Ibarionex Perello
About
Ibarionex Perello(www.ibarionex.net) is a photographer, writer, educator and host of The Candid Frame Photography podcast (www.thecandidframe.com). He has over 25 years of experience in the photographic industry. In his role as host and producer of The Candid Frame, he provides frank, insightful interviews with some of the industry’s top established and emerging photographers. The popular show has featured guests including Jay Maisel, Mary Ellen Mark, Joel Meyerowitz, Pete Turner, Lynn Goldsmith and Gerd Ludwig and enjoys a following among photo enthusiasts from all over the world. The weekly program is consistently ranked among the top programs of its type. Ibarionex is also the author of 5 books including: Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography Using Available Light, 5D Mark III From Snapshot to Great Shots, and Adobe Master Class: Photoshop. He is also the co-author of Visual Stories: Behind the Len with Vincent Laforet and Portraits of Strangers. His photographs and articles have appeared in numerous publications and websites including Digital Photo Pro, Outdoor Photographer, Rangefinder, Shutterbug, Popular Photography, DP Review and Scott Kelby’s Light It magazines. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the Art Center College of Design and he is currently a production fellow at Maximum Fun which produces several program including NPR’s Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. He currently lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and their two dogs, Spenser and Zooey.
Scheduled to Teach
Gallery
LACP Interviews Ibarionex Perello
LACP asks Ibarionex Perello ten questions about his background, career in and beliefs about photography.
Los Angeles Center of Photography: What kind of photographer are you?
Ibarionex Perello: I like to think of myself as a generalist. I love portraiture, street photography, travel, abstract. I enjoy the practice of seeing. The fact that I use a camera and can record that experience is what allows me to share that I experience with others.
LACP: How long have you been shooting?
IP: I have been using a camera since I was ten years old when I was first introduced to the darkroom. So, it’s been a very, very long time for me.
LACP: Where did you get your training?
IP: I had no formal training. My photography school was the many photography books that I purchased and studied over and over again. They include the work of Gordon Parks, William Eggleston, Joel Meyerowitz, Roy DeCarava, Mary Ellen Mark, William Albert Allard and so many others. And then of course, endless hours of shooting, shooting, shooting.
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
IP: From my first hour in the darkroom. After I saw that image appear on that blank sheet of paper in the developing tray, I knew that I always wanted that to be a part of my life.
LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?
IP: Many times. At one point, I put all my camera equipment in a closet and didn’t use it for almost a year. I was incredibly frustrated with my progress and then I recovered my senses, pulled it back out and began shooting again.
LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?
IP: Only my ego.
LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?
IP: Everything. For me, photography is a meditative practice. It’s one of the few things in my life that can bring calmness to the storm that sometimes rages in my head. All that noise can be muted during the time I’m walking around making photographs.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
IP: I teach a street photography class in which I take students out into the streets of Los Angeles and help to develop the way they see and respond to what they see. It’s more than just a class on street photography, it’s a course that allows me to teach people how to develop a repeatable process for making great photographs.
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
IP: I learn so much from my students. They make choices that I would never consider for myself and it reminds me that I still have much to learn.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
IP: Take a business class. The photography knowledge will come with time and practice. The most valuable thing you can learn is how to build and sustain a business. It’s not as sexy, but it sure is damned essential.