Meet Ray Camacho | Photographer

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

Hi Ray, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from the San Fernando Valley. Lived most of my life in Sylmar and went to school in Pacoima and Van Nuys. I was raised in a slightly progressive, yet also conservative Catholic household. My Parents were big on chasing dreams but making sure I’m taking care of finances and that I have a safety net. My dad especially had a lot or drive in him and wanted my brother and I to achieve our goals and dreams even if it meant we were tired, overwhelmed, or stressed. The vision was to work hard and play hard; there was no rest until you succeeded. That drive was impressed upon me at a very early age. Mind you, I’m driven, but I am not trying to fall apart at the seams. I need sleep. I don’t sleep much, but I try to get as much as I can. I’ve always been kind of a free bird in life. I didn’t understand until my 30’s what my philosophy in life was. It’s essentially “Oh…I guess I’m doing this now.” Meaning, I get curious about something that I have interest in and it takes over my life. I get obsessed with whatever that thing is and dive deep into it. I have an addictive mindset. I must know everything about the subject at hand. And so it’s all of that mixed together. Obsession meets drive. Its a double edged sword because it brings so much fulfilment to my life, but also enables me to ignore other parts of my life.

My family is also very much into music. There are many videos of me as a toddler pretending to play a toy guitar to bands like AC/DC or Creedance Clearwater Revival. My dad use to quiz me on band trivia on the way to school. Because of him I am so intrigued by the lore behind the first Boston self titled album and like the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd. My mom and I use to sing Beatles songs in the car and I was always taking her tapes to listen to at summer camp. I’d be listening to Boys II Men or MC Hammer. I’ve always wanted to be around music in some way or form, which eventually led to me doing live concert photography.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So, I love being in and around music. I love the way music makes me feel. I love a good rhythm and sound. I like how music sets a mood in the scene of a movie. I was a theatre arts kid growing up, so music played background to my mood when playing or constructing a character or role. I remember seeing a Mick Foley interview and how he was talking about music that gets him in the mood before a match. He said he listened to the Mary Poppins soundtrack. I don’t know if it was a joke, but it set my mind to see music as this gateway to capture a mood despite the tone. All of that to say is I’ve been trying to surround myself with music for as long as I can remember. I played in multiple, bad bands over the years. When I went to college (I went to LMU) I became a KXLU DJ and used that to engage in all sorts of genres and music history. I made sure to visit historic spots when I moved out of state. I lived in NYC for a year and had to go see ABC No Rio. I ended up going to a few shows there. So, when quarantine passed and all of these shows started to pop off, I still wanted to participate in the world of live music. I didn’t have a band anymore, many of my friends had either moved on in life or were in other scenes that I wasn’t too interested in, and I couldn’t mosh like I use to. I had a camera that my friend gave me and I decided to test the waters with it. “That’s how I’ll participate,” I thought. I’ll capture memories. But then I got really obsessed with photography and wanted to know how I can make this into a bigger thing. I had already started making connections in other avenues of my life and many of those people knew how to get into professional venues or knew bands that were willing to take a chance on an aspiring concert photographer. I also was obsessed with getting the right camera and lenses. I wanted to be seen as legit. I wanted to be able to shoot a powerviolence show one weekend and a concert at the Youtube theater the next. All of these factors then led me to where I’m at now. Some weekends I’m at a small show at the Midnight Hour or the Church of Fun. Other weekends I’m at the Belasco or Regent. Its not about how big the band is. The reason I’m there is because the music you’re playing is something my ear likes and I want to capture the scene of it. Yes I get caught up in the art of capturing the perfect moment, but that’s because I want to do the band proud. I want to make sure that the mood is solidified in that moment. I’m so fixated on it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m vegan. Its…like…so LA for me, right? That means me and my homie are hitting all the vegan or vegan adjacent spots. If we’re in the valley, which I mostly am, I’m going to Follow Your Heart, Vinh Loi, El Cocinero or Sun Cafe. Maybe even Lotus Vegan or the Sunday Vegan Exchange in NoHo. A good chunk of the time I am hanging out at Swingers cafe because they have this veggie tofu wrap that I like. There’s so many new vegan options in this world but I like a basic tofu wrap with hummus and veggies. I don’t drink, but if the homie wants something I’m down to go to Beelman’s or Sage. I’d even try going to Bar Flores for a mocktail and then Little Fish down the street. Can’t forget Magpies.

I’m more of a coffee guy. I love a good coffee. I regularly go to Peets, but if I’m feeling special I’ll go to like the usual high end places like Intelligentsia, Blue Bottle. I also like Stumptown or The Boy & The Bear if I’m in the vicinity of one of those.

Also, we’re going to a show. No question. It’s LA, there’s always something going on. The homie just can’t be picky about the venue because it might just be someone’s backyard or an undisclosed location in DTLA. But it can also be the Zebulon, The Echo/Echoplex, The Midnight Hour, The Resident, Footsies, The Lodge Room, First Street Billiards. If they like jazz, we can hang at the Baked Potato. Whatever day it is, there’s a show happening somewhere and we’re going to it.

I also like history so at some point we’re going to maybe The Museum of Neon Art, Natural History Museum or The Valley Relics Museum. If they like old cars, we can hit up the Cars and Coffee hang at Griffith park. Heck we can have a lived experience by checking out Galco’s wide variety of old sodas and candies and find a spot to chill.

How can we not go record shopping too. Again, Midnight Hour is great. There’s also Freakbeat, CD Trader, Deadly Wax, Headline, or Atomic. Oh or we can go check out if there’s something happening at The Mystic Museum. Heck, I just love walking up and down Magnolia Blvd and checking out all of the cool stores. Just hit up The Palm or Black Elephant and people watch.

There’s just always something to do here and I know I’m blanking on some spots, which is probably a good thing because I think I’m subconsciously not trying to blow up my favorite places to chill and hang. I’ve been in the San Fernando Valley for a very long time and I’ve gotten really acquainted with the greater Los Angeles area over the years. I’m never bored.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shoutout to so many people. First my parents for being rad. Shoutout to the Midnight Hour, Sergio, and the rest of the staff there. They are amazing people. I’ve been honing my skills at the Midnight Hour ever since they started having shows there and the fact that they just let me at it is something I’m so grateful for. I admire what they are doing there and the fact that they are building community through a record store is incredible. I want to shoutout the 805. I’m not out there as much as I was when I first started shooting shows, but the 805 is next level when it comes to shows, community, and DIY. Much love and respect to the 805. Also shout out to the Orange county and San Diego scenes. I’ve seen many bands come out from both areas over the years and gone to many shows in those areas as well and everyone in those places are so welcoming. Lastly I want to shoutout photographers who influence and inspire me: Oginee Viamontes (OG), Josh Alvarez, Adam Ziegenhals, Miguel Maldonado-Velasco, Oscar Rodriguez, Joe Calixto, Jun, Danny Matthews, and Riley Hambruch. I know there’s many more I am missing, but those immediately came to mind

Website: https://raymondecamacho.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: punk_monk_ray

Image Credits
All pictures are by me, Raymundo E. Camacho, except the profile picture. That was by Oscar Rodriguez (bloomxphoto)