ByJBP: Colleague / Mentor / Friend

In 2015, I found myself living with my cousin Aris in Mexico City. I was going to be staying there for an undetermined amount of time and needed to find work. My cousin played "futbol" soccer in a private league and invited me to watch him play; there, is where I met Juan Pablo Barrero.  

Juan Pablo is not only incredibly gifted at soccer, but is also one of the most talented photographers I have had the pleasure of working with.  Originally from Colombia, Juan Pablo relocated to Mexico City due to being greatly sought after by many talent and modeling agencies. The high demand required that he hire an assistant to help with the photoshoots, edits, and creating behind the scenes reels. I was lucky to be chosen by Juan Pablo, and humbled to witness him work the camera. 

Intrinsically, my approach to photography then was only technical. What I learned from observing Juan Pablo was his creative workflow and artistic approach. He has a way of communicating/connecting with the subject and putting them at ease that streamlined each photoshoot. Watching him work was like witnessing a renaissance painting evolving from sketch to masterpiece as he maneuvered about each model, finding their inner most confidence, strength, and beauty.  

When I look back to the experience, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from such a talented individual. Juan Pablo lend me a helping hand when I needed it most. He treated me as an equal, openly shared his wisdom to help fine tune my photography, and inspired me to further pursue a film career. Although I have not worked with Juan Pablo since 2018; we still keep in touch, share project ideas, talk gear, and share stories. I am lucky to know him as a colleague, have him as a mentor, and call him a friend.  

Juan Pablo's work has been published in several iconic magazines throughout Latin-America including Men's Health and Women's Health. He is an artist first and photography is the means by which he expresses his art. You can follow his work, travel, and lifestyle on the links below. 

www.instagram.com/juanpablobarrerofotografo/ and https://www.facebook.com/JUANBARREROFOTOGRAFO