Meet Luis Edson | Artist/Photographer

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

Hi Luis, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success and continued support of my brand has been love and passion. Above all, I consider myself an artist and I can honestly say that my career path does not feel like work. As an immigrant child, having to learn a new language and communicate in a foreign country was pretty tough. Naturally, art was the easiest way of expressing myself, which I guess I never grew out of. When I pick up my camera, it feels like an extension of myself where I am able to capture the beauty I see through the lens. I feel like I am able to put emotions into the moments I capture and I truly believe people can feel the passion behind my work. I go into every photoshoot with genuine excitement to explore a new location and connect with another soul. When people feel your genuine love and passion for what you do, it keeps them coming back, which is important for building an everlasting name for yourself. I may not have the latest equipment, but I do pour my heart and soul into everything I create. I truly hope that when people look back at the moments I captured for them, they remember the day like it was just yesterday.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an artist, I have found multiple ways to connect with others and express myself in my own personal way. I think this sets me apart because the people I’ve reached are able to relate to me on a more personal level. I came from being an introverted kid to completely being open and honest with my art and even my feelings. I truly do consider my social media a digital diary where people are able to hopefully find a safe place to feel themselves and hopefully be inspired to pursue something they truly love. If you scroll all the way down to my first posts, you can see my progress from the raver kid, the beginning of my photography adventure, and where I am currently. Professionally sharing content that is so personal has not been easy, but it has truly helped me flourish into the man I am today. My work carries a part of me and it can be discouraging when it doesn’t do as well as you thought it would. You do have to have a strong backbone and a passion to keep going no matter what the algorithm says your art is worth because at the end of the day art is subjective. What has also set me apart from others is that I don’t see my peers as competition, but instead I see them as people I can learn from and be inspired by. I genuinely root for those that walk alongside me in this journey and try to support in whatever way I can. I’ve been able to create strong personal bonds with artists, photographers, models, business owners, and clients because they also share similar experiences and feelings as I do. I truly hope that people can see my work no matter what medium I choose and be inspired to also explore their feelings, their self-expression and let their inner child out to play.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

If my best friend was visiting Santa Ana, I would start with Food Truck hopping. Santa Ana is rich in diverse street foods, especially taco trucks. I would take them to my favorite food truck, Ryko Mak Tako off Main St and 15th St, and order one of each, duh. Throughout the week we would have to visit all the special landmarks in Santa Ana like The Frida Theater, Gente Night Market, The 4 Street Market, the DTSA Art Walk, and of course Mission Bar for a few drinks to get the night started. For brunch, we could hit Cafe Cultura for coffee and chilaquiles, then cruise down Pacific Coast Highway 1, and end the day with a bonfire and s’mores at any of the beautiful beaches along the best coast. We would also have to check out all the beautiful murals that decorate the walls of Santa Ana by talented artists like @5hmi, @Art.ofthe.endagered, and @thirds_realm. To top off the end of the week, we’d definitely have to get a snack or two at La Michoacana and do a fun photoshoot to always remember this week-long trip.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first person that I believe helped shape my love for art was my mom, Yaret Guzman. When I was young, my mom spent hours drawing scenes with some of my favorite cartoon characters on multiple pages that she would then tape to the wall to create long storyboards. The love I believe she put into those drawings propelled me into this journey of self-expression from a young age that I don’t ever see ending. This love brought me to a foreign country where I then met artists that also shared the same depth and love for their craft as I did. People like Gabe Cadena (@ELPLANTERO) who taught me to fall in love with nature and myself, my really good friend Mirelda Najera (@NMIRELDA) who took me to my first photo meet in LA the night I fell in love with photography, and my fellow Santanera Kimberly Duran (@5hmi) who has shared her knowledge in business and her love for art in countless conversations the last few years. I also owe huge thanks to organizations like Gente Night Market run by Alexis Garcez (@GENTENIGHTMARKET) who has continuously supported my art and my business, the CRay Project LLC run by Rain and Cookie (@CrayProject) for giving artists a platform to be completely themselves no matter your color, size or shape, and of course my City, Santa Ana (@DTSANTAANA) for continuously supporting artist, small businesses and the community as a whole. Last but not least, I owe a huge shoutout to all the people that have supported me, booked a session, shared my work, spoke kindly of my craft, or even just liked my posts. All of you have truly inspired me to keep pushing and keep sharing part of my soul with my internet friends. I don’t think I would be where I am today without these amazing souls, and for that, I will forever be thankful. I’ll end it with a quote from Brandon Nembhard, “I water you, you water me; we grow together.”

Website: www.LuisEdsonPhotography.com

Instagram: @LEDSXN