The transition from New York City’s Juilliard to the dynamic stages of the world was no easy feat for photographer Luis Alberto Rodriguez. However, it wasn’t the only career leap he would manage. The Dominican-American New Yorker embarked on a journey to his eventual photography career that was as captivating as the images he creates. During his formative years, Rodriguez was immersed in the arts as a dancer, studying at prestigious institutions like the famed LaGuardia High School and, eventually, The Juilliard School. The path led him to grace stages globally for fifteen years, and sparked by his move to Berlin, he cultivated a distinctive style as a self-taught artist.

Today, Rodriguez stands as a photographer with a portfolio where movement is king and he’s been awarded in kind. In 2017, Rodriguez won both the Prix de Public and the American Vintage prizes at the 32nd Hyères Festival of Fashion and Photography, coming full circle when he returned last year as a judge. Since then, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in fashion and entertainment, with his camera capturing the essence of icons like Serena Williams for Vogue, Nicki Minaj for i-D, and supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bündchen, Anok Yai, and Kendall Jenner. Now based in Paris, Rodriguez spoke with Models.com at the Château Voltaire on the importance of his dance foundation in his images, how casting is everything, and the internal work of creating a visual point of view.