GATOS: Bryan Mederos

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): Hi Bryan, thanks for doing the interview! For those not familiar with you, or your work would you mind introducing yourself and giving an overview of your work, photographic and otherwise?

Bryan Mederos (BM): My journey as a photographer started a few years ago when I bought a DSLR camera to make youtube videos. In order to learn the exposure triangle, I started taking the camera everywhere and taking photos with a giant tele zoom lens and a crop sensor. All the photos were super cropped in. I also learned about Lightroom and Photoshop during that time. They were the worst photos ever. These days I primarily shoot 35mm film but I use my phone too.

ADM: We're here talking about your work documenting your job working behind the scenes (as a waiter?) at a hotel in Beverly Hills - do you have a title for the project? What inspired you to document this job/workplace?

BM: Yes the title for the project is called "GATOS," Gato literally translates to cat but it’s also a slang term used in Mexican culture that means “servant” or “goon.” I work in the in room dining department and my job title is "Order Taker". I take the food order from the guest, ring it in and hand it over to the server to prepare for delivery. The servers have a rotation so whenever a new order comes out they say "Next Gato"! Think of like “order up!” or “who's next!” I've been shooting photos of my co workers for years now and have amassed close to 1,000 photographs. The project is a love letter to the immigrant laborers of LA. The unsung heroes of the luxury hospitality industry.

ADM: I know this has been an extended project - are you still working on it? Have you found that your approach to documentation has changed over the duration of the project?

BM: I have all the material I need to compile a hardbound photo book. I'm not shooting as many photos as before but I still bring the camera out occasionally. Every "serious" photographic work I pursue is usually born out of being self aware enough to know that something special is going on around me. It may not be clear at the start but it eventually turns into to a deeper sense of awareness and appreciation for what's in front of me. In this case, its my job so I would argue that I've even changed my perspective towards my day job from a negative experience to a positive, productive one.

ADM: I know you're still working on final assembly of the project into book form, but was there any specific moment or image where the project really took shape or snapped into place for you?

BM: Not really a moment for when it took shape but I can sense that it’s done and I don’t necessarily need to take more photos. Intuition is what’s guided me through the whole process.

ADM: What images do you feel are integral to understanding both the job, and the people you work with, and why?

BM: That’s a great question. I’ve actually never thought about it till now. There’s a black and white photo of my co worker Laurencio (we call him LOLO) sitting at a computer with Forbes five star five diamond awards hanging above his head. I remember he was using that computer to search for a used car for his daughter. I feel like this frame does a good job of superimposing luxury and migrant workers.

ADM: Is there a thought process or criteria when you are/were documenting your job and coworkers, and making images - you talk about intuition, can you expound on that?

BM: I try my best to not shoot photos when there’s a bad vibe in the air. Usually because of some kind of conflict between the servers. They fight over tips and orders which can be hilarious but sometimes I really have to pull back cause they’re genuinely upset. I’ve noticed that I tend to bring out the camera when everyone is in a good mood. I do make some exceptions though.

ADM: is there a particular image or example, or even a story of when you took your camera out, or documented a time when not everyone was in a good mood?

BM: Yeah I've definitely misread situations and made people angry. Especially when using flash. I remember this one time I made my co-worker angry about something and days later in a staff meeting he brought up how I take pictures of them constantly and how I don't ask for permission and how it's rude. He was sour about something work related. I nearly got fired over it but was able to talk my way out of it. I told my boss that I always keep my camera on me and that most of the guys ask for their portraits. Which is true. But I could've been in big trouble.

ADM: In terms of influence, of influences, photographic or otherwise that shaped the project - if so, what and how did it/they play in?

BM: There’s this artist Ramiro Gomez who makes cardboard cut outs of immigrant workers and places them in front of houses in Beverly Hills. His work has been a huge inspiration for me. The idea of making the immigrant worker look like a hero is what attracts me to his work. I hope to convey that in this project somehow. Both of my parents immigrated here from Mexico and I feel like that has something to do with my obsession with telling that narrative through my work.

ADM: Looking a bit forward, how do you think, or now that the main body of work is done, how have you seen, your approach to photography, and life as well (you mention a different outlook on life earlier) has changed?

BM: Photography remains a mysterious process for me. I’d like to think I’ve gotten better at it but the truth is I just shoot randomly and hope a good one comes out. Knowing that the main body of work is done, I feel anxious to start a new project. But I’m definitely overthinking it. I haven’t even bound this book yet! I will say this, I feel much more connected to my co-workers. It’s fun to pull up old photos from 3 years ago and show them how much weight they’ve gained.

ADM: What advice would you give to someone else documenting their non-photographic worksite or a job?

BM: Start with a bit of show and tell. Bring your fancy camera and show it off to your co-workers. See how they react. I'm willing to bet that things will happen naturally and they'll be asking you to take their photos. Do this for a few days then you're known as the "photo" guy at work. For me, It's gotten to the point that when something funny or unusual is happening my co workers run to my office and say "hurry hurry bring the camera!" Over communicate that you have a passion for shooting photos and be respectful about it.

ADM: From Erwin Recinos: What is the most important aspect of photography that you have applied to your daily life?

BM: Anyone who has gone out into this world alone with a camera in their hands knows that there's this intimate presence of mind that happens. It can put you in a flow state and you become present in that very moment. You notice things you never noticed in your neighborhood before, you hear things you've never heard. It not only calms the mind, but it makes you feel more connected to the world around you. I try to carry this with me into other aspects of my life. This is by far the best thing about photography.

ADM: What question do you have for the next photographer? You can answer it yourself if you'd like.

BM: Why is Photography so easy but yet so hard?

ADM: Where can we find and purchase more of your work? Do you have an estimate on when your book will be available?

BM: If all goes well, I'm looking to release the book early next year. Feel free to hit me up on IG my handle is @bra_sann.

ADM: Any parting words or advice?

BM: I love to connect with people who are passionate about photography so please do reach out and say hi. My advice to any photographer is to never ever compare yourself to others. You should never wrap up your self worth in something as vain as likes on a Instagram post. Everyone's on their own path so don't judge yourself too hard. Realize that your work may never be seen or appreciated for many years to come. It may be that your work is never discovered at all so love the process over the results.

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Los Ojos De Muerte: Erwin Recinos

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those not familiar with you or your work, could you introduce yourself and give a quick overview of your work?

Erwin Recinos (ER): My name is Erwin Recinos and I’m a photographer from the city of Los Angeles. For the last ten years my film photography work has revolved around my perspective of the city I live in. I also work with the website LATACO.com and that has also played a big role in my photography work. The film work I produce is a photo album of my life as a son, a father and photographer.

ADM: You've (as of starting this interview) just released "Exposed" which is a compilation of photos shot on Medium format film. What was the impetus to put together and release the zine?

ER: Actually this zine was produced back in 2018. With the Rona & quarantine it’s given me some time to promote my work. The thinking behind making this zine was opportunity to produce a zine for free. I was approached by some folks at Pow!Wow! Mural festival & PaperCutLounge to be apart of a zine release party for the week long event. I was given specs for printed zine and I produced my layouts. Looking at my catalog of photos I had there were produced that year with a Mamiya C330. I show you snippets of life that I capture in and around this vast metropolitan.

ADM: Oh, rad, I've noticed you have a really impressive, and high output of zines - or at least I swear in the last week or two you've promoted a couple other ones in addition to these two. You mention a bit later that you have different goals for different zines, but is there a connecting thread?

ER: The variety of work is the goal. To not have the work feel boxed in or stagnant with a genre or style. The work has to progress and move and grow as I will. My interest and goals are very different from when I started 20 years ago to 3 years ago.

ADM: You're also about to put out a collaborative zine with SER@LA? What's the zine about, and how did you decide to collaborate?

ER: Seratla and I have been collaborating for a number of years now. It was just a matter of time to put it in print form. The photos from this zine are dated back from his beginnings in 2012-2013. Seratla was paste & sticker campaign with a great logo and theme. I was privi to document his mural painting process. All photos were captured with a digital camera. Color was the only option for displaying and capturing his work. That was key through out the process. I would also create videos for some of the mural I documented.

ADM: Oh that's really interesting - did you learn anything new while making a zine for that campaign - also did you find the video-making process influenced the photos you took?

ER: That zine was a learning tool for a lot of projects that proceeded after it. It made me focus and work thru the process and not just rush thru another project. Learning more with printing and shooting and editing video. This in no way narrow my scope but enhance my awareness of slowing down the process and seeing everything thru the end.

ADM: From the base description both zines seem very different - Exposed being all black and white, where the collaborative zine is all color - that's a fairly big stretch in working styles - did you plan to put out two separate zines from the outset?

ER: Of course. Zines have a life of their own. They can be themed zines with volumes of printed editions. Zines can also be short lived bangers with the right paper and content. The work for both zines i made had time to breath from when they were first captured. As a creative you know when the work you are curating is ready to be presented.

Here is an example of my last two zines I produced last year. Both were the same in color but totally different content. One was about graffiti and the other about wrestling. The decision of the color and execution were already decided. Riso printed was the way to go. I talked with Cynthia Navarro of Tiny Splendor in Echo Park, Ca. She gave tips and helped make suggestions on the final printed zines.

ADM: Riso is really awesome stuff - and the previews of that wrestling zine look really great on your website - how did you get into that project - and more generally how do you find your journalism work with LATACO and otherwise contributes to your photography or informs it?

ER: The zine is titled One year of Bar Wrestling and it was my perspective of this niche wrestling scene that popped up in Baldwin Park, California just 16 miles east of downtown LA. A friend of mine, Dennis bought me a ticket to check it out. That started late 2017 and is still going. Attended a show just before the quarantine in March. As everything is theses days it hit social media and nuked the fridge with a spot on Macaulay Culkin when he appeared on Ellen. Great move for them. I'm just glad I was there when I could see it happen or at least take fruit.

All photos were taken with various point n' shoots. Hard to hold an SLR or DSLR with a beer in hand and craziness going around. It made the experiencing of capturing it more fun with a up close and personal feel in the photos.

In 2010 I started with LATACO as an event photographer and documenting my perspective of Los Angeles. From art shows, graffiti, pop-up events and various music concerts. The scene in front of my camera always transitioned that it helped me grow as a photographer. In the last two years LATACO has taken on a role of trusted local grass roots news organization. The eye of documentarian is now the next evolution and it is shifting my work. Another style that is evolving and it’s great to see.

*Here is my author’s page on the website if you'd like to see the work I've done in the last 10 years.

https://www.lataco.com/author/erwin/

ADM: You're a dyed in the wool Angeleno - what do you look for when you're out in the city shooting, if you wouldn't mind extrapolating?

ER: If on assignment for the TACO I have time, place and photo goals that need to be executed. Also, my interest of local sports, art and events with family will take me anywhere in the city. A camera is always with me so my everyday life living in this city is what I believe I'm really capturing.

ADM: In terms of getting out into a city or a culture - like you do with Los Angeles, or working with LA TACO, or getting into Bar Wrestling - what advice would you give to someone looking to capture that or something like that - both as a personal project and a professional one?

ER: Access, work ethic and luck are really the foundations I use when working on personal & professional projects. Knowing the right people and networking to me is still a thing which gives me access to create personal projects or events to get that professional gig. I believe I've put in the work and met enough of the right people to keep growing as a photographer and a person.

ADM: From Adrian Otero Vila: If you could go back in time and stand next to a photographer when they were making an image, which one would it be?

ER: There are three photographers I'd like to do this with: Mike Miller and his famed photo of Tupac Shakur. Jonathan Mannion and his photo of Notorious BIG when he released his first album. Estevan Oriol and his photo of Dennis Hopper.

ADM: What's one question you have for the next photographer? You can answer it yourself if you'd like.

ER: What is the most important aspect of photography that you have applied to your daily life?

ADM: Where can we find your work and purchase your zines? Any other parting words?

ER: My printed zine work is available via losojos.bigcartel.com. Support people who support you. Your local zine community will thank you.

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