I'll be in Tampa next month to attend Cigar City's Hunahpu Day on March 12th and will be booking shoots on either side of that weekend. Message me here or DM me on Instagram if you'd be interested in booking a shoot or joining me for a brew or twelve at some point during Tampa Beer Week.
See you soon, Florida!
It's official, radio is out and the podcast is in! This apparently being the season of firsts (beginning of course with the RAW Showcase), I recently got invited to participate in my first podcast, cleverly titled Intergalactic Expedition. Their mission is to provide inspiration for all to follow their passions by featuring people who are living out their dreams. And believe me, there's nobody living in more of a dream state than me at the moment...
Last night I joined host Vazrik to talk about how I got started in my filmmaking career, the influences behind my photography, and how I knew it was time to take the leap, leave Florida, and come follow my dreams out here in LA. Check it out below:
With my only prior experience in podcasts being three seasons of Maron, I'd have to say Vazrik hosts a pretty good show and knows how to make his guests feel comfortable and welcomed. As someone who hates the sound of his own voice, I have to admit I did very much enjoy listening to this.
Check it out on Facebook as well and give it a share. This came with somewhat awkward timing for me as I'd decided to stay away from Facebook for a while, deactivating my profile only two days before recording this. But there are many people there who I would have otherwise shared this with, not just for the exposure, but for the inspiration. So I'm asking you all to share this in my absence.
Somewhere, there's somebody out there who I think could greatly benefit from hearing how someone else was able to make their dreams a reality. Someone is toiling away the days at work, living check to check, mind full of what if's, just wondering what happened to that dream they had as a child. If I can inspire at least one person with this podcast to go and get what they want out of life, then it would have all been worth it.
Follow your dreams people, the time is now.
"Instagram? You mean the place where people take pictures of their food and put dramatic filters on their bathroom selfies? Yeah, no thanks." - Corey Deshon, circa 2010
Okay, I'll admit it, I was never an early pioneer of the emerging social networking trends, despite studying Information Technology for nine years. Even as of today, I don't have a Snapchat, I don't have a Vine, I'm still not really sure what Periscope is, I've retired from Facebook, and literally the only reason why my Twitter account exists is because I figured I might as well claim the name @CoreyDeshon, because who knows what I might need it for one day. (I will say I am actively trying to use it now. We'll see how that goes).
But Instagram, I must say, has certainly pulled its weight. I finally joined in 2014 after my shoot with Ama, who convinced me that it would be well worth it to promote my work. After all, I was really only shooting because I loved it, so why market? Well, this is why...
After a year and a half working up a pretty decent following (hoping to cross the 9k followers mark next month), my photos began getting some attention in places I'd never think to find them. One of those such places was an event in San Diego, that if I remember correctly had something to do with women's empowerment. I really have no idea what the event actually was, because they didn't exactly ask if they could use my photos. But no harm done, as they did their due diligence by ensuring to credit my name as the photographer and link back to my Instagram. And to be honest, I'm actually quite proud of this, since I do try to ensure that when photographing women, I do so in a way that is respectful, empowering, and unexploitative. So for this event to receive my photos that way must mean I'm doing something right haha. But anyway...
A few weeks after this event I get a call from one of the Showcase Directors of RAW Artists, inviting me to come display my work their upcoming showcase in Hollywood. It turns out, someone saw my work at this event, traced the photo back to Instagram and eventually my old website, found my contact information, and asked if I'd want to exhibit. And that, my friends, is why every photographer should have an Instagram.
Well, the RAW Showcase was tonight, and it was one of the best experiences I've had in my photographic journey to date. Check out some photos below:
(RAW Showcase photos courtesy of Jeffrey Smallwood, Flip Cassidy, and Gil Riego).
Not only was this my first time ever exhibiting my work in print, but it was my first time ever printing photos as well. (Read more about the series I chose to print in my interview with Pixel Magazine here). Naturally, I chose to go with all darkroom printing methods, to ensure the heart of analogue still remained a key factor of my exhibit. I can't wait to showcase again with RAW, and to continue printing my photos for display. Making prints has been a long time coming for me, and this was certainly the jump start I needed to begin the new year strong.
Prints from the showcase and more are available for purchase now in the store!
The beautiful, talented, and beautifully talented Renae is a painter and model in North Hollywood, so it was only fitting that our collaboration feature paint. I've been wanting to try a concept like this for quite some time, and Renae turned out to be the perfect canvas.
For Colored Girls, 2015 - Pentax 67
This photo won me /r/analog's Photographer of the Week, so I already knew we were off to a good start!
There will certainly be more to come between Renae and I, stay tuned for 2016...
I've sure shot a lot of wedding this year for someone who is not at all a wedding photographer, or even close to one. But the truth is I've always found them a lot of fun, and do genuinely enjoy going to friends' weddings. So when a friend and colleague inquires about said services, I find myself inclined to say yes. Especially if it means I get to shoot them my way...
Larrabure Wedding, 2015
For anyone who didn't get it, by "my way" I mean drunk and with a Pentax 67. Moving on...
It was a small ceremony held at The Raymond in Pasadena, which turned out to be an incredible venue. Both in terms of lighting and of space.
The Bride, 2015
The full photo book of the Larrabure Wedding can be purchased here.
I need to live here. Plain and simple, I need to live here. The climate, the culture, the quality of life, Barcelona is my kind of city. After the first day I was convinced that I was no longer looking at this place as a travel destination, but as a future place of residence.
I mean hey, Kubrick moved to London right? Barcelona it is...
One of my -and likely anyone else who visits- favorite places to shoot was definitely the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply...
And it's easy to see why.
I don't know how yet, but I need to make Barcelona an annual trip. Hmm, I hear they have a pretty nice film festival...
It's rare that I get to travel as much as I would like to. Fortunately, I get to make up for it this month. Having successfully completed my short film To Police, I'm off to Barcelona, New York, and Puerto Rico, in that order. I guess you can say I kinda like Spanish food...
Anyway, Barcelona marks my first time ever setting foot in Europe, so naturally I shot a LOT of rolls there. I'll be saving those for last. New York was up next, and was actually a research trip for a new script I'll be writing so most of time was occupied with that, rather than photography. But I did manage to get off a few quick shots here and there.
Up next...
This was my second time visiting Puerto Rico, and I gotta say, I love this island more and more with each visit. This was the first time I was able to explore a little bit with a film camera in hand, and spent the majority of my time in Old San Juan.
To be continued...
Two and a half years ago I left everything I knew in Florida to come start a career as a filmmaker in Los Angeles. "Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week." I knew I'd be betting against the odds, and the only way that I'd ever be successful here was to be patient. You've got to play the long game here, and so I did.
Now, after two and a half years of working entry level jobs for next to no money, networking every chance I got, and putting myself and my work out there for others to judge and critique as they saw fit, the time as finally come. This weekend I made my Los Angeles directorial debut, undertaking an ambitious shoot of my first short film since leaving Florida, To Police. And what an undertaking it was...
To Police, written and directed by Corey Deshon, coming soon...
Lankershim, a Portrait Cityscape, 2015, Canon AE-1
Took a walk around old North Hollywood today, just been itching to shoot lately. I've always really like the old signage around this area, and thought a little Ektar could capture well...
