very same performers and productions that eventually started hiring me on a regular basis. That lead to a handful of years shooting work for headliners at Coachella Music Festival such as Lucent Dossier Experience, a mind-blowing Los Angeles underground circus as well as repeated campaigns for the Ultra Angels at Miami Ultra Music Festival. A group of 40 of the world’s best dancers representing all of the different countries the famed EDM festival lands in. I saw a massive billboard of my work go up and was photographing the very same talents up close and personal which only a few years earlier, I was merely saving up to buy tickets for a chance to see live!
These kind of experiences have had me literally pinching myself from time to time as goosebumps come sneaking on and I’m just over here trying to keep it together on set.
It’s true what they say. Everything happens for a reason. – All those years working as a performer amidst theatrics had allowed me to connect through movement when I’m photographing a dancer, what color pallet I should implement to each light design I build for the appropriate moods as well as the appreciation for costume design becoming symbiotic with my love for fashion. Even that sweet anticipation of that next great chorus cued from a crescendo leading to a singers moment of blissful actualization. Working with theater and film crews made picking up with my own production teams seem like riding a bike again after several years. All of that boyhood yearning for connection and seeing the authenticity in it all beautifully contributed to my style of conveying the necessary feelings across a still image or symphony of them which I constantly strive for within my work.
Has it been a smooth road?
Careers never happen overnight. I don’t believe it’s ever easy starting a new profession. Your favorite band didn’t get that record deal right after their first guitar lesson just as photographers don’t make a career by simply pushing a button.
A camera is very much an instrument. That one key on the piano is like the shutter release on camera, joined by all the other keys such as framing and composition, all the different exposure times and combinations, understanding how natural vs artificial light work on their own vs together with color and design.
And when you learn all the chords, you finally reap the benefits of being able to write your own visual concertos. I used to struggle with people assuming I was a professional photographer just because I was in possession of a nice camera. Anyone can buy a shiny new red guitar. It doesn’t mean they can play it.
The fact is this. Photography is one of the most time consuming and expensive careers anyone can ever get into. It takes a sincere amount of dedication. The upfront costs of business requiring all the necessary gear such as camera bodies, lenses, lights, powerful computers, editing software, insurance and not to mention continued education can take quite a number of years to attain. We now live in a digital world that is constantly changing and evolving. Whereas in years past, photography careers were relatively standard as far as what a photographer needed to know. These days are all about continually upgrading equipment and software as technology keeps evolving at an astronomical pace.
As a result of these essentials, the pricing model of a photography business must reflect all costs of doing business in order to stay afloat in such a competitive field and world where now ‘everyone is a photographer’. What does a photographer need to do in order to stand out from the rest? How can we offer something reliable that others don’t? How does a professional photographer differ from say, a bride opting for Uncle Bob with a nice camera to take all of her wedding photos?
The best way I knew how to find my place in this industry was by looking to where I wanted to eventually be. What were those leading photographers charging? And then realistically, where could I place myself in order to get there from within my current place on the journey?
As entrepreneurs, we all need to make sacrifices in order to make the dream. What do you want out of your life? How will you get there? I would challenge any business owner to think of how to achieve their life goals from the perspective of, ‘What are you willing to suffer?” You’ll need to cut costs elsewhere in your life in order to make room for where you want grow your business as well as expand upon your own future.
When I first started working, I was simply over the moon by the simple fact that I was getting paid to do something I loved to do! In a strange, yet not so uncommon way, I actually felt somewhat guilty for it. Although what I quickly learned was that extra time I was putting into my work was not sustainable. And that’s where I feel these turning points make themselves apparent for many photographers these days. When I realized I needed to make adjustments to my budget such as not going out to dinner as often, buying tickets for shows, dating or traveling – I shifted more of my time and financial investments into my career in order to keep developing the skills required for producing a quality product. Eventually, I was finally doing the one thing I loved most and working 18 hour days spearheading multiple projects all at once. It all becomes very rewarding and extremely addicting!
I can now say that photography has truly been my greatest gift, passion and joy in life. It is also my greatest curse.
These last two years I’ve been regularly working several projects at once with less downtime. It’s easy to get consumed as I quickly learned I was beginning to burn out a bit and really started missing friends and family. I was falling into a dicey habit of becoming the ‘Yes Man’ all over again. I realized I was reaching another stage of doing too much! I had reached a new level of demand. Sometimes, we need to say NO in order to say YES. To OURSELVES! Experiencing this demand as the quality of your work levels up is where the growing business owner needs to acknowledge it’s time to start charging more and work less. Theoretically, allowing the photographers working up the latter to take the jobs you can no longer afford the time for. And keep moving towards the quality of life you deserve.
Additionally, I really feel it’s important for an artist to take time away from work in order to make the time to keep creating art that comes from within and not necessarily for a client. Otherwise, what are we really doing it for? Don’t let yourself burn out because you’ve stopped having fun. Just like our bodies need rest and rejuvenation. It’s important to keep nurturing the creativity from within that which makes us all better humans and communicators.
One of the ways I’ve applied this sort of time has been by creating an ongoing portrait series of artists called “Eyes of Affinity”. The series is based on a group of creators I regularly head out for retreats with in and around Los Angeles. The collection grows with each passing year as an opus of sorts and is particularly a loving homage to my community. Some of the artists I photograph I’ve known for years, others I meet for the first time just moments before they step in front of my lights. Those little moments in between have manifested into some of the most rewarding friendships as well as clients I have ever had. They wholeheartedly are some of the most inspiring people I have ever met.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Most photographers have a niche market. And here I am, years later, wearing all the hats again! A jack of all genres. Fortunately, it feels as I’m continually mastering this time around.
If I had to choose a way of describing my work – I’m a purely conceptual photographer specializing in photographing people. And that applies to all the different genres I’ve been shooting. Whether I’m producing a commercial campaign, fashion editorial, executive portrait or wedding, every job is unique. I put an immense amount of time into pre-production. A lot of thought goes into what I’ll be conveying to the viewer.
My abilities to light my sets the way I do, along with implementing details on how to communicate ideas through the medium is what I feel truly sets me apart. I also do all my own Photoshop and retouching. I see every project from start to finish.
There will always be a feeling I want get across by using color and tonality. Depending on what the assignment is, I’ll be asking myself these questions. How will I modify and gel my lights to compliment a certain mood? What hair and eye color will the models require? How does this fashion line make a person feel? What time is the sun rising or setting and how will these variables affect the times I need to shoot? Will this collection be shot in a studio, outdoors or both? Will the next shot be a full stand alone image or a two page spread?
Overall, I’m probably most proud of how versatile the work is becoming. The connections I’ve made are truly a gift. Most notably the repeat clients that keep sending me out on unexpected adventures. One thing I’ve learned for sure is… I’m never bored!
In just the last couple of years, I’ve managed to work for brands such as Nissan, ILM, IMAX, Johnson and Johnson, VR Studios and Mavenlink just to name a few. My work has been published all throughout several major news and print magazines ranging from Playboy to Forbes. Weddings and events are regularly making their way into the mix as well as work shooting stills for motion picture and video production.
When all is said and done, the most rewarding experiences seem to stem with how my subjects feel while I’m shooting with them. I absolutely love the fact that I get to meet and work with new people every step of the way.
My goal is to have the viewer always wanting to know more about the people I photograph simply by looking at the images we create. Portraiture is the direct result of what the subject’s relationship is to the photographer. There’s only one way a photographer can do that, and it’s by making that connection as well.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I primarily work from my home in Lake Forest, just a few minutes away from where I was born and from in Laguna Beach. The coastline is unparalleled here and the sites are a photographer’s dream! It truly is a slice of heaven and I’ve realized how fortunate I am to be working in one of the most affluent communities in the world.
I’m nestled right next to Laguna, Newport Beach and Irvine – where most all of my corporate work takes place. Orange County and LA have long been known as the wedding capitals of the world and I’ve been shooting them throughout all of the major beach resorts here and abroad for well over a decade. Not to mention Irvine is starting to look like Silicon Valley. It’s becoming another tech community and business are thriving here. I started my business in this area and have managed to build lasting work relationships through the years. Additionally, the traffic here is nothing like it is in LA. Don’t get me wrong, I love LA nowadays more than ever, but I feel I can seriously get around easier and more done in a single day than I ever could over a week’s time in the big city. That LA traffic can be soul crushing and I would much rather hit up the city on my own time and develop production schedules there when it’s more convenient. It’s not always possible, but definitely one of the perks. One of the gifts of working from home is not having to sit through rush hour traffic on a daily basis.
Although I do have to say that since starting my second career as a photographer – I’ve really fallen in love with the growing art scene in Los Angeles. I’d say about 90% of my friends now live in LA and as a result, I’m regularly calling where I live ‘home away from home’.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
When I was in school for photography, I was bartender at a night club my best friend Christopher Monteros was managing. He’s the hardest working person I know. While bartending there he would allow me to use the nightclub as a studio during the day to shoot school assignments as well as early work while I was just starting out. In exchange, I would shoot brochures for the space adding to my portfolio. In the process of it all, he started referring me to some of the venue’s best clients which are still hiring me to this day. Now he runs the very successful event venue AV Irvine here in Orange County. I’m their go to photographer for all major corporate events and event design.
My Orange Coast College School of Photography mentors Chauncey Bayes, Agatha Ibranossian, John Hesketh and more faculty there have always kept me inspired. I continually experience the value of their education. I’m now on their educational advisory board and take part in steering how the photography curriculum evolves along with taking part in panel discussions and presentations for students looking to get into careers in photography. And of course, my angel and dear mother Emily. She’s the strongest and most selfless person I know. These people have taught me how to continually strive for doing my best, always learning and staying humble.
Pricing:
- COMMERCIAL and FASHION EDITORIALS – Creative Fee – $2000 per Day
- WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PACKAGES – Starting at $2700
- ARTIST and CORPORATE HEADSHOTS – Starting at $450 – Includes Session and Two Full Resolution Image Treatments
- HIGH VOLUME CORPORATE HEASHOTS AT YOUR OFFICE – $250 Set Up Fee – $100 Per Person
- CORPORATE and SPECIAL EVENTS – $250 Per Hour (3 hour minimum)
- COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE – INTERIOR DESIGN – Complete Packages Starting at $3000 or $250 Per Hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peterlealphoto.com/
- Phone: 323-459-1217
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterlealphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peterlealphoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterlealphoto
- Other: linkedin.com/in/peter-leal-73aba117
https://vimeo.com/58340009
Image Credit:
All images by Peter Leal Photography
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