Discipline, Talent, and Perseverance: Interview with Joaquín Castillo

By Lucas Cornejo Pásara

Translated by Catalina Martínez Asheshov

Joaquín Castillo

Joaquín Castillo (Mazatlán, 1998) is a young Mexican photographer whose artistic and professional career is growing exponentially. He has covered the most important events of the fashion world and worked with brands like Dior, Carolina Herrera, Jean Paul Gautier, among many others. He shot his first Vogue feature at the age of seventeen. Recently, he moved to New York, and all eyes are on him. He still remembers how, when he was eleven, he used to photograph his little cousin with his Blackberry and a night-light.

How did you start?

I started taking pictures of my friends in Mazatlán. I was literally fifteen years old... I've been doing this for ten years now. It all started as a game. I always had a passion —more than for taking photos— for creating fantasies and capturing them. I would get my friends ready, dress them, and take really cool pictures of them. I remember there was a local magazine called Fases and they gave me my first job doing shoots. That was my first approach to having an editorial. It was a lot of fun and ended up being quite important for my career. Without realizing it, I was already doing what I do now: I looked for a location, found a subject, cast models... Everything was much less curated than now, but a lot of fun. I was in high school. I went to the shoots after classes and felt like a big shot director.

But did you already see it as a profession?

I feel like I did, but also I didn't. I knew I was a photographer, but I had no idea what was going to happen. I thought maybe I would end up doing something else. I used to say I was going to be an architect, although I’d say that as a bit of a crowd pleaser ... It was when I met Fer Medina that everything changed. She was Mexico’s first blogger and a close friend of mine. I adore her. We would go to Mexico City together to chase Fashion Week. I was sixteen and already in shows. Obviously, it was Mexico, but for me it was “wow”. I started to realise that this was my calling. What I never imagined is that I would get to where I am now. I knew what I wanted, but being from a place so small and far away, and coming from a family that didn't have a lot of money, I thought of it all as a very distant dream of ‘oh yeah, someday’. And, then, joke after joke, I made it happen.

How did your family take all of this?

They were always very supportive. They don't really understand what I'm doing, but they always had a ‘do what makes you happy’ attitude. I think part of their trust came from the fact that I became independent rather quickly. It was no longer a dream, it was a fact.

What was the first achievement for you that meant 'ah ya, this is something'?

I don't know, it's a long way back. I remember I once took some photos inspired by Twiggy and, I don't know how, I was able to find a publisher in Spain and got them published. I don't even know what magazine it was, but I looked for their address and sent them my work. I was sure that the worst thing that could happen was to get a no as an answer. That, perhaps, was my first achievement. I was surprised because I was very young.

And when did Vogue come in?

When I was seventeen with Fer. She was a close friend of the editor, Valentina Collado. An opportunity to do a shoot for them came up and that was it. I literally did my first Vogue when I was seventeen. It was something super simple, like 'my Vogue style' of some very simple portraits. When more people knew who I was, I decided to move to the capital. I remember I had an editorial the day I arrived to the city. Imagine, wey, I was seventeen and already doing those things....

“Through friends of friends, I ended up crashing a Dolce & Gabanna party and I was shook. The whole fashion world was there. Wow, I found out at that moment that all this was real. I thought to myself ‘this exists and this is what I want’.”

When did you take the international step?

I went to London in 2017 to take some courses. It happened unintentionally. I wanted to study at Central Saint Martins and I sent the link to my parents thinking they would say no because it was too expensive, but they said yes. That was my first boom. Just before I left for London, I went to take pictures at Fashion Week in Milan and Paris for a friend's magazine. That was my first introduction to the real world of fashion. I remember going to an H&M show and Gigi Hadid being there. I couldn't believe it. Through friends of friends, I ended up crashing a Dolce & Gabanna party and I was shook. The whole fashion world was there. Wow, I found out at that moment that all this was real. I thought to myself 'this exists and this is what I want'.

London was very difficult because I was young and broke, but artistically it helped me a lot. Even though I already had years of experience, I'm from a small town. That leaves a mark on you. I had to rid myself of many taboos and limitations. London helped me in that sense, but, professionally, I did not take advantage of it as much as I should have. Instead of looking for my essence, I tried to reference what was happening in the moment. Although it was my first time working with big models and proper stuff, I was still far away from who I am. I wasn't ready yet. I felt tiny. That still weighs on me a bit..., but you can always go back. Now I do feel ready and well connected.

And where do you feel you've defined yourself the most?

In London I learned what it's like to work. I got to know what the world is like, directing a whole set... I like to do art direction, and for that you have to orchestrate everything. That's where I learned how to do it. I liked what I was doing, but when I look back I realise that I was being inspired by someone else... It took me many years to really find myself.

Who do you think influenced you?

It depends a lot on the era, but I feel that my work is very personal. It all has a lot to do with the moment I’m in, both emotionally and the environment that's inspiring me. I used to like Ryan McGinley a lot, now I like Harley Weir a lot... But everything always has to do with expressing where I am and what I see from there. At this point in my life, I've found that my husband inspires me a lot. Not necessarily him, but I do see parts of him reflected in my work. If you analyse my work, I think you can identify what's going on in my life....

Do you think it comes out subconsciously?

Yes, subconsciously. It seems to me that, being Latin, I get a lot of passion subconsciously.

Although, you do plan the photo...

Yes, of course. I always have the whole subject clear beforehand. I love to tell a story. I think that's more important than having a perfect curation. If the project doesn't have a meaning, I don't like it. Until I can tell something properly, I don't feel like it's there. Doing editorials is like presenting something in a gallery. It's a way of showing art. My photography is leaning more and more towards that...

How do you separate your artistic/personal photography from your more "professional" photography?

It’s tough. I'm extremely grateful for all the jobs I have, but working for big brands is accepting what they want. Basically, they just want you for your signature. I've finally gotten to the point in my career where they're interested in seeing what I do, but I think that’s because it's already more unique.

I always use different cameras depending on what I'm doing. When it's a client, I do more digital, and it feels different because it's work. There's an agenda. A lot of people say 'just do what you like,' but you're never going to get things done that way. They're going to ask you for a certain light, a certain photo, and you may not like it, but you have to make a living. Sometimes you think 'why do you want me here if you choose everything'. That shocks me because it feels like taking a dead photo. I don't even like to look at them. I've done things for Jean Paul Gautier, Dior, Carolina Herrera, that are very nice, but they’re not me...

“Whether you're an assistant, a makeup artist, a stylist, you have to start somewhere. If you do it professionally, you'll get wherever you want to. I think the key to success is discipline, talent and perseverance.”

How would you recommend handling that for someone who is just starting out? I suspect there are a lot of talented people who reject these kind of things and it just never takes off...

I think it's super important. Primero lo que deja y luego lo que apendeja —laughs—. To make a career out of this you have to be professional. That implies understanding that, at the end of the day, you have to eat. You earn your name over time. I still work for that...

It's a constant negotiation...

Absolutely. Some clients ask me to work very rigidly the first time. Afterwards, they gain confidence and you have more freedom to propose ideas. It's all about time. I recommend exploring your own vision, but always maintaining professionalism. When I was younger, I used to be unpunctual. I wasn’t committed. Now, I prefer to always look good with clients. First impressions are very important. It can open a lot of doors. If you make a good first impression by doing a good job, you'll fit in any set. Whether you're an assistant, a makeup artist, a stylist, you have to start somewhere. If you do it professionally, you'll get wherever you want to. I think the key to success is discipline, talent and perseverance.

Now, tell me about your arrival in New York...

Oh, I saw New York as something so foreign... I had come many times, but never to stay. This time, I think the timing was right. My project is more authentic and mature. I think it's showing, and the city has opened its doors to me like never before. It's going too well. I've been here for four months and I've already made the cover of King Kong Magazine in Berlin. I always saw that magazine as unattainable. It came to me and they were the ones who sought me out. That was, wow. In a very short time I’ve been contacted a lot. For the first time I feel like I’m part of the industry. Obviously I'm not the most well-known person, but I do believe that my voice is being heard in a giant industry. New York is a city that connects everyone. I feel like everything you do here is being seen by the right people. Everything opens up. It's been huge for me. I come from a small town and I feel that, every time I achieve something, it’s also an achievement for my people, for Mazatlán. That's why I believe that you always have to surround yourself with people who can help you. Because if you achieve things, so do the people around you.

How do you see the relationship between Latin Americans and the “American dream”?

I think this is the first time that the whole world is very attentive to what we do. Historically it's a good time to be here. We didn't exist on the radar before.

Especially in the world of fashion and photography...

Exactly, and in much more. Think about actors, for example... Before globalization and the Internet there was no such thing. Exoticization continues to happen, but now they are listening to you. More than “exoticized”, I think we are liked for being Latino. It's a differentiator, another stamp. They want to see new things, a new wave of talent. It seems to me that their eyes are on Latin America.

“If it's not today, it’ll be tomorrow. Patience is super important in this. As Latinos, we have to jump ten thousand steps more than someone born here or in Europe to achieve certain things.”

How did you get to where you are? I’m sure it involves putting yourself out there…

Absolutely. I dreamt a lot when I was little. At 15, I was already thinking about going far. Fer, my friend, showed me that the worst thing that can happen is for them to say no. That changed my life. I knocked on every door I found. Even now, when I’m scared, I remember Fer’s words. Eventually, a door opens. The farther you dream, the farther you get.

Were you afraid?

Yes, but I’ve learned not to base my approval on my successes. I’m very delusional. I let everything happen. At the beginning, I think I was overcome by that subconscious fear that says 'you can't get there'. I stalled for about two years, but I managed to identify it and overcome it. Many doors were closed, but I never stopped there and I kept going. Then they always start opening up. If it's not today, it’ll be tomorrow. Patience is super important in this. As Latinos, we have to jump ten thousand steps more than someone born here or in Europe to achieve certain things.

For me, photography was the first tool to express myself. It was what came easiest to me. What I like is to create stories. I wouldn't want to pigeonhole myself in the medium of photography. Anything can happen. I haven't earned a penny, but I've had the opportunity to develop my artistic vision.

Lucas Cornejo Pásara (Lima, Perú, 1997), after four career changes, studied Humanities with a mention in Latin American Studies in Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 2022, he published the short story collection Impresiones, his first book. Currently, he works as a cultural jorunalist and is preparing his first novel. He is part of a literary group called Etc. that doesn’t exist.