A Conversation with Louis Torres

We all know that I am a huge supporter of small business and using local resources. So I have decided to start a new Spotlight feature on this blog to highlight local businesses and entrepreneurs.

For our first owner spotlight, I would like to introduce Louis Torres from Louis Torres Photography. If you are looking for a guaranteed fun day at your event, hire Louis! Not only is he fun, his artistic creativity shines through all his work, providing you with incredible photos for your wedding album or even business portfolio.

His passion for his business radiates in everything he does. He describes his career as, "a fulfilling one by capturing special moments for generations to come." The moments he has captured so far are special indeed, as you can see on his website. Read on for more about this local photographer that has been voted as "One of the Most Influential Photographers" in Photo District News Magazine. 

-JC

Louis Torres - Photo by Christopher Becker

Louis Torres - Photo by Christopher Becker

Where are you originally from?
Brooklyn, New York

Where do you live now?
Historical Halfmoon, New York

What did you like to do growing up?
As a young kid, we'd play tag through dark alleyways, which was fun because you could hide in so many places and they'd never find you! We would also spend hours playing games like buck-buck, stoopball, kick-the-can, and Skelly! These are all great games kids played in Brooklyn, regardless of the block you lived on.

What is your business?
Wedding and Family Portrait Photography

How did you get into that business?
At the age of 15, I was a sponsored skateboarder and wanted a camera so my friends would be able to take photos of me skating. Fortunately, they were all terrible photographers so I switched gears and decided to photograph my friends instead and that's how it all started back in 1989.

What is your favorite part about your business?
The absolute best part is having fun with my clients. Making them laugh, being silly, and taking photos they feel capture who they genuinely are. Anyone can take a formal photo where no one is smiling - that's easy! Instead, I focus on making couples and families laugh out loud with my silliness and I capture their real smile. The kind of smile you see when your best friend tells you the funniest joke you've heard all week. That's my goal every time I pick up my camera.

What is one thing about your business that most people would not know?
As a photographer, the fun and exciting part is spending time taking photos. What most never get to see are the numerous hours photographers spend in editing images. I've had days where I'm in my zone editing photos until 3am because I can't stop working. If I'm on a roll, I just keep going until I'm done editing hundreds of photos for a client.

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What tips do you have for wedding couples – either while they are planning their wedding, or on their actual wedding day?
For couples, they should focus on hiring wedding vendors who are fun and will add to the excitement of their wedding day.

Tips for couples on their wedding day: your wedding day will be perfect, everything you've planned for will work and don't stress out so much. It's finally the big day, you've been planning for it for months and months, and it's going to be a great day! Relax and enjoy it.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Spare time? What's that? I'm kidding! Actually, I've been playing guitar for 28 years and play out of my Marshall JCM800 halfstack everyday. I'm currently obsessed with the A Minor Harmonic scale so I basically practice trying to sound like one of my guitar heroes, Yngwie Malmsteen. At times, I'll have fun trying new things like learning the lead guitar section in Michael Jackson's "Beat It", that was originally played by Eddie Van Halen, or anything by White Zombie since they have lots of fun songs like "Thunder Kiss 65".

What do you like about being the feature photographer for Clifton Park Neighbors magazine?
There's nothing better than meeting some of the business owners I've captured. They all have incredible businesses they're passionate about and I think it's important for our neighbors in Clifton Park to know that. The business owners who advertise in CPNM really care about our community and I think it shows in the photos I capture of them. We also have the absolute best staff at the magazine who are fun to work with.

What do we not know about you?
Before photography, I was a Bondtrader at Deutsche Bank in New York City executing trades for a $10 billion dollar fund. On most days, I would trade between $200,000,000 and $425,000,000 – It was incredibly stressful but I'm glad I had the chance to work on wall street during one of the biggest runs in the history of the financial markets.

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Any advice for aspiring photographers?
Yes! Practice your shooting style and hone in on your editing technique! As a photographer, your goal is to continue learning your craft as the months and years go by. As you naturally become a better photographer, the next step is to take gorgeous photos and have happy clients.

Any advice for small business owners starting out?
Your passion and drive is everything! Never ever stop! Write down your daily and weekly goals and read them out loud every morning! If at some point you see that something needs to be tweaked in your business, make that change as soon as possible then keep going! When I started, I wanted to quit dozens and dozens and DOZENS of times. What helped was reading my goals or the little notes of encouragement I had written weeks earlier. When you're down and feel defeated, have a Snickers, then breathe, meditate, and get back on your feet. You're going to do just fine.

 

Want Louis at your next event?  Check him out at louistorres.com or call him at 518-605-6565!

 

Photo Credit: Louis Torres Photography & Christopher Becker
Photos Copyright (c)  Louis Torres Photography & Christopher Becker. All rights reserved.

Photos are not to be used without prior permission & license.

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