Miami Photographer Joshua Prezant

One of my two favorite subjects!

Happy Birthday kiddo!

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Went back to school for a 4 day shoot at the oldest and most prestigious private school in South Florida. 30 plus environmental setups throughout two campuses. Greatful for a terrific team that consisted of my crew ( Alfredo, Gaston, Alex and Maya) and Paul, the wonderfully laid back art director. What other school has these wonderful views on their campus coupled with amazing South Florida Winter days and skies. #lovemyjob#Miamicommercialphotography #joshuaprezantphotography

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The other day Joshua Prezant Photography got called in to photograph a rising star in the TV media world.  Alicia Menendez.  She is one of the faces that Fusion TV is banking on to bring in the millennial folks to the newly built  English-language channel from ABC and Univision.

The instrcutions from one of my favorite clinets, The Washington Post, was simple and usually what I get from them.  Have fun and shoot something cool. Although this time I did have one request.  Nothing behind the news anchor desk.  So after a quick google search of Menendez I was on the phone with her wonderful people at Fusion. They were extremely helpful and we set up a shoot time.

Having been in many newsroom over the years ( both TV NEWS and Newspapers) I had an idea of what I would be working with and started to visualize ideas.  But nothing I thought of came close to the vision of what this newly contructed 160,000 square foot studio in Doral, FL looked like.  It truley was a amazing site with all the new technological toys one could thing of that would be in a digital newsroom built from the ground up. So off I went scouting the location when I arrived at the shoot.

After scounting I met up with Menendez for a quick introduction.  Witin seconds of meeting and talking with her I knew I would like her.  And I did.  Menendez was very friendly, and not the friendliness that most TV personalities put out there.  She did not come off eager to be liked or to be put in a mold of who she was supposed to be.  She was just herself.  For good or bad.  She had a smart intelectual humor that mixed in equal parts of the ever so slight mix of good rounchiness and “geek” humor.  And you can see it in her slight wise cracking “this is who i am” smile that came out in the photos.

It was a great shoot and the article by writer Manuel Roig-Franzia came out wonderful.  I wish Alicia all the best on her new gig.

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Growing up I had the opportunity to go a a bunch of boxing events throughout Florida.  This was in a time when Miami Beach was still a fight center in the boxing world. Through my father’s Uncle I was able to not only see some of the great match ups that came through Florida, but to also meet the boxers and promoters.  As a young kid I thought that this world was amazing ( much to my mother’s dismay). So anytime the opportunity arrises to photograph something boxing related I jump at it.

When Joshua Prezant Photography got the call to photograph legendary boxer and Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Leonard I made sure to clear the schedule to make it work.  Right away my mind started to go wild with all amazing things I wanted to try to do photographically.  But then I soon learned that I would be photographing him for a story not necessarily about boxing, but for a different fight that he took on.  He was helping to shed light on a dark time in his life as a teen when he was sexually abused by two people very close to him.

With more details about the story I learned that I would be photographing him in his hotel room in Miami Beach late at night as he was preparing to give a motivational speech the next day to a thousand or so corporate folks from Burger King.  Out when anything overly related to boxing in the photograph.  No gloves, no trucks, no wardrobe changes,  no boxing ring, no sweat!  Just an intimate portrait of Sugar Ray in his “lounge around the house comfy clothing.”

I had to work with what I had.  Plus, how much into a photo shoot would he be after being interviewed about his abuse for an hour or so.  As I was setting up the lighting I carefully listened to his story as writer Wayne Coffey interviewed him.  After they were done, it was nearly 10:30 pm or so.  To my amazement Sugar Ray was truly hospital and easy going when we started shooting.  Although we did not have much time and after what had to be an emotionally draining interview he patiently sat for my photo session…. Even allowing me to get a more upbeat idea in before we ended.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/zone-sugar-ray-finds-new-arena-sexual-abuse-victim-helping-article-1.1483655

Sugar Ray Leonard © Joshua Prezant 2013

Sugar Ray Leonard © Joshua Prezant 2013

Latley Joshua Prezant Photography has been getting a lot of love from the UK. Two differnt project in the same week that came from different clients in the UK.  Always a pleasure working with our English speaking counterparts…aside from the time zone difference.  Thankfully there is a App for that.  Currrently our cell phones and computers have the time zones and current times for about 5 different places around the globe that we regularly do business with. It is not uncommon to wake at 5AM to check emails from the clients speak to the about the projects we are working with.

Our lastest client was Sony Records UK.  We were contracted to photograph Hip Hop artist J. Cole for a promotional shoot after the launch of his world tour that started in Miami.  And When I say after…. I mean at 2 am. It was a quick shoot and we had to work with the location we were given as we were photographing him right after his concert and right before he hopped on his tour bus to head to Orlando for the next stop. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was also in bentween a intervew with a print journalist.  We ended up in the hall way of the Hyatt Regency Miami having to be very quite as we were shooting after 2 Am with guest of the hotel fast asleep.  We had to work with this as every other location around was filled with fans spilling out after the show.

Usually this can make for a rushed ( or should I say more rushed) shoot.  But luckily for us, J.Cole remebered Joshua from an early shoot about a year ago for FHM Magazine out of London.  He seemed happy to see a familair face and already had that important trust in the photographer that is needed for a successful shoot.

 I look forward to round 3 and round 4 with J.Cole.  He is an extremely articulate and friendly individual.  I with his much success of his new tour and album.

© Joshua Prezant 2013

© Joshua Prezant 2013