Estevan Oriol
I suppose Estevan Oriol is mostly known as a photographer. He’s done photoshoots for some of L.A.‘s top cats such as Kanye and Kim Kardashian, but his street photography and gang member portraits is how I found out about him.
Besides documenting street culture, Estevan also directs music videos and has worked with the likes of Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Blink 182 and many others. He’s also directed videos for companies such as Cadillac and Nike.
Estevan is also involved in many other things such as lowriding and fashion and in this chat he shared some thoughts on the way things are moving.
LC: Your work keeps you in touch with tons of musical artists– have you ever thought about trying out in music as well?
Estevan: I’ve been on a couple songs - 1 for The Alchemist, 2 for Cypress Hill: La connecta and Tequila sunrise.
Making music is hard and would take a while to learn but I don’t have time.
LC: As a person who travels a lot and, being involved, sees the bigger picture – what do you think is in store for underground music?
Estevan: Less money to be made. At the same time it’s way easier to get your music heard worldwide with all the social media so if you’re good it will get out there and take off.
LC: In the past 25+ years that you’ve been ‘active’, things have obviously moved on in many ways. Is there anything you miss from the old days?
Estevan: Magazines, album covers, record stores, and the photography and video budgets the industry used to have before it got so flooded and watered down.
LC: Lowriding is definitely not that big here in Eastern Europe. Crappy roads I suppose. What does it do for people, why is it special?
Estevan: It’s a special feeling driving in a Lowrider for me. It’s indescribable. I’m not sure if it would be the same feeling in a small city without a lowrider scene. When you hit the scene and there’s 100 cars on the boulevard, that’s Lowriding.
LC: GTA San Andreas, though, is a cult classic in the region. How did you get involved in it, what was your contribution?
Estevan: I knew a guy that worked there and he hired me to do some photos of L.A. and from there I brought in some of my friends that had talents they needed to make the game so authentic.
LC: You’ve basically got access to both the underground and the glamour. Do you find the one more exciting than the other?
Estevan: They are both exciting in their own way. Underground its adrenaline and glamour is glamour.
LC: I recently saw Dito Montiel’s movie ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’, and it basically tells Dito’s story. He escaped a very dysfunctional environment while growing up in Astoria, NY, and moved to the city, formed a hardcore band and he now is a successful film director amongst many other things. Is his story an exception to a rule that things don’t change and people stay stuck in their own environment?
Estevan: No , it’s a common story. Many people I’ve met have drive and push hard to get out of their environment. That being said, all environments have their own issues; it’s all in your head how positive you want it be.
LC: Is there anyone else in your line of work that you admire and would like to give a shout to?
Estevan: My dad is a great photographer
Sebastian Salgado
Araki
Mary Ellen Mark
Diane Arbus
Ellen von Unwerth
Richard Avedon
Peter Lindbergh
Check out more about Estevan Oriol and follow him:
https://www.estevanoriol.com/
Instagram
@estevanoriol
Facebook
https://m.facebook.com/EstevanOriolPhoto/