Rising Stars: Meet Manuel Cantu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuel Cantu.

Hi Manuel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not always smooth. Learning how to balance the business and the art has been tough. As an artist, I never think my art is good enough to sell. So trying to keep emotion out of it has been a tough obstacle for me.

I have always been into art for as long as I can remember. As a kid, pencil and paper were my escape from the world and the environment that was just outside my door. I would see things in the world that I felt other people may not have seen, such as colors, shapes, textures. Billboards, posters, and movies all seemed so mesmerizing to me.

Things that seemed so mundane to others held so much more meaning to me. I went to school to study graphic design for just under a year before being recruited to work at Hallmark in the art department as a Process Artist. Unfortunately, a short time later the department had to downsize and I was left unemployed. Without a bachelor’s degree, I was left with very few options so I decided to go work with my dad doing construction until I could find another job doing design.

A few years passed and I was married and had a child on the way. My goal of being a graphic designer was fading. But to be honest I wasn’t that upset. Graphic design, to be honest, didn’t fulfill me the way I was hoping for. I went from pencil and paper to graffiti in high school. From there I went to graphic design. Of all the artistic outlets I chose over the years, nothing really ever spoke to me. That was until I picked up a camera.

I started taking photos of my daughter when she was little. She made my life have purpose and meaning and I wanted to capture every moment. As an artist, I knew I couldn’t just take any old photo of her. I just had to get creative with it and try and make the photos as cool as possible. Turns out that I wasn’t half bad. In fact, taking pictures was actually therapeutic in a way. I would see an image in my head and find a way to make it happen and take the photo. Editing played a big part in my success in the beginning. I learned quickly that I could treat a raw image as a blank canvas and paint a masterpiece of sorts.

My hobby quickly became my obsession. I soaked up any knowledge I could learn about photography. Any tips I could get I would take. I researched and I practiced and practiced more. Then, one day, someone offered to pay me to take their photo. Whoa… I can make money doing this? One client turned into two. Two clients turn to three. I quickly developed my own certain style that became popular amongst a certain few. I say few because it wasn’t for everyone and I knew it. I had an edge to my images that, at that time, wasn’t the most popular. I made a few bucks here and there, but nothing amazing. I mostly just did the art that I wanted to.

One night out at a local bar, I met a guy who was also a photographer. He took a genuine liking to my work and invited me to come to his gallery where he hosted group shoots with other local photographers and models. The evening I went to this group shoot, I felt seriously out of my league. These guys had cameras and lighting that cost as much as cars. Kerry made me feel comfortable and helped me get into the swing of things.

I took my $300 camera and went to work. The images I put out that night rivaled any photographer there. That evening, I realized it wasn’t about how much your camera cost. It was about who was behind that camera. It’s the artist that holds the brush that paints the portrait. Not the brush. As I started surrounding myself around other photographers in the Kansas City area, I soon realized that I was a bit of a Black Sheep in the industry. I was told my stuff was too “artsy” or too “dark”. I was on my own.

I knew no amount of negative remarks were going to deter me from my passion. So instead of giving in and doing what everyone else was doing, I created what would become Reckless Robot Photo. Reckless Robot came from the realization that every photographer I encountered was doing the same thing. I felt it’s what they were programmed to do, like robots. Understanding that there are certain rules in photography that we must abide by, I still felt I wanted to be a little Reckless with these rules. Doing my own thing is what I chose to do. Thus, the name Reckless Robot.

Once I accepted my role as the outcast, things got better. People could see the passion I had. Around 2015, I landed a deal working with The Pitch KC to shoot marketing material for their upcoming events. The first job for them was an event called Bacon and Bourbon. The images from that event catapulted my work to another level. Even after the event, I continued to create custom one-of-a-kind images of them. My workload became more than I have ever imagined it could be. I was hooked. I went full force into my art day and night, on top of my day job in construction.

Photography has allowed me to pay bills, meet new people and travel out of state and out of the country. The harder I pushed the more success I had with it. The problem was that my personal life took a backseat. I have given my all to photography at this point, and I have lost relationships and time with my child to pursue this dream. So, a few years back I decided I wasn’t going to do that anymore. There was no way I could ever give photography up, so cutting back was the only other option.

Balancing family life with my professional and love of art is something I work on every day. My family stands behind me 100% with what I do, and I want to show them they are just as important as my art is. A few months ago, someone told me that I’m “the reason I’m not further along in my career” than I am. It’s true. I’m my own worst critic and enemy. But the truth also is that I choose to be this way. I love photography, but I love my family more.

It has been almost 17 years since I first picked up a camera and I still consider myself a student. Every day on my lunch break, I’ll sit in my truck and watch YouTube videos trying to learn new things about photography. I’m still hard on myself and there are days I don’t think I’m very good. To some that’s a bad thing. To me it’s a strength. That’s what keeps me trying harder. That’s what keeps me from getting comfortable.

That’s what’s going to push me to become what I was meant to be. This is my calling. This is my passion. Photography has allowed me to portray what I see in my head into reality. Almost 20 years of taking photos and I truly feel like my photographic journey is just beginning.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in portrait photography. I’ve been known to have a unique style that I’ve crafted over 17 years. I’m most proud of the fact that I have the ability to bring out my subject’s true personality after just meeting them.

Making someone feel special and beautiful is what I love. What sets me apart is my versatility. I try to not stick to one style. Some tell me I need to “only do one thing”. But to me that’s boring. Every person I shoot is different so I feel every photo is different. That’s why I don’t use presets when editing.

To me, that’s cheating. I want each individual photo to be crafted meticulously and edited by me.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I come from a large city so for me the size of Kansas City is perfect. It’s big enough to be a large metropolis, but small enough to still have a hometown feel. Well, I used to not like the fact that we didn’t have a Whataburger. But thanks to Patrick we got that covered. Go Chiefs.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @recklessrobotphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/recklessrobotphoto