Meet Rene Porto | Portrait and Fashion Photographer

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

Hi Rene, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m originally born and raised in a little town in Cuba called Manzanillo. I migrated to the United States with my family when I was 11 years old and I think that coming from and living for a big chunk of my life in a third world country has impacted my life and who I am today in many ways. Coming to a land of opportunity and abundance from a place where everything is in scarcity has made me value all the things that I have and has made me more thankful and appreciative. This has instilled in me a work hard mentality and this comes greatly into play with my career as a photographer and the goals that I have towards it. Every day I see it as an opportunity to not give up on my dreams, give thanks and value all that I have and imagine a future where I am where I’ve always wanted to be and that motivates me to keep going and pushing to be a successful photographer and never give up on my craft.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always been motivated by photos that have a story to them; therefore, in all my shoots I always try to come up with a short story or a character or an emotion and look for different ways to represent that. However, my most proud work has been one that wasn’t planned and just in the moment. This happened during a camping trip to Salt Lake City, UT where I was just with friends at a pink reflective lake and I thought it was a beautiful location for an impromptu shoot. Since we had been hiking and in the dirt all day, I decided that a nude shoot would be perfect in order to show the free spirit that one finds within while being surrounded by the peaceful scenery and tranquility in nature. The lake was also pink so I knew that would play an important role in show casing the feminine body which is why a nude portrait worked out so well.

I got to where I am today because when I was in high school I took a photography class and really enjoyed it; however, I always thought of it as a hobby, but when all my friends and family would constantly compliment my photos, I was really encouraged to buy a camera and start taking more pictures. I kept on photographing friends at different locations outside or on random trips and got more practice with a camera and with lighting. There was a lot of self doubt and feelings of unworthiness at first, but I kept on telling myself that I can achieve anything in life I wanted and over time I built more confidence and determination to follow photography as a career.

My brand is one that empowers humans and gets them outside of their comfort zone. I had a lot of self-doubt at first and was scared to put myself out there for the world to see and judge, but I decided one day that I needed to get comfortable being uncomfortable. This exposed me to more networking which led to more connections and more work, which helped empower me and get more confidence to put myself out there. When it comes to working with people, I want to empower them and make them feel like they are ready for the world out there, even if it’s just with a shoot. I love making people feel comfortable and seeing them let go. Most of the friends who I have a shot have initially been camera shy and full of doubt, but after they always mention how confident and empowered they feel and that is the goal I have walking into every shoot.

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.
I would recommend them to Millie’s Cafe in Silver Lake for some amazing breakfast options, take them around the Silver Lake area to check out some thrift stores and stores like Le Labo. For lunch we could visit the Grand Central Market and check out some delicious lunch spots. Then we could go around Little Tokyo and get some souvenirs and take photos around the area. For dinners I would choose rooftops like Cara Cara in Downtown LA, EP & LP in Melrose, Toca Madera, Catch LA. Also, some other yummy options would be Formosa Cafe, L’Antica Pizzeria, Ysabel, Bacari, etc. We could visit the beach and have a fun beach day where we play volley ball, take photos, have a cute picnic then rent out bikes and bike around the beach, catch a beautiful dinner by the ocean during sunset at either Malibu Farm or MoonShadows. One of the days we could road trip down to either San Diego or Santa Barbara and spend the day at the beach and trying out a local delicacy. Other fun activities would be picnics at the park, going bowling, game night at friends or going out to live jazz or music bars.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have an amazing mother who has been there for me throughout my whole life and always pushes me to succeed and never give up. The image I have of her ever since I was a young boy has always been of someone who works hard at everything, never gives up no matter the circumstances and always wants to support and protect everyone around them. I want to be successful to one day give back everything that she has given to me because without her I wouldn’t be able to be here and wouldn’t have the drive that I have in order to achieve the level of success that I want.

Pe

Instagram: @portographics

Other: Tiktok: portographics