Building The Look

It’s often said that variety is the spice of life. For L.A.-based commercial shooter Caesar Lima, it’s the spice of his photography, too. Lima is as comfortable creating crazy, colorful portraits as he is presenting his simple and elegant black-and-white portfolio. He’s a tech-head who loves his toys and tools, but he knows it’s the idea that really makes a photograph. And while Lima is sure to flex his creative muscles on every job, he always delivers exactly what his clients ask for. Sort of.

“I never give what the client wants,” Lima says. “I always take it a little forward, to the point that they’re almost unsure if it’s too much or too crazy or too sexy. It doesn’t matter what the subject is. People or still life, the challenge is to make it unique.”

Unique is an adjective that most photographers would love to be branded with, and for Lima, it’s completely accurate. He has made uncommon creativity a crucial part of his business. Not only has he defined a unique visual style, but it’s his obsessive experimentation that pushes him to deliver the results that keep clients coming back.

“It’s very important to always be creative in everything you shoot,” he says. “I really enjoy shooting a mundane subject and making it glamorous through unique angles, colorful backgrounds and unreal lighting. You can transform it into something very special.”

Lima’s philosophy of creativity in everything also carries over into his workspace. Filled with high-tech toys and a funky sense of style, his studio is more than just a fun place to work. It’s also a tool to help impress his clients. 

“The studio is like a spaceship,” says Lima. “Everything is controlled by computers: the music, the lighting, the cameras. We use the environment of the studio to experiment, to show our creativity. The clients love the studio, so I always try to have all my meetings here. This place is very different. We have crazy furniture, an Apple museum, a fireman’s pole, a lot of life-sized superhero figures, a bunch of urban toys—it’s a celebration of design.”