The online portfolio of Pacifico "PJ" Ortiz Luis, a storyteller utilizing different mediums of art including film photography, dance, and performance poetry.
Regular uploading to YouTube on a consistent schedule is difficult. I love putting production value into my videos, but at the same time...that takes up soooo much time. My series on exploring something new has been a chore to maintain....because I don't always go out to explore something new weekly, and if I do....do I want to ruin that experience by vlogging it?
Solution! Swim mixtapes. The exact title of these is currently undecided...but I see alot in the ocean...or sometimes nothing at all. I operate in the grey area between snorkeling and scuba because I do neither...but am in the ocean often. Here is my first video, which I thought came out nice...in future videos I'll start adding commentary...but for now...Enjoy!
i bought the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 specifically for use at Disneyland. little did i realize that this camera is perfect for just about every occasion i find myself in, aside from underwater photography. so far this is my consensus: + quiet, GREAT for street shooting especially with the wide angle attachment + built in flash for night shots + auto focus lens to capture moments quickly + lightweight + does great in low light situations with no flash
- the flash is VERY bright, and whites out some details in the images
Walking around the strip by myself and inebriated, my mind still level headed enough to have the ability to search for visually appealing individuals, as well as an unusually elaborate vernacular [this is being transcribed from my journal i keep to remember all the people i meet] I meet Hank. I met him on the way to Fat Tuesdays, so I didn’t stay to chat. But his hat was something I felt I needed to capture on film.
I ask him if I can take his portrait, he says yes…”but wait”….then he flips a switch on the back of his hat, and motors start whirring as lights flash and little figures animate like a ride on disneyland. and I don’t know if its the rum, or me being easily amused…but i was absolutely fascinated with his hat. I left the encounter exchanging fist bumps.
Again, when choosing strangers to approach…I usually approach strangers with “something about them” that is magnetic…whether it be their personality, appearance, pose, or even their outfit’s colors in relation to their surroundings. I photographed Caleb aka Aero because of his glasses.
Little did I know, that this guy is pretty famous. Immediately after posting this photo to my social media outlets, I learn that he has alot of history in san diego, hawaii, and the graffiti world. He is the owner of “Blubber” the company that produces the can of paint he is holding. His brother was a famous surfer. Many of friends sent me links to news articles about him…and even his little sister started following me on instagram.
I guess when it comes to strangers, most of them will just be friends you have yet to meet.
