Who's in the Crew? - Spotlight on Gary Barragan

NAME: Gary Barragan

WEBSITE - https://www.garybarragan.com/
CREW PROFILE - https://headshotcrew.com/garybarragan
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/photobygaryb/
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/garybarraganphotography
LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybarragan/


WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW?

I’m originally from Los Angeles CA but I’ve been calling Louisville KY home since ’97.


HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SHOOTING HEADSHOTS?

December 2016.

WHAT IS YOUR LIGHTING SETUP FOR HEADSHOTS?

In the studio is the Peter Hurley Westcott Flex Kit (3 light set up). Outside is 1 Profoto B1X w/Profoto Umbrella M.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR STUDIO. DO YOU OWN IT? RENT IT? OR LIVE IN IT?

I initially worked out of a co-sharing studio space, then last year I took it over full time. At the beginning of this month, I began renting an even bigger space.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU LIKE TO SHOOT?

There are several other niches I have a passion for. The first is editorial/modern portraits. This is actually what I was doing before I started headshots. I’ve always been drawn to the moody Annie Leibovitz style which you can see in my style of portraits. From using hand-painted backdrops from Oliphant Studio to Rembrandt lighting for the majority of my work, you can see the heavy influence in my style.

Last year during the pandemic and social justice movement I really took to visual journalism, in fact, it became a civic duty for me to document history. I would see how lies were being perpetuated about my city and the protestors, so I decided to take my art and skills to the streets and document firsthand what was going on. My work was from 2020 was also featured in the ICP Concerned exhibit up at the International Center of Photography in NYC, and an online exhibit hosted by Roosevelt University up in Chicago.

The third would be food, I enjoy cooking, grilling, and creating my own recipes. My creative wing-mate and I do a lot of the cooking and were always taking pics on our iPhones. Then one day we decided to start the camera gear I had at the house and a new passion for food photography was born. Last year during the pandemic we created a project called Curb to Table in which we purchased and photographed to-go/curbside meals from the local restaurants. We then created content for the restaurants to use for their social media and marketing to help with promoting the “new normal” of the dining experience during the pandemic.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER PH AND THE HSC?

It was probably 2015 or so. I’ve known about Peter and the HSC for a while before joining. I was just shooting mostly portraits and weddings and didn’t see a need for headshot education.


HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO JOIN THE CREW ONCE YOU FOUND IT?

I think it was a day or two. I was talking with Michael Schacht and he suggested for I to check out the HSC, browse around the forums, and go from there. It didn’t take long after seeing all the rich and valuable content.

WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU?

Photography is actually my second career. I still hold a full-time job in which I’ve been with the same company for almost 20 years. My photography business has actually grown to be a sizable amount of supplemental income and I’m pivoting to start using it to place myself in a better financial position with a goal to retire early. So if anyone is questioning themselves if they can be a professional and only do it part-time I’m here to tell you yes the hell you can!

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOU?
I’ve actually enjoyed doing photography since I was 19 or 20. I didn’t go professional until 2012 after being published in a local magazine.