Today we’d like to introduce you to Aldo Rosas
Hi Aldo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Mexico City. Although we never had much money, we got by. One of my favorite things to do was ride the metro and explore different neighborhoods and corners of the city. I always dreamed of having a camera, but we couldn’t really afford one. Instead, my siblings and I shared a disposable camera. We’d take pictures of anything and everything, much to our dad’s frustration. After developing the film and finding a bunch of senseless photos, he’d get upset, seeing it as a waste of money. But to us, those were good times.
At 12, I was the youngest of three when my mother decided to leave and move to LA on her own. I didn’t fully understand the situation at the time, but five years later, after I got kicked out of high school, I decided to join her and experience life in a new city.
At 17, in LA, I landed a part-time job at a hotel, where I unexpectedly began my culinary journey. Balancing work and school was tough, but I managed to finish high school and even started college. Though I never completed my degree, I enjoyed what I learned and the people I met. Unfortunately, studying engineering design and architecture wasn’t the best choice when the housing market crashed, the world went into recession, and jobs in that field disappeared. Luckily for me, the culinary world was booming. The food truck scene was taking off, Asian fusion was all the rage, and since I found so much joy in cooking, I came out on top!
Working in restaurants is brutal. You could turn to our patron saint, Anthony Bourdain, to get an idea of what it’s like. I’ve been in the industry for about 20 years now, with over 8 of those spent making sushi. Alcohol and substance abuse are unfortunately common in the business, maybe too common. It’s hard to stay away from it all. I’ve been in dark places, just like many of my peers, but because of those struggles, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for nature, and my curiosity always leads me to explore new places. Thankfully, LA has some of the best outdoor experiences anywhere, along with a lot of vibrant neighborhoods.
I used to go hiking and take pictures with my phone, and when I went bar hopping, I’d do the same. I was that guy constantly recording everything on Snapchat and Instagram, capturing photos and videos of anything I found interesting. I still do, but now with a more refined eye—or at least that’s what I like to think.
These days, I work as a sushi chef at San-tō in Silver Lake. It’s one of my favorite places to work and serves some of the best sushi you can try. I’m lucky enough to call the owners my friends, which gives me a warm feeling inside.
Besides hiking, urban exploring, and road trips, I’ve recently taken up dance classes and started attending social dance events. I was introduced to the dance world through Dancer University. It’s hard to find things to do on a weeknight when you work in restaurants, but I was lucky enough to find this community. One of my best friends, Jazmine Flores, is also a dance instructor, and thanks to her, I’ve been able to dive deeper into video creation. Jazmine has graciously allowed me to be creative and bring my vision to life, helping me improve my video skills along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This whole journey—whatever I can call it—has been full of ups and downs. I don’t think I can separate my work as a photographer from my work as a chef because these aspects of my life are so deeply connected.
Sometimes, a long shift at work turns into a night of drinking, and those late nights always lead to short mornings. Before you know it, the whole week becomes a cycle of work, party, rinse, and repeat. It’s fun, but definitely not sustainable. I have so many hobbies and things I enjoy, so I’ve learned to manage my time, though there’s always room for improvement.
Many people don’t realize how little time we truly have. Nowadays, I can take a picture, frame it nicely, get the composition just right, and then tweak the lighting and colors in Lightroom. It seems easy now, but when I look back at the countless hours I spent practicing, editing, and working on photos that felt like they’d never turn out well, I can see how far I’ve come.
Impostor syndrome is something every creative person knows all too well. As a chef, I’ve worked at some excellent Japanese restaurants, and I’ve been directly mentored by talented Japanese chefs, yet I still don’t feel like my sushi is any good. At San-tō, I already have four items on the menu that people love, but I still don’t see myself as “good enough.”
It’s the same with photography. I’ll spend time thinking about the composition, the perfect angle, trying to capture the vision in my head. And even though I might come close, it never quite feels like it’s exactly there. I’ve taken incredible photos of stunning landscapes, great portraits, and vibrant shots of LA and other cities, but they’re never quite good enough for that little voice in my head—the one that keeps calling me an imposter.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a sushi chef at San-tō, and I’ve been in the sushi business for almost a decade. I’ve worked at Nobu, Uzumaki, Sushi by Scratch, The Joint, Sushi Nakata, Oji, Kabuki, and several other sushi spots. I’d say I have a pretty wide range of skills. Beyond sushi, I used to work at a hotel, handling banquets and dinner service. But my favorite thing is being a short-order cook—there’s nothing quite like making breakfast, flipping burgers, and then following it up with some fried rice and chow mein.
I’m also a photographer. I started by going on hikes and taking pictures with my phone. On my days off, I’d take the bus to DTLA, explore the city, and snap photos along the way. In 2018, I discovered photomeets and decided to attend my first one at Lower Grand. At the time, I didn’t know how to shoot portraits, and it was intimidating, but after that event, I was inspired to buy my first DSLR. Now, I’m on my fifth camera.
As a photographer, I’m drawn to landscapes and cityscapes. I find both the beauty of nature and the intricacy of man-made structures fascinating. Whenever I can, I photograph the LA skyline from different angles, at various times of day and night. I also love going on road trips, always on the lookout for new views on the horizon.
I still attend photomeets whenever I get the chance. I enjoy bringing what I’ve learned through nature photography into portraiture—it’s a lot easier now to capture better portraits. One of my favorite subjects to photograph is fire flow. It’s incredible to capture a model illuminated solely by the fire they’re performing with. It’s some of the coolest imagery I’ve ever worked with.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Photography is constantly evolving, yet in many ways, it remains the same. I shoot with my Sony A7 III, but my younger sister prefers shooting with film. She enjoys developing it herself and working with the process. While she also has a DSLR, she finds the classic methods much more fun to use.
Video, especially in short formats, has taken over. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and others, short-form video is becoming increasingly dominant. I began working on promo videos for a friend to help promote her dance events and burlesque shows. Through that, I’ve learned a lot about video editing and social media strategy. However, what sets my videos apart is my understanding of composition and framing, which comes from my photography background.
Even though video continues to grow, photography remains a fundamental part of the media we consume. It still plays a critical role in how we capture and engage with the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/covert.exposure
