Rico de Largo – Las Vegas

Over the past few years working in the nightlife industry, I’ve met a few types of unique entertainers.  While a great DJ can really get a club going, I feel that these guys can really give a venue that extra edge in terms of making an impression on someone.

To name a few, Nick Ivory (Magician), Beacher’s Madhouse (Entertainment group), and Rico de Largo (trumpet player) have all stood out amongst the usual nightlife acts.  These kind of people are the little bit of ‘extra’ that makes the difference between ordinary & extraordinary.

Rico recently flew me out to Las Vegas to do some shots for a new campaign he’ll be launching this upcoming year.  While he’s already established a solid reputation within the United States, his ambitions are now aiming towards an INTERNATIONAL level.  With that – new, exotic, and STRONG imagery is needed to make that kind of impression.

When a client gives you trust in what you’re doing, I always feel like it brings the best results.  Communicating clear, concise, and descriptive ideas will definitely help achieve the result the client wants – and combining that with the trust in the skill of the photographer results in a win-win for everyone.

Aside from the shooting time, it was really cool to hang out on a one-to-one level.  I’ve now ended up with a new ‘must-hit’ spot in Vegas where they serve ‘Arepas’ – an amazing South American pancake-taco type combination that can be lethal if you’re not careful.  I’m not going to recommend trying it, because when you do – you’ll become addicted.  Ignorance is bliss.

Aside from eating Arepas, I had the chance to talk to Rico about long-term ideas, philosophy, and life in general.  To be frank, these kind of conversations aren’t common in the nightlife industry and it was relieving to be able to connect with someone on such a level.  And what was REALLY A TRIP was hearing him talk about the trumpet – similar to how I understand & know my camera – he is familiar with his trumpet.  It was a cool idea to think about how we both have similar clients and our business revolves around a creative outlet – yet his is an entirely different sensory element.

Anyways – the shoot!  We hit up a new venue in town called “Insert Coins” which hosts nearly every kind of gaming console you can think of, along with bottle service to help you enjoy a good time with friends.  Stacked with old arcade games like Tron, Double Dragon, and Galactica – it was a bit distracting at times.  For the second part of the shoot we hit up a dried up lake bed – at different times of day to get a variety of looks.

If you’re in San Diego for NYE, stop on over at Fluxx nightclub & you can see him live.

That’s all for now – stay tuned for tomorrow’s post – “New York Fashion week & my trip out east”

And what would a post be without a little “behind the scenes” action?