Professional photos and advertisements may seem picture-perfect, but a lot of steps must be taken in order to get a fantastic shot.
Photographer Eluvier Acosta spends his days planning the perfect photograph at his downtown studio, Mas Studios.
Acosta says he loves everything about photography and has been inspired to create artwork his entire life.
“Since I was a child I always was always passionate about taking pictures of people particularly,” says Acosta.
Main Photo Photographer Eluvier Acosta examines his work at Mas Studios. Photo: Kendall Bistretzan.
One of the things Acosta does as a photographer is work on fashion shoots. He meets with clients, assesses their needs and then creates the perfect atmosphere for the shoot.
Recently, Acosta worked with Chad Helm, co-owner of The Helm clothing store in Edmonton. The Helm is a mens luxury retailer. The owners have been searching for the right photographer to do some mock-ups for the brand.
Being from Edmonton, Helm explains that there is good reason to visit Calgary.
“We found there’s a lot of good talent down in Calgary and we haven’t had a chance to tap into it until today,” says Helm.
Acosta says he loves to work with new people regardless of the project.
“The most rewarding part of what I do is to work with people who are close to me, to meet new people everyday and to have the opportunity to make connections very often,” says Acosta.
A lot goes into fashion shoots. Aside from the photographer and the client, there are many supporting members of the team. All shoots require a makeup artist who often doubles as a hairstylist, a clothing stylist and of course, a model.
Before the shoot can begin, the models must visit hair and makeup and get done up based on the clients needs. From there they are given direction and begin to work.
Once the model is ready, Acosta dominates the shoot and works his magic. Constantly moving around and giving the model direction, he’s able to capture dozens of shots.
Once the shoot is over, Acosta reviews the photos, has his assistant retouches them and then sends them to the client.
Sometimes his photos end up in magazines, other times they get circulated on social media. Either way, they are taken with love and passion for the craft.
Behind the scenes from MRU Journalism on Vimeo.
Editor: Aamara Khan | akhan@cjournal.ca