Don’t Say Cheese
Self-proclaimed (and award-winning) master photographer John Mireles is never without his camera-even when he probably should be.
The “about” section on Mireles’ website says, “While commonly agreed to be the most artistically gifted photographer of his generation, John is also remarkably humble.”
Hmmm...wonder who wrote that.
If you ever look up and think, “hey, who’s that guy with the camera?” it’s probably Mireles. And if that happened to you in the past couple months, you may find yourself in one of the photos on this page.
Mireles explains it best: I’m out to document a feeling. A feeling of American-style celebration, joy, beauty and the primal lust of boy seeking girl (and vice versa).
Though I will snap that photo of you and your friends smiling at the camera, I’m more interested in the moments that come before and after. My inspiration comes not only from the people in my images, but also from a grand tradition of street and social photography. Robert Frank, William Eggleston, Slim Aarons and Larry Fink have all carved a photographic path that I seek to dig still deeper.
So every summer, with tequila in my water bottle and camera at the ready, I head off in search of little moments that tell the story. I’m the guy crashing your beach party, stopping my bike for that barbecue on your front lawn, sneaking a photo of you chatting away or aiming the camera at your midsection. Don’t worry, though, it’s all in the name of art.
johnmireles.com