NOTES
St. Augustine, Florida -- Five Hundred Years
Five hundred years of shadows in St. Augustine, Florida.
Five hundred years of shadows, leaving imprints on the cobble stone and the white plastered walls. Ancient graffiti scrawled on the walls of the old fort are communiques from soldiers now long gone. St. Augustine, Florida -- the oldest city in America.
Wandering the Old Streets of St. Augustine, FL
Anthropological photography through the historic streets of St. Augustine, Florida.
My shadow and I walking the grounds of the old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos.
After a ten hour drive from New Orleans, I was in St. Augustine, visiting family. Although it took a few days to get going with my camera, I imagined the kinds of photos I wanted. The best part of photography is the time alone when it's just you and your camera, wandering a street, looking for something that tells a story. A detail such as a wall marked with old graffiti or a wall pocked with bullets from musket fire due to the executions that occurred on the side of an old fort.
It’s an old, old city, the oldest, continually operating European city in the United States of America. If you turn a corner and you’re paying attention, you could be treated to artifacts left behind from people who are no longer living. This is the kind of anthropology I love. The leftovers of our existence, resisting the change of the years. St. Augustine's rich history includes a significant role in the colonization of North America, the tragedy of the plight of Native Americans and the Civil Rights movement, from Frederick Douglas to Martin Luther King, Jr. and more. So much more.
One hypothetical thought that haunted me throughout my day of shooting in St. Augustine was of time travel. Can you imagine if a Native American or a Spanish colonist was resurrected from the 1500s and taken on a tour through the northeast coast of modern Florida?
For more info, please email info@carlosdetres.com
The Old Things of the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum in St. Augustine, FL
Photos from the old things of this museum in St. Augustine, Florida.
About a week before Hurricane Matthew brought it's climatological terror up through the eastern seaboard of Florida, I was in St. Augustine, visiting my family. My mom had recently begun working at the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum in the old part of town. It was a side of the city that I had rarely gone into. I fell in love with its old homes, buildings and super narrow streets.
My mom gave me a tour of the building where these very old things were placed throughout representing different eras of the building's history. Some of it was original to the previous occupants while others were brought in later.
At the time I photographed in this building, I thought, "I don't need a photo of the exterior." I kinda regret that now.
Email: info@carlosdetres.com
Florida Obscura
An exercise in reflection on the roots of where I come from.
Whenever I'm back home in Florida,
I return to places that I'd visited in the past
and photograph them,
mostly alone,
to further understand the person I've become.
It's personal anthropology. The cloud of my thirteen years in New York City has cleared. Here in New Orleans, Louisiana, I almost feel retired, not from work but from a lifestyle that dictated the choices I made and the directions I've gone. It's suffice to say that I'm at a reflective point in my life and that the specter of my home state of Florida looms silently over my work as I continue identifying my personal style and future creative goals.
The photographs below are part of an exercise to isolate the common threads of my work. It happens easily because there are always subconscious elements that are introduced into my portraiture and topics of interest. Enjoy.
Dieselboy at Republic, New Orleans
Photos of drum and bass DJ Dieselboy's performance at Republic in New Orleans.
The last time I saw Dieselboy perform was about 5 years ago in Miami. Being one of my favorite drum and bass DJs, my mouse cursor very easily glided over the "purchase tickets" button online. I don't go to too many shows anymore, preferring instead to walk around in the dark with a camera or two slung over my shoulder. I'm glad I went to this one.
Email: info@carlosdetres.com
Florida -- It's Where I Grew Up
We're #1 at pina coladas and crazy.
Anna Maria Island, Florida
Florida has, rightly so, been the butt of many jokes (kinda like Jersey but without that awful smell when you cross under the tunnel from Manhattan). The state is a complex one. Much of the central part of the state, where I grew up, is as conservative Southern as it gets. South Florida is one of the most ethnically diverse and vibrant regions of the country. There’s THIS parody Twitter account accurately correctly curates many of us Floridians’ head shakes. It’s also home to the most serial murders in the country and a governor who has had “climate change” removed from all official documentation and Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and the theme park Holy Land.
Florida is also home of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Key Lime pie, legendary death metal bands, great natural vistas, the oldest city in the country, and a history that’s tied into the colonial era of the United Kingdom and Spain.
I’ve been wanting to begin a project based on my home state of Florida. Just a loose collection of photos that reflect the memories of my childhood as well as my many return visits to see friends and family. As I continue going back, I’ll add more to this collection.
Turning Your Brand into a Lifestyle Photo Shoot
Your brand's story and how to highlight what you do.
How to highlight what you do
The photos in this post were commissioned by ProHairKit.com to display the looks that can be had through the use of the hair tools they sell. It was a smart decision because it allowed them to broadcast beautiful, inspiring imagery through a story they could share with their network. It is one part portraiture and one part documentary, which is also how I photograph for clients such as Brugal, The Macallan and emerging artists.
My specialty in providing consultation and photography for social media marketing is bookended by my belief in the power of a photograph and its story. Many artists and companies are catching onto this, which is why this is such a HUGE part of my business.
In recent years, I have had the freedom to make my professional work my personal work and as a result, I have gained new clients in New York City, Miami, North Carolina and New Orleans. Whether you're a musician or a business, I will work with you to develop a concept that is true to the heart of your brand through artistry, technical and marketing knowhow.
Inquiries are FREE so email me at info@carlosdetres.com and let's see if we can build the right project for you. You can visit my site to view more samples of my photography.
You can view the rest of the photo story HERE.
