Today's Guest: Rafael Guajardo of Rafael Photography in Rancho Santa Margerita, CA
Today's Host: John Bentley
November 2007
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Rafael Guajardo Transcript Page
Rafael Guajardo Expert PageANNOUNCER: Welcome to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Today we are in the studio with award winning photographic artist, Rafael Guajardo of Rancho Santa Margerita, California. Welcome to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight.
RAFAEL: Thank you.
JOHN: Now you're located out there on the west coast. Tell us a little bit about your photography business, Rafael.
RAFAEL: Well, I've been in the business since 1987. I actually studied under a master photographer and started my own business in 1991, and we've been here in southern California photographing weddings and portraits; mainly that's what I do.
JOHN: Now are you shooting strictly digital anymore? Or do you still do standard film?
RAFAEL: You know what? I still have my film cameras, but I'm shooting actual digital. Yeah, that's 100% digital. Every year getting a new digital camera. It's quite fun.
JOHN: Ahh, for sure. Now, I've been checking out your website, and it looks like you do a lot with engagements and weddings.
RAFAEL: Yes, I do.
JOHN: Is that your main focus as a photographer?
RAFAEL: Primarily it's been about 90% weddings, but there is a shift. I'm shifting over; I'm trying to get about 50% weddings and move over to portraits. I'm getting too old to shoot weddings now.
JOHN: Let's see now, you also do family portraits then. Do you get a lot of families coming in? Do you have a studio that you work out of?
RAFAEL: Yes. I'm primarily a location photographer. That's my forte. I do really well with that. A lot of my photography is at the beach, or on location, and I even take my studio-my traveling studio- to different places.
JOHN: You have some very beautiful photographs on your site.
RAFAEL: Thank you.
JOHN: Lots of good wedding shots. Now, when you go to shoot a wedding, are you the only photographer there, or do you take a couple of photographers with you? How do you approach that?
RAFAEL: I always bring at least one photographer assistant. He has a camera, but I'm primarily the main photographer. And, you know, real big weddings I bring, you know, two or three. It just depends on the job, but most of the time it's usually just one assistant.
JOHN: Now when you shoot somebody in the studio, what are some of the techniques you use to make your clients a little more comfortable, because I know a lot of people are uncomfortable being in front of a camera.
RAFAEL: You know, that's a great question, because a lot of my clients are. You know, for whatever reason, they just don't like getting their photograph taken. And, you're absolutely right, it's making them feel comfortable, just talking to them and just encouraging them. Getting their mind off the photography, actually. Just kind of seeing, making them laugh, and seeing what a real smile is and what isn't. And then just once the shoot comes, I just look at them in the face and just talk to them and just kind of click away what I'm trying to do. So we try to have a lot of fun when I'm doing the photographs.
JOHN: What exactly are you looking for as an artist, as a photographer that you want to capture?
RAFAEL: Well, I'm just want to see them be themselves, and hopefully they're happy and they want to, you know, celebrate, a lot of with the weddings, you know, celebrating their love and excitement. So, I'm trying to bring that out and just ride it. I tell people that I'm writing that emotion even though I don't surf, I'm riding that wave of emotion and the French word is "Alon" which is momentum, and that's what we try to do.
JOHN: Now, you have a number of landscape location photographs on your site. Tell us a little bit about that aspect of your photography.
RAFAEL: That's the fun stuff. That's the stuff I love to do for pleasure. Some photographers work and some, and it's pleasurable ok, but this is just the artist in me, I guess, if you will. Just loving landscapes and loving those things to just have some fun with that.
JOHN: Well you certainly are an artist and you are an award winning artist from he PPA. You got your award from some of the fine art that you present. You have a selection of things on your website. Tell us about your fine art and the award that you've received.
RAFAEL: Well, yeah, the category is actually called "alternative imaging", and what I've done is I've worked a lot with paintings. I call them my photographic paintings. And I make these images into more of an impressionistic image. I love the impressionistic art period, you know, Renoir, Monet. In fact, I used to call these images, my Monet's. And they're real popular, and people just kind of like, wow is that a painting or is that a photograph? What is that? So they are true photographic paintings.
JOHN: And you did win an award for one of these paintings?
RAFAEL: Yeah, you know, actually I won Photographer of the Year for alternative imaging category.
JOHN: Excellent. We're in the studio with Rafael Guajardo. He is located in Rancho Santa Margerita, and you are listening to VTalk Radio Photography Spotlight. We're going to step aside for these important messages. We'll be right back with more from Rafael.
ANNOUNCER: Looking for a bridal show in your area? Visit www.weddingdetails.com for a list of upcoming bridal shows in your area. Visit www.weddingdetails.com tonight. ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Spotlight is sponsored by morephotos.com. The online photo sales solution for professional photographers worldwide.
ANNOUNCER: We now return you to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Welcome back to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. Again, we are in the studio with Rancho Santa Margerita artist/photographer, Rafael Guajardo. Welcome back to the program, Rafael.
RAFAEL: Thank you very much, and you know I cover pretty much Orange County, I don't know that's below L.A. County. There's four counties around here; San Diego, Riverside, L.A. County, and Orange County. I cover all those areas, but I primarily focus on Orange County, and my studio is actually moving toward Laguna Niguel, and we're actually looking for another site, but we don't know exactly where that will be yet.
JOHN: Speaking of sites, are there any facilities in the area that you like to shoot at, or certainly some of the beaches, some beautiful areas that you use as a back drop in your photographs?
RAFAEL: Oh yeah, the Pacific Ocean is a wonderful background. I've been using that for that for years. I've also won some awards for my beach photography, and it's just gorgeous. There's some beautiful, exquisite hotels around here. The St. Regis, the Ritz- Carlton, Hyatt-Huntington Beach, the Montage. I mean there are some really premier venues around here. I photographed at them and, you know, every photographer in the world would live to photograph at those locations. So, we do that and, yeah, we cover it all.
JOHN: Why did you decide to become a photographer in the first place, Rafael?
RAFAEL: You know, it was just one of those things. It's kind of funny; I got a job at a camera store. I needed a job and so I didn't know absolutely zero about photography. And it was never a hobby, and I saw some friends making some money on the weekends, and I'm like, "Ok, I can do that." And then that's when I studied under a master photographer and I got my trade. It was actually funny when I worked at the camera store, I got my wife and my trade. I took her passport photo, and I got my photography trade. It's just been kind of a good bit for me. I love people, I love working with people. And, I'm a little..I'm artistic, I guess, and I love doing that.
JOHN: Yeah, I too am an artist, and enjoy looking at things through the camera lens. I mess around a little bit, I got a nice little Canon Rebel camera and it's been lots of fun messing around with that thing and learning the art of taking a picture. Now, what about marketing? What do you do to market your business?
RAFAEL: Well so much of my business has been a referral base, and just working with high end coordinators and venues and it's creating just relationship. I think it's just a lot of trust and working with that. And, you know, just people ask me for my card. People see me at places and just, again, it's primarily a referral basis. So that's pretty much that.
JOHN: What do you think makes your photography special? What sets you apart from the competition?
RAFAEL: Well, I'd like to think I'm more artistic. I'm very good with people. I help them relax. I just think it's more about being sensitive to the person and finding that inner person that's out there. A lot of people don't like getting their photograph taken so we draw that out of them. And again, having a classical background, but I tried blend all the styles, from classical to photo journalistic to a fashion and a fine art if you will. So I blend those styles to make, you know, kind of more rounded instead of just specializing in one category. If I can go back to the marketing part? I do promotionals. I work with different venues. I'm working now with salons and boutiques and you know women's groups. I'm doing this promotional for holidays. I'm getting an early start on it. It's working very, very well. It's beautiful location photography and people are just eating it up. It's doing really well now.
JOHN: You're doing like a holiday special? Is that what you're saying?
RAFAEL: Yes sir, a lot of people are getting there, again, the Pacific Ocean is wonderful and so I'm doing a holiday special for $295, and everyone gets their high res files. People like that, because they like to make their own Christmas cards and reprints. I, of course, offer reprints and Christmas cards and actually a new book that I'm doing it's soooo sweet. It's kind of like the Azuka album where the real thin and high tech book and it's more story-booking. Instead of just the photographs, I'm actually interviewing the client, if you will, and I'm putting in stories and poems and different things where it's more of a communication tool. It's more of a story-booking if you will. And mixed with the photography, people are just eating it up. And seeing these books, people are going crazy over them.
JOHN: Sounds like a nice little thing to have on your coffee table?
RAFAEL: It's exactly what it is. And it's a true coffee table book. It's not some big, ole heavy leather thing. It's very slim line and very attractive. It's a book like you would buy at a Barnes and Noble or a Borders, I don't know what type of bookstores you have over there in Michigan.
JOHN: We have Lay books, no, nothing like that. We got your basics. I got to tell you, it's been a pleasure speaking with you, Rafael. We are in the studio with Rafael Guajardo of Rafael Photography. He is definitely a photographic artist so if you're in the Rancho Santa Margerita or southern California area.
RAFAEL: Yeah, southern California, thank you.
JOHN: Yeah, this might be a gentleman to get a hold of if you'd like some very nice pictures taken. Rafael, before I let you go, would you give our listening audience your website and contact information?
RAFAEL: Thank you. The website address is www.rafaelphotography.com and my phone number is (949) 939-7286.
JOHN: It's been a pleasure having you on the program today, Rafael.
RAFAEL: Thank you so much, you guys are great.
JOHN: You've been listening to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. I'm your host, John Bentley. I'd like to thank everybody for joining us today. Have a great afternoon.
ANNOUNCER: You have been listening to the VTalk Radio Spotlight; only on www.vtalkradio.com. Radio for the 21st Century.
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