Say Goodbye to Presley, and Hello to Piedra

 

I have always had large amount of admiration for individuals who realize they were born with creative vessels.  The type of individuals who aren't afraid to tap deep into their souls,and share their creativity with the world no matter if its one or one million people that will understand it. 

A few days ago, I had the opportunity of meeting Elvis Piedra, a rising photographer who is taking bold steps to share his visions with the world.  Elvis is more than just a photographer, he is a storyteller.  For someone who has only been shooting for six years, its obvious, Piedra is a quick study and also has a large amount of talent.  His images are sharp, vibrant, and always fresh and unexpected.  

Born in Tyler, Texas- Elvis relocated to Atlanta to attend Savannah College of Art and Design(SCAD), and received his B.F.A in Graphic Design.  While attending college, Elvis was required to design sets for particular photo assignments.  After seeing the end results, it was then that he realized that he possessed something special.  

When it comes to photography as well as fashion, I think it goes without saying that Atlanta isn't the first place that pops into peoples head.  And since Elvis doesn't do your typical type of work, I felt the need to ask him    about his challenges of  being an artist in a fast growing, yet not fully "open" city.  "It's hard work, people are just now starting to accept more of my creative side and thanks to ANTM people understand the process better and know how important a make-up artist, hair stylist, and stylist are to a shoot. I do work with about 4 teams now that I rotate on a weekly bases."  Having idols like Steven Klein and David LaChapelle will have that effect on you. 

Artist of any genre can sometimes be difficult people to comprehend, and the rising photographer is no exception.  I am aware that most photographers prefer to be comfortable when they are working, and being that Piedra has done numerous shoots with all kinds of clothing, one would think that he would love fashion himself.  I was wrong in making this assumption...  Piedra admits to being a jeans and t-shirt type of guy, in fact he doesn't really like dressing up at all.  And although he may not be the south's next man of style, he does confess to liking designers "DSquared, Alexander McQueen (First designer to ever make me feel true emotion from his shows). Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, and Thakoon." 

Although Elvis is currently working on his site, be sure to check out more of his work at www.modelmayhem.com/creativerethinking I can assure you, you won't be disappointed.