Cicero de Guzman Jr. Photography Motorcycles

Behind the Lens with Photographer Cicero de Guzman

By inside + out | November 6, 2023

Inside+Out Upstate NY is pleased to present an exclusive interview with art-director turned photographer, Cicero de Guzman. A creative force with over 25 years experience in brand development, design and direction, Guzman has worked top brands including Conde Nast, Hearst, Time Inc., Navistar, Ford and Merrill Lynch to name a few. Today you’ll find Cicero working independently, designing ground-up brand identities and creating photographic content for K/ller Collection Jewelry, Untitled Art Fairs, The Glenlivet Whiskey, Mrket Menswear Show and Yamaha Motors Europe.

Let’s get to know Cicero de Guzman as he shares his journey as a photographer, life in the Hudson Valley and his dream assignment.

INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Cicero de Guzman: I grew up, went to school, and got my first couple of design jobs in California. I moved to New York City in ’94 to work as an Art Director for music labels and magazine publishers. My wife and I had always talked about moving out of The City, so when the pandemic hit, we left our Park Slope 4th floor, walk up and found a home in Kingston. It’s been a little over two years now, and I really love it.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a photographer, and what was your journey?

In 2009, I picked up a camera to shoot some friends on their motorcycles, and I’ve been growing that body of work for over 14 years now.

Tell us about your style of photography.

I think my better work has a more documentary or behind-the-scenes approach to it. It’s a sort of backlash to my experience as an Art Director, where everything was hyper-conceptualized, produced, and precise. I’m finding it more interesting to shoot subjects and moments as they are.

You’ve done a lot of work in fashion advertising projects with Conde Nast. Tell us about those worlds.

Yes, I was an Art Director at titles like Jane, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Vogue, and lots more. I really loved the process of making magazines and all the experiences it gifted me. The pace, the people, the culture, the creativity – it was a very special time.

What type of camera equipment do you use? Do you shoot videos as well?

Canon DSLR, Sony mirrorless, Nikon F3 film cameras, Polaroids, and I’ve been playing around with a Braun Nizo S56 super 8 film camera.

Describe your creative process.

It depends on the project, but ideally, my process is immersive and experiential. I like having an environmental framework that inspires a shared experience between myself and the subject. This allows for simple stories to unfold in the photos, which for me, is essential to their value.

You shoot Fashion, Weddings, and Portraits. Do you have a favorite?

I enjoy documenting, so I’ve been a good fit backstage at fashion shows, walking the floor at fashion trade shows, artist studio visits, and photographing makers in their workshops. Even the portraits I do have a more cinéma-vérité quality to them.

Do you also have personal projects you work on?

I recently began a series of abstracted photos and have been trying to find the time to explore those a bit more, with the intention of exhibiting them in the near future. The abstraction, this literal lack of clarity, is, for me, about implementing a process without control, accepting outcomes, and finding beauty in the mess of things. In this work (as in life), I’m looking to minimize, reduce, and eliminate the elements that no longer serve me.

How do you decide where you will shoot, and how do you prepare before you arrive?

Again, these choices have much to do with the needs of the project. Still, personally, I like to shoot on location with natural light and minimal equipment.

How do you grow your business / How do your clients find you? Do you leverage social media to get work, and how is that working for you?

The work usually comes by word of mouth. As far as social media is concerned, people online mostly follow me to see the motorcycles -which has been great, as I’ve made many friends, shot in many cities and have been invited to exhibit the photos in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Switzerland.

Tell us about your most intimidating assignment and on the other side – the most amusing?

My wife, Katie, owns the jewelry brand K/LLER COLLECTION, and I’ve been shooting her work, creating images, and designing assets for her for well over 12 years now. I don’t know if I should be using the word “intimidating” to describe the gig, but it’s “amusing” for sure.

What is it about the Hudson Valley that makes it unique to live + work here?

After living in the city for so long, it’s just really nice to own a home and watch my daughter grow up in this community. I like watching her play in the dirt, swim in the creeks, and build friendships with so many good people. The aesthetic that’s just outside my door and the creative vibe of it all are hard to beat.

What are some of your favorite places to shoot in the Hudson Valley?

When the water is somewhat low in the Ashokan Reservoir, the bluestone layers reveal themselves. Those structures, plus the water, plus the hills, plus the sky, and then early morning light…hard to take a bad photo there.

What impact does your business have on your community?

I haven’t been here long enough to answer that with any conviction, but I would like to shoot with more local artists and makers in hopes of helping to share their work and grow their audience.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

Each and every one of them really… and the ones I haven’t visited, I like knowing they’re there for me in the future. It’s great seeing a business that has some history in town continue to thrive, and I’m rooting for every new business that starts up.

What is missing in the area that you wish we had?

Personally, I’d love to see a late-night eatery open up. And in Kingston specifically, I really need a good Thai restaurant.

Tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to know?

I shoot a lot of frames to get to the edit I want. So my ratio of bad to good photos is often super wide, but you’ll never see the bad ones.

What would be your dream assignment?

Something ongoing with a youth lifestyle brand like Vans shoes and clothing or a company called Eagle Rider that does motorcycle tours all over the world – could work.

What are you working on now that you’re excited about?

I’ve been shooting studio visits with my friend and painter, John Copeland, for many years now, and he’s currently working on a book of his works. I’ll be going through my archive for him, as well as capturing some new images, too.

Oh, and I’ve some friends who made a film called The Passenger, and I might be documenting them in the coming months as they screen the movie at various film festivals.

What is your current state of mind?

I’m doing my best to be accepting, grateful, and optimistic.

> Follow Cicero de Guzman via Website | Godspeed 45/06 @godspeed4506 | Cicero deGuzman Jr @cicerodeguzmanjr | Wherever You Are Brother @whereveryouarebrother

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