A Hip Hazard Morning: An Interview with Local Photographer Marcos Huerta

A Hip Hazard Morning:

An Interview with Local Photographer Marcos Huerta

By

Samuel Muñoz

Marcos Huerta

I first met Marcos Huerta a bit over a year ago. It was at an Inkblots show held in a tiny place called Mars Bar in Buena Park. Marcos was kind enough to take a few photos of us in action. He gave me his card and I was so impressed with the photos he took of us that I decided to book him for a photo shoot of the band. That photo shoot took place on the streets of Downtown Santa Ana. The product of which became the majority of the photography that adorned our website and our Trap Doors EP that was released in June of last year.

From the Inkblots photo shoot

Marcos has since then continued to practice his photography under the brand name of HipHazard Photography. A fellow music lover himself, he has lend his artistic eye to fellow Southern California bands such as The Vespertines, Colombian Necktie, and Santa Ana’s very own Electro City. A self proclaimed loner, Marcos’ work exhibits a kind of maturity uncommon for a man who seems uncomfortable calling himself a professional. He considers much of his work the product of improvisation (the tag line for his brand currently reads: “Where accidents happen”). However, one cannot help but wonder if there may be an underlying calculated approach. He has a gifted ability to capture and communicate through his images the passion and raw atmosphere of the live shows and musicians he chooses as his subjects. Something that seems to have been lost in many of the images of the mainstream musicians one sees in the music magazines of today.

Marcos was kind enough to meet with me on a Saturday morning in Downtown Santa Ana to talk about himself and his work.

Samuel Muñoz (SM)

So tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up and go to school?

Marcos Huerta:

I was born in Los Angeles and I moved here (Santa Ana) when I was two. I went to school at Taft elementary, then Greenville and Macarthur. I went to high school at Saddleback (graduated in 2006) and then moved on to OCC (Orange Coast College) where I unfortunately dropped out [laughs nervously].

SM:

When did you get interested in photography?

Marcos in action

Marcos Huerta:

I didn’t actually get interested in photography until my sophomore year of college. I took one class and then I thought I could do it on my own so I dropped out [laughs nervously again]. I’ve always been interested in the arts. However, I sucked at painting. I mean it was really bad. I can’t draw. The camera, on the other hand, came easy. I just look at something and take a picture.

SM:

So it was in 2008 that you took up photography. And at first it was more of hobby I guess, right?

Marcos Huerta:

Yeah pretty much. It still is. I mean, it’s hard to make a profit out of something that you enjoy. It’s kind of weird to sell that kind stuff and make a business.

Edgar Espino of Electro City

SM:

Tell me about HipHazard Photography. How did that come about?

Marcos Huerta

Originally, HipHazard was intended to be a magazine. It was going to be the magazine title. And well, I needed a group of devoted people to really get this going which at the time I did not have. Maybe I would be able to that now, but back then I didn’t. I wanted it to be something of a locals only thing. It’s still something that I want to do. It’s a work in progress; I’m still trying to network. Anyway, that is how that idea originally started, but when I knew I was not really going to be able to get that done, I wanted to at least use the name to make a statement about my photos. I figured that I needed to brand myself and so I used that name.

SM:

How long ago did you start HipHazard?

Marcos Huerta:

To be honest, it’s only been about a year. In fact, you guys were really my first official job. Thank you for that.

SM:

No, actually thank you. Who else have you shot for? I saw some great photos of Electro City and there’s this one photo of a girl with a trumpet that I really like. Who was that?

Marcos Huerta:

Well that’s this band called The Vespertines. For my 22^nd birthday I went to see them at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. They’re really good; they are kind of like that psychedelic, jazz fusion type band. I took some good pictures of them. Mostly, I like to take shots of live shows. With Electro City, I took some shots of them when they played at the Mars Bar, the same place that you guys played. I’ve also done some great shots of this LA metal band called Colombian Necktie. I’ve been helping them out a bit with promotion.

Vanessa Acosta of The Vespertines

SM:

So do you have any kind of concept or technique to how you approach your photography?

Marcos Huerta:

There is a reason why I chose HipHazard. It’s a play on the word, haphazard. Most of my work happens by accident. I try not to stage everything because I want my pictures to look more natural. I really like high contrast images and something about shapes, like squares and triangles, they interest me. If I can get something with an angle of a line, I really like that. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain your work and not sound like a douche [he laughs].

SM:

I completely understand.

****

Marcos continues to work with bands around Southern California. In addition to working with musicians, Marcos is quite the gifted photographer with inanimate objects as well. Take a look at the photos below.

Spheres of Light and Shadow

Frozen Gravity

If you would like to book a photo shoot with Marcos please email him at hiphazphoto@gmail.com. You can learn more about Marcos and view more of his photos on his facebook pages http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=604536621&sk=info and http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/HipHazard-Photography/100924936644647?sk=info

Hip Hazard Photo