April Gutierrez by Mario Brown

Mario Brown | Salt Lake City, Utah

Some of the latest from my friend and photographer, Mario Brown. If you like his work, definitely check out DoItCaliente.com, a website devoted to his work and his subjects (models). I kid you not, the video intro itself is worth the visit. Models really enjoy working with him. Give him a holler.

Links:  | DoItCaliente.com

Model Credits: Jessica Lynn Hinton (1); April Gutierrez (2,3,4,9,12) Arianna (5); Michelle Ortega (6); Desarae Martinez (7); Erica Grisby (8); Lara (10); Courtney S. (11)

The WROCKETTE Fuel / Bottle Wrockette SHIRT. (see side-bar for purchase)

“What’s your WROCKETTE FUEL?”

—-

Life. Liberty. Prosperity.

[Government Warning: (1) Ambition, (2) Inspiration, (3) Passion, (4) Love, (5) Lust.]

(Limited quantity. 27 shirts printed. $20 + $4.99-shipping)

Model: Playboy Cybergirl Jessica Lynn Hinton (Jessa)

Photographer: Mario Brown 

Mario Brown Photography | Salt Lake City, Utah

My friend MB, keeps it sizzling with his clean clean style. Just for the video on the main-page alone is worth the visit to his new website at DoItCaliente.com

Links: MM | MarioBrownPhoto.com | DoItCaliente.com

Models: Kimama Bishop (above), April Gutierrez (1, 6), Miss Elle Marie (2), Barby Garcia (3), Erica Grisby (4), Regina Pacheco (5)

Nicole Duminie | Reno, Nevada (hometown) / California (residence)

18 . 5’6” . dancing . singing . snowboarding . gets bored easily and tough to impress

Links: Myspace

Photo Credits: BOMALABS (1), Mark Wangerin (2), Xtreme Photography (3), Caballero Photos (4), Lucinda Wedge (5), Rath & Some (6), Phillip Ritchie (7), Mario Brown (8), Ant MGA Photo (9), Kesler (10), Stoll Studios (12)

Mario Brown of Mario Brown Photo
Torrance, California (hometown) / Highland, Utah (residence)

When I saw Mario’s work, I got the idea that this guy was serious about his shit. It shows! In only 2 years time, he’s been able to find his passion and quit his job to pursue it.

via Mario - I’m a young, laid back Latin photographer born and raised near the beach in Southern California. Life currently has me in Salt Lake City, UT. However, I travel all over the United States often times back home to Los Angeles for photoshoots and to visit family. I’ve only been shooting for less than two years and I’m still kinda in a dream just looking at all I have been able to do and all the great people that I’ve been able to connect with in such a short amount of time. I’m very grateful for this. I feel like I’m just getting started and have much to learn but I am very, very happy with the success that I have achieved thus far. I have worked very hard for it. I consider myself self taught full of RAW talent. A talent that I didn’t know I had until recently. I have NEVER taken a photography class or photoshop course. I still haven’t even read the manual to my camera. haha. It was all about practice, trial and error, what this button does, what that button does…haha. Nevertheless, it’s working. In this short period of time my photography business and style has really caught on. I am now shooting with some of the top “sexy glamour” models all over the U.S. Magazines will fly models in to shoot with me here in UT and fly me to other states to shoot for them. I have already been published in some of the biggest national “sexy style” magazines and getting the attention of the top photographers who shoot my same style from coast to coast. I consider my style to be CALIENTE, RAW, SEXY AND SENSUAL but always classy. Although I shoot many different styles I am mostly known for “sexy glamour”. It’s true that anyone can take a pic of a beautiful model but I believe that it’s much more than that. A lot of it has to do with the connection. Also look at the capture, the emotion, the angle, the lighting, the quality. Each pic I take has to tell you something and relay a feeling. A picture without a feeling is just a picture. A picture with feeling is powerful.

• A little Q & A with Mario
•  
• Is this your primary job?
• It is now. Not too long ago on March 4, 2010 I quit a six figure salary in Coporate America to do photography and entrepreneurship full time. This is a big risk but I’m a risk taker and besides that I am sooo ready. I am very passionate about my photography and building my own brand. Trying to juggle both was getting to be VERY difficult. For the last year and a half or so I would put in long hours in the office only to get home, get out of my suit and tie, and do photoshoots/edit pictures til about 1:00 AM every night then get up a couple hours later at 6:00 AM and do it all over again. This was tough. However, my job also helped me. In my position I was required that I travel often all over the U.S. for a nutritional supplement company and set up business meetings. Not sure if the company ever knew this haha but I would take my camera and ring flash with me and schedule photoshoots before and after my business meetings. This enabled me to shoot with beautiful models from all over the U.S. not just in my area. This was a huge advantage and opportunity to spread my name amongst top models all over the nation.
  
  Now some people might call me crazy to walk away from a good salary especially in this economy but my mind doesn’t work like that. While others might be afraid to take a risk, my mind sees huge opportunity. I have the mind of an entreprenuer and I consider myself an entreprenuer with a camera. Each photoshoot that I do has a specific purpose and project in mind. I am also very optimistic and excited about the future. I’m seeing my skills and popularity grow every day. What was a hobby at the beginning is now definitely business. I am also in the process of creating my own brand to highlight my most beautiful models and best pictures. I’m making this exclusive for those who subscribe to the website in what I’m calling “The Caliente Collection”. I will be launching this at http:doitcaliente.com very soon as well as several iphone apps under this same brand. I’ve been holding a lot of my hottest pics back for several months but will included them all in “The Caliente Collection.” The possibilites with my brand are endless and to me this is exciting!


• What do you enjoy doing outside of photographing beautiful women?
• Tough question. haha. Jk. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I also LOVE to travel. Traveling around the world and getting to know other cultures and people have always been a passion of mine. I have lived and studied in other countries. There is a lot to be learned by other cultures and people. I also enjoy the outdoors, working out, playing sports, snowboarding, wakeboarding/wakesurfing. To me my favorite place on Earth is the beach. I can stay there ALL day long and every vacation needs to have one close by…haha.


• How did you get your start?
• I got started when another photographer invited me along to a photoshoot. When he was done I was able to take a few shots just for fun. It was awkward at first but the pics turned out pretty good. In fact the photographer used some of the pics that I took in his port. True story. Soon thereafter the models wanted to do shoots with me instead. It was then that I had discovered that I had a talent and an “eye” for photography that I never knew I had. Now I had to buy a camera.haha. I bought my first DSLR in May 2008. This was my first “real” camera other than a point and shoot. BTW- This really wasn’t too long ago…haha. My talent is RAW and I hope it always stays like that. I don’t ever want to get into over photoshopping or getting into the same rhythm or location. This requires zero creativity and I think it’s kinda funny.


• Most people don’t dream of growing up to be photographers, what was your original dream as a kid?
• As a little kid growing up in Southern California I wanted to be a pro soccer player. haha. But besides that my passion has always been to run my own successful business. I’ve had a couple businesses over the years. Some work, some don’t but I always learn from them. I’m a risk taker and never want to be left wondering.


• What is your most prized piece of equipment for photography?
• It’s gotta be my ringflash! It took a while to get used to but now we have finally connected. haha


• What is most painstaking about your job?
• It’s gotta be the scheduling. UGH! Trying to work out schedules then last minute changes and surprises are frustrating! UGH. haha.


• What is the most daring or experimental shoot that you’ve ever done that turned out great in your eyes?
• Not sure. But it’s always the poses that the model is hesitant about which turn out to be the best! Always.


• Who is the one model you enjoy working with most, and why?
• I’ve worked with so many great and beautiful models but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be April Gutierrez from Houston, TX. You can see her at: AprilLynnGutierrez.com. We were both virtually unknown but once we released the pictures from our photoshoot things exploded for the both of us. You can find pics from the photoshoot ALL OVER the internet and I haven’t even released them yet! She’s a beautiful girl but also very cool and down to earth. We are really good friends.


• Does this line of work afford you the glamorous lifestyle you often depict?
• I’m very grateful for this. Let’s just say in a very short amount of time I’ve went from waiting in line to the VIP line. From paying for concerts to getting in for free. I get invited to events and parties all over the nation with some of the most influential and successful people around. Beautiful girls contact me everyday wanting to set up shoots. Businesses contact me and offer their services for free. Magazines put me up in mansions and drive me around in limos. Hotels offer to put me in suites. The truth is that I have met so many good and wonderful people in this industry. Life is VERY good… and for all this I am VERY thankful. Above all I value all the great people that I have been able meet and create friendships with. They are definitely part of my success.


• Whose work do you enjoy outside of your own?
• Too many to list. There are so many different styles of photography that I love and I’m just amazed at all the talented photographers out there. I’m a fan fashion, glamour, black and white artistic, sports and scenery.


• Why should models choose you for a shoot?
• Well. First of all I’m very chill and laid back. Ask any one of my models. This might not seem all that important but it is. I try to make the model always feel comfortable during the shoot because if they’re not, it will show up in the pictures. Many of my models will only shoot certain styles with me for this very reason. I have a good rep and can keep it professional. I’m very selective with whom I decide to shoot with and feel as thought the model should do the same. It is my goal in each photoshoot to get the models the best photoshoot that they have EVER had no matter who they’ve shot with before. I truly mean this. I have a competitive nature and want to give each model the sexiest, classiest, best pics that will get them noticed and the paid work they deserve.
  
  All this and I’m just gettin started. Watch out for me in the years to come because I ain’t slowin’ down anytime soon…

Links: MarioBrownPhoto.com | Subscriptions | Facebook | Myspace