When Gabriel Perez Silva first moved to New York to pursue photography, he started as an unpaid intern at a modeling agency, where he received a $20 a day stipend to pay for lunch. Today, the photographer finds himself among the tech moguls, Hollywood stars, inventors, researchers and venture capitalists on the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024.
Perez Silva’s photography portfolio now includes campaigns created for Prada, Calvin Klein, and MAC Cosmetics, magazine appearances from GQ to Vogue, and Times Square billboards, as well as an Art Basel exhibition tied to his continuing passion project with scoliosis patients. His career has led him to meet celebrities from Shaun White, Jenna Ortega, and Jari Jones to even the Nobel Peace Prize winner and first female president in Africa Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Now, the 27-year-old photographer is one of the few selected from a pool of more than 10,000 candidates for Forbes' annual list of young industry shakers. The 2024 list of 30 Under 30 recognizes 600 professionals across 20 different industries.
Perez Silva’s work is characterized by both moody light and bold colors, a style the artist says is heavily inspired by travel and history. “There’s a duality to my work the same way there is to me: vibrant and moody,” he said. “There’s a duality to who I am; I’m very vibrant and Hispanic, but there’s also a moodiness to me from the experiences in my life that maybe at a certain point I didn’t have the verbiage to put it into words.”
Digital Camera World sat down with Perez Silva to discuss his career – and the advice he would give to other young photographers.
Perez Silva’s past – and a little red point-and-shoot
Despite the rapid growth of his career, Perez Silva still pays homage to his past by carrying around his very first camera: a small red Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot that he still uses today. In his camera bag, he carries stickers with a QR code linked to his work to leave as he travels, along with his main camera body, the Canon EOS R5 and favorite lenses like the RF 50mm f/1.2.
Born in Columbia, Perez Silva grew up in Florida, where competitive swimming made up a large part of his early years. He credits the sport – and waking up at 5 AM for practice – with helping him build the discipline and backbone required to work as a self-employed artist. The sport taught him what he needed to apply himself as well as how to adapt, he said.
Perez Silva can still recall using his little red point-and-shoot to photograph ducks and animals as a kid before saving for his first DSLR in high school. But, his interest in the art really piqued when he took a film photography course in college.
Fashion photography wasn’t on Perez Silva’s radar, however, until he left school and moved to Italy. There, the Florence art and fashion scene further inspired the young photographer.
After returning to Florida to study art, he explored different mediums from 2D design to drawing, picking up essentials like color theory that would later prove to be an invaluable influence on his photography.
From starving artist to photographing celebrities
When Perez Silva left college a second time for an internship at a modeling agency in New York, he says he was the true definition of a starving artist. He described taking the $20 lunch stipend to buy a $1 slice of pizza and salvage what was left for living expenses, staying on various friends' couches in the US city with the highest cost of living.
The then 20-year-old worked with various tasks like filing papers, gradually working his way up to photographing models. At the same time, he also assisted photographer Mike Ruiz, which is how he met the model Winnie Harlow. The meeting would later lead to a key project that accelerated his career: photographing Harlow’s Met Gala diary. The relationship later led to a MAC Cosmetics 25th anniversary Viva Glam campaign.
Perez SIlva calls the gig his breakout job that legitimized his work. He would later shoot two Prada fine jewelry campaigns. His stand-out projects also include a V Magazine Calvin Klein Special with Jari Jones, photographing Jenna Ortega for the Beetlejuice press tour, and a GQ cover of Eladio Carrion.
As his work has grown, Perez Silva has continued to dedicate a portion of his time and work to a passion project: raising money and awareness for scoliosis. After wearing a back brace while growing up, Perez Silva has continued to incorporate that piece of his past into his work, including annual projects with the Scoliosis Foundation Ghana and an Art Basel 2021 exhibition.
A Gen Z world view
As a 27-year-old, Perez Silva is part of Gen Z yet on the cusp of the Millennial years. The photographer says that his age has allowed him to cast a wider net in how he sees the world. While mental health may be more taboo among older generations, taking care of both mind and body is key to his process.
The photographer explained that, early on, he would spend late nights working and editing and putting himself second, but ended up crashing both emotionally and mentally. Now, he has the resources and knowledge to stay not just in physical shape, but keep his mind and spirit sound as well. “Push yourself hard but support yourself whether that means taking care of your mind, body, or both,” Perez Silva said.
The first piece of advice that the 27-year-old gives young photographers is to be true to themselves. “Be genuine in what you do and in your actions when meeting people,” he said.
While Gen Z is known for being the first generation to grow up in the age of smartphones and social media, Perez Silva stressed that social media isn't everything. “Social media is important, but make sure to dedicate the time to building and learning your craft,” he said.
View more of Perez Silva’s work at gabrielperezsilva.com or on Instagram.
For more inspiration, pick up one of the best fashion photography books or learn more about what it takes to be a successful fashion photographer.
