Daniel Delgado
Q What do you do?
“I’m a contract creative focusing on the fields of photography and design.”
Working with fashion magazines, local designers/musicians & ad agencies as a variety of my clients.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I still think about how crazy it is how you end up being in one moment of your life going through the day to day and then 💥 Your life up to the moment feels so far and distant to whats happening now. Where this conscious moment you're currently in, is one the most present you've been aware of...so anyways 😅
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I'd say one of the biggest steps would be coming to Chicago — this city made me who I am today. From the immense hours after my college classes, I would photograph and find patches of light in the downtown area — To the friends, I made here. Learning from them and trusting in myself that I can let the work speak for itself. So I made myself focus on the work along with the community I was building to help support that vision.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
By letting the work speak for itself.
Q What are you working on right now?
I have a few personal projects in the queue. Along with new ideas I'll have to let sit for a while to develop.
Q What’s your style?
I can speak on this through the mode of photography:
By staying grounded through an introspective process, I explore isolation. I think about using light as a way to conceive new environments separate from the ones in our everyday lives. These microcosms of light and shadow lend to my portraiture where I design pathways for character building and self-expression within his collaborations. Truly a process that grew out of my relationship to the city, where architecture and urban landscape design interact with nature, light, and humanity. After years of studying this environment through my lens, I've been focusing on this practice in the studio. This space–which provides boundaries and fortitude to his process–has developed into a microcosm of its own, where people and cultures gather to share ideas and build stronger communities.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Photography through Brand Campaigns
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I'd say making the personal projects more refined — Getting the grants would be the most ideal or funded by a brand or company to make these ideas happen. Lots of the tiny details in the day also build up if not treated - emails, invoicing, basic retouching.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
$20/hr + Free Coffee** Getting into those tiny details I mentioned — emails, invoicing, basic retouching, scanning my film, even to some aspect social media management.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
What: you're surrounded by love and community
When: yesterday
Why: a healthy reminder
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
How they go about their day and what routines do they stick with.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Big Brand Campaigns for Fashion Brands More album artworks & fashion magazine shoots.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Loewe / Gentle Monster / Rosalia / Bad Bunny / ID-Mag
Q: What is your rate?
Rates are always in flux - Let's have a conversation about what you need first.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
This member profile was originally published in March 2022.