Meet Jose Zaragoza | Photographer (A.K.A “Joe’s Asylum”)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jose Zaragoza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jose, what do you attribute your success to?
Being a photographer has taught me many things, not just about cameras and angles but about myself too. I attribute my success to my ability to be authentic to myself and stick with my vision. There have been many times when I’ve had the opportunity to shoot for something that financially could’ve really helped me out, but for my brand, could’ve gone otherwise. I think that’s something people find appealing about my work. I try to base my shoots on places and ideas that are close to my heart, things that remind me of me and my childhood. It adds a deep personal connection to my work that I think is very attractive to my audience. I think about my future with photography and I don’t see myself doing something I don’t like. It’s detrimental to me that I stay true to myself, it’s almost like a guiding light that takes me where I need to.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart from others is my way of storytelling. I absolutely love to create a story with an image, whether it be with people, the way I take my pictures, or even the way I edit them. No matter what the medium is, I tell a story with all my pictures. It adds so much depth to me, depth that allows the audience to look past the picture and think, “What’s going on here? Where are they going? Who are they talking to?” I love looking back at my own pictures and looking at all the little parts of the big picture. To me, photography is more than just taking a cool picture in front of a pretty place, it’s about creating an image, a world, wherever you go. My shooting style is so unique and personal to me because it’s inspired by my own life, my childhood, and important moments to me. One thing I love to do is to place my models in everyday places and show their beauty. That’s what life has always been to me, to understand that what you have is beautiful, despite what anyone else thinks. It’s also a way for me to relive my childhood through these pictures. In most of my shoots, I try to make a scene and make the picture look like it was taken while something was happening. It’s an homage to all the candid pictures my family would take with their film cameras they would take everywhere. There is something so fascinating to me about capturing a moment. I’m very proud that I have been able to create my own style and have it be very personal to me. However, it wasn’t always easy. When I first started, I had just gotten the camera I use now, my family saved up for it as my graduation gift which I’m forever grateful for. It was very hard for me though because I thought I needed more to take a good picture. It was with time though that I realized I didn’t need “good” equipment to take a good picture. In fact, some of my favorite pictures were taken with just a flashlight I would take from my uncle’s drawer and binder dividers to add color. I learned that it was not all about expensive equipment, I just had to know how to work with what I have. I hope if there’s any takeaway from my story it’s that you should make the most of what you have because what you have and already own is so unique to you and that’s what will make your work unique.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was born and raised in the Coachella Valley, so there are definitely some places I have in mind. On the first morning, we’d go do a morning hike and the Bump n Grind trail in Palm Desert. Perfect place to start the morning. After, we’d grab coffee at Everbloom Coffee in Indio, where they have an amazing matcha latte, one of my favorites. I would take you thrifting around the valley as well, but I’d leave that for a separate day because there are too many to hit up on only one day. There are so many hidden gems in the valley. One of the days we would HAVE to take a trip to Joshua Tree, it’s only a 45-minute drive and there are so many gorgeous views. We would walk around and look at the art installations and watch the sunset with the beautiful desert views. We would end the week with another hike, this time in Mecca at the Painted Canyons trail. We’d go eat breakfast at Casa de Silvia, their chilaquiles are my favorite paired with their pink horchata. At the end of the night, we would walk down the strip at Palm Springs and enjoy the live music and all the shops along the way.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe all my success to my mom and my loved ones. For as long as I can remember, my mom has always been there to support me. In everything I do, she has always said “yo te apoyo”, meaning “I support you”. There’s never been a time my mom hasn’t taught me to be true to myself and been there for me. I am eternally grateful. I also would like to thank my team who has been there since the beginning. To Dominick and Cristabel who are always there by my side during a shoot, and to all my friends who have supported me and pushed me since the beginning. A special thanks to Rita, Yaretzi, Vicky, Vale, Damien, Mauricio, Joey, Isis, Nat, and Soph who have made such a big impact on this journey. I couldn’t have made it as far as I have without everyone’s love and support, it truly means the world to me. 

Instagram: @joesasylum

Image Credits
Jose Zaragoza
Picture of me taken by Dominick Gonzalez, Cristabel Puga, and Rita Ornelas