Today we’d like to introduce you to Humberto Vidal.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before being a Photographer I studied Business and then I got a Masters in IT. I worked in the Airline Industry for 15 years, specifically in CRS’s or Computer Reservation Systems. But Photography was always my passion, I even tried to study after high school, but in Venezuela, where I come from, there was any higher education institution offering Photography as a career. The company that I used to worked for went bankrupt and the political situation there was very bad, so I decided to move here to the States. I first began working here as a Financial Advisor and believe it or not, also as a Spinning Instructor, I have a Master Trainer Certification. When everything was stable after my move from Venezuela to Florida, I decided to study Photography, but my initial plan was as a hobby. I got a Diploma degree and then I decided to follow and I got an Associate Degree in Sciences of Photography at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
While still at school, I started to receive requests for my services so there’s was a moment when I had to make a decision, to keep working with stocks or jump to be a full time Photographer… the rest is history.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I am not so young, I started late in these business, I could not afford the privilege to assist other established Photographers and learn from them. I did everything by myself from the beginning and learned several things by trial and error. Also, not being local, with a very thick English accent, made me harder to enter in several markets. But at the end I did it a some consider me more an Anglo Market Photographer rather than a Latino one, and even some thinks that I am a New York base photographer for my continuous of the fashion scene there.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Humberto Vidal Photo – what should we know?
I established my business in 2007, just months after I started to study Photography, and I started to operate full time in late 2009.
Everywhere you see my name, my pictures, my profile, etc. I am always related with three things: fashion, fitness and fine art.
At school, all the electives for Photography to finish my studies were close, so I decided to take classes from the fashion program; I got hook with the field, and started to collaborate with designers, stylists, models, etc. That made me enter easily in the local fashion business. Nowadays I do a lot of catalogs, look books, campaigns and editorials for local and Latino American designers and companies.
I am also an avid fitness person, so people from the gyms that I attend started to request me portfolios for fitness modeling and this is how I entered into the fitness world as a photographer. From the beginning, I have tried to add some fashion flavor to the fitness industry and that has given me an edge over my competition.
And finally, fitness models live and love to “show” their bodies, and since I love the fine arts in general I also began to mix fitness and arts, and spice them with hint of fashion.
As an example. Right now, I had an exhibition named “Erotika”, but is more related with the body in an artistic way.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
At school, there were two person who believed in me from the beginning. Andre West, the Chair of the Fashion Department at the moment; and Don Sheffield, from the Photography program, who helped me big time with the business side of photography.
Andre introduced me to Fashion Designers, magazines, he sent me to a Zolla Keller Fashion Show the very first day of my first fashion class. He trusted in me so much, that he gave me the “House Photographer” spot in Fort Lauderdale Fashion Week, just 2 years after I push the trigger for the first time. Don, teach me everything about studio operations, technically and from the business point of view, among other things.
People like Melissa Felices from Statik Group, Lissette Rondon from Miami Fashion Spotlight and Natalie Mikolich from NPM PR, introduced me from the very first day to people lake Rafa Nadal and Gigi Hadid and everybody in between.
And finally and most important, my wife Maria Mercedes Marco. To accept my career change, working until late hours, to travel a lot, etc., require the support from a very special woman, and I found in my wife the best of all.
Pricing:
- Catalogs, look-books, editorials: $1,000.00/day.
- Test Shoots and Portfolios, fashion & fitness: $600.00 session
Contact Info:
- Address: 6300 SW 186th Way
- Website: humbertovidalphoto.com
- Phone: 954-646-2854
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @humbertovidalphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humbertovidalphoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/humbertovidalph
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=JLUpDREVpZlgZIULahHMSw
Image Credit:
Gigi Hadid
Kate Upton
Caroline Trentini – Blonde Model
Chiara Ferragni
Dashil Hernandez for Swimdays
girl at the hut for argentinean designer Swimdays
Tanya Etessam -kickboxer
Lexi Jensen -b&w picture
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
