I’ve never been able to define beauty, because for me it really does lie in the eye of the beholder. It might sound cliche, but I’ve always understood beauty and attraction to be highly personal and individual. People also vary in the size and range of what they consider beautiful, which can sometimes be limiting in photography. I’ve always had the rare ability to be able to find the beauty in everyone.
I’ve also always understood conventional beauty as the most widely considered visually attractive by the most amount of people during a particular time period. Beauty standards are constantly evolving and expanding, so chasing trends is generally futile. The way I see it is that how we perceive and experience beauty is 100% reliant and connected to the way we see life and what we find important. For me, what makes a subject or an image compelling is everything about them that makes them different and individual.
That perspective has naturally gravitated me towards the subjects and models I work with across beauty, fashion, music, drag and performers as a whole. A commercial beauty portrait might look highly polished, while an artist portrait might be more raw and theatrical. A drag image can be more surreal, over the top, camp or glam. The common thread throughout my work can be found in my ability to capture the person, what makes them authentically themselves. I want them to feel like their voice can be heard through a visual experience. I think beauty shines the brightest through authenticity and confidence in ones self.
My goal is to celebrate people for who they are instead of hiding them behind a generic photography trope. I want to know who you are before we shoot so I can make sure you can see yourself reflected in the work we create together. If I’m working with a brand, I want the brand to be unmistakably represented in the way the whole team works together. The way I want my work to represent beauty is in highlighting the magic behind being authentically and uniquely you.
Vico Velez is a Los Angeles beauty, fashion, and music photographer known for vivid, hyper-stylized color, shooting from her studio in Hollywood, CA. See her work and book a session at vicovelez.com