Photographer of the Week

Estevan Oriol

http://www.estevanoriol.com 

Estevan was born and raised in Santa Monica, California. He grew up in a mostly Latino neighborhood and was introduced to the gang lifestyle at an early age. Estevan credits his older brothers for keeping him away from the gang lifestyle and pursuing a career in something else.

Estevan was not always in photography but at the age of 28 his father gave him a 35mm Minolta camera and gave him the instructions, “Keep the two needles lined up”. He didn’t jump right into photography as he was working at a few different Los Angeles clubs as a bouncer. Estevan soon became the tour manager for Cypress Hill, a famous rap group from Los Angeles. Estevan credits this for much of his success. He was able to travel around the country and see things from a different perspective. Coming from a neighborhood where kids dreamed of being rap superstars Estevan thought it was his duty to film and shoot the lifestyle and the behind the scenes things for Cypress Hill. After meeting many people through his job with Cypress Hill, Estevan became a well-known figure within the Los Angeles hip hop and gang culture. He was put into a unique situation that allowed him to photograph a side of Los Angeles and the country that not many people know about.

After Estevan became a well-known figure his portfolio exploded, doing shoots for major magazines such as Complex, GQ, Vibe, and Rolling Stone. He has shot many famous musicians, actors, and athletes. Due to his upbringing and connections Estevan has shot a different side of Los Angeles and given people the opportunity to see the Latino culture in California. Estevan is noted as being one of the most influential photographers in the last 20 years and much of his work is respected within the community.

One of my favorite pieces that Estevan has done is not actually a photo but a mural in downtown Los Angeles that he collaborated with famous graffiti artists Retna and El Mac. The three of them created a painting on the side of a building that is still there today. Estevan is also a fan of many tattoo artists and has photographed much of their work and the tattoo culture of California.