Milton Arellano

Everyone likes Milton. It's a fact. And a couple of weeks ago I asked him if I could interview him. I told him that I would ask the deep stuff-favorite colors and all. (He thought I was joking, but I am all business.) I knew he would give good interview as he has flair and charm. I mean, look at his picture. So read on, and learn some captivating facts about Mr. Arellano.

What do you do for a living?
I (used to) assist fashion photographers (I actually decided to quit for good right when I broke my foot, to pursue making art as a hobby, while shooting my own photographs. But for now, I pass the time as my bones heal, reading, web surfing, thinking, sleeping, plotting)

When did you start skateboarding?
I first got on my baby sitter's skateboard when I was 8 or 9. I had a crush on her, so I wanted to do whatever she did. I started getting REALLY into skating at around age 10, thanks to my brother who is 2 1/2 years older and was hanging out with the punk skater kids in our hood. We'd get into all kinds of shenanigans. We once built a half pipe entirely out of stolen wood from a nearby construction site, after many moonlit nights stacking piles of wood on our boards and pushing them up the street. Haha, I can't believe it was actually on the same street as my friend's house where we put the ramp up. We figured no one would notice since it was like 6 houses down.

How many skateboards do you own?
Two. 1 for thrashing (or collecting dust for the next 8 weeks while i'm in this blasted cast), and 1 old set up is in the trunk of my car to use as a dolly. I never got a "cruiser" board like a lot of my friends, with the big soft wheels, and narrower deck. I feel like if I get used to pushing around on such a smooth and easy ride, that I'll just get lazy and not want to push around on a regular board.

Have you ever broken any tables by standing on them with lighting equipment?
Thanks for noticing my "hands on" approach to "extreme" fashion lighting. Or should I say "legs on"? To answer your question though, NO I have not broken a table from standing on it while holding lighting equipment. Funny you ask though, an assistant friend of mine and I were at a bar in Bushwick a couple months ago, at some random 50's theme night, where we tried swing dancing like all the other kids. Turns out I'm much rustier than I thought, and after spinning her, we both lost our balance and landed on a small coffee table which basically exploded under us. She punctured her leg, and didn't realize it until she got home, and found streaks of blood down her leg. HAHA!! (Editor's Note: I asked him this question as the last time I saw Milton, he was standing on a coffee table, lighting Abbey Lee.)

What has been the best photo gig that you have worked on?
Its a toss between some travel jobs a few years back, and a recurring Canadian lingerie client. Traveling to Mustique, Kauai, Croatia, and Seville were equally amazing for a variety of reasons ranging from gorgeous locations to just plain ridiculous post work day antics (thanks to my homies I was working with). The Canadian cash client that shoots lingerie a couple times a year in NYC is pretty self explanatory. Canadians are wonderful, super gorgeous models wearing next to nothing aren't too shabby either, and cool icy cash money feels really sexy, in that order.

And the worst?
Oooh gosh, I'd REALLY love to name names, but I suppose its unprofessional. I wanted to basically shoot myself on a job with a british guy who was THE most boring person I'd ever met, and was equally indecisive about what he was shooting or how he wanted to light it. He even asked the other assistant to bring her un-potty-trained puppies to set the next day to give the shoot some sort of energy, since he obviously lacked any. It was like working with the "undead" OH! I MUST mention another one that was quite the opposite, where a young nearly "up and coming" photographer must've thought that combining a super sketchy and belligerent "trying to make a come back" model with booze, pot, and who knows what else inside this rooftop apt we shot in was a great idea. F*ck these people were just off their rockers. Especially the model. And I was basically the only one in control of myself, lighting everything at lightning speeds, while dealing with the camera and computer, AND while trying to keep my own sanity. Man, I even witnessed the model screaming into her phone with a mouthful of cheeseburger (that she demanded BTW from McD's), chunks flying out her mouth, then storming outside, to the roof deck, and literally pitching the half eaten burger off the roof and down about 15 stories onto whatever poor pedestrians or cars lurked below. AMAZING!! Gosh I love telling that story, and I really don't tell it often enough. What a freak show that was. I think it opened my mind to what the 80's must've been like, except I'm sure everyone was MUCH better looking and more talented back then.

Have you ever broken a bone? Needed stiches? both? (Editor's Note: He broke his foot soon after I sent these questions to him)
(F*CK I hate that I have to change my answer on this horribly jinxing question.) I've had my share of both. Broken wrist, torn knee cartilage, bruised tailbone, smacked in the head by my board, which resulted in surgical staples, bashing my chin on a ramp, smashed finger nail on a ramp (it eventually fell off), concussions, etc. I remember noticing one day that a friend of mine, after falling, would roll on his back and pop backup onto his feet. Of course it hadn't even occurred to me to do that so up until then I would just fall and slide on my back, and get scar on top of scar on my lower back.

What is your favorite color?
Its always been blue, but lately I've been wearing a lot of gray. I wish I liked oranges more, or burnt umber. I'm red/green deficient, so its hard for me to tell some subtle purples from blues, or winter green from beige.

I am going to make you a sandwich. What would you like in it?
Smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, a little mayo, a lot of dijon mustard, sprouts and avocado. Or a classic croque monsieur. That's the only time I will eat swine.

What do you think of the fashion industry?
Man, I was so ambivalent to it for a while, or at least back n forth in my opinions. I'm grateful to have stumbled into this job of assisting photographers on some really interesting shoots, or in some amazing places. And, despite my opinions about the socio-economic implications of fashion's extremes, I still respect it where respect is due. Sometimes I just see it as a discovery channel viewer might, watching some strange animal behavior, like baboons brightening up their red lips and asses while mating, or peacocks putting on a show. It's both fascinating, and disturbing most of the time, which is I think why it interests so many people. And of course the same can be said for the extreme personalities that are obsessed with it. I'd say my high brow avant garde wardrobe and personality is testament to that fact.

Who would you most like to photograph?
Hmmmm... that's a tough one. Assuming we're talking about people alive today, aside from dear friends, As far as mainstream culture, I'd say some of the world's talents in the arts such as ballet dancers, musicians, fine artists, etc.
But I'd LOVE to shoot portraits of whatever remaining indigenous cultures remain. I feel like i'd only take pictures just to help me remember the experience of enjoying the company of all these types of people, since I have a poor memory.

Name your least favorite band.
Ugh, there's so many, but I usually forget the names since I have no reason to remember them. I'd say most bands whose music is played at those huge fancy clubs that people get $300 table service at, for a $30 bottle of vodka. But I guess those are not really bands so much as produced entertainers. Off the top of my head I'd say Black Eyed Peas. They are some of the top purveyors of smelliest pop garbage out there.

What is your favorite smell?
Puppies I guess? Or the woods? Yeah, the smell of a forest. It's been so long I can hardly remember!! The Beach usually
smells great when there are not many people or buildings around. Oh, I looooooove the smell of fresh basil.

Name your favorite Prince song.
Hmmmm... I Would Die 4 U. or When Doves Cry? U Got the Look??? Damn, they're just too good to decide!! I Would Cry For Look!!!

Name your morning beauty routine.
Just barely showing up on time has been my long time beauty secret. It really says, "Wow, that guy is so smeeooth that he's still half asleep".

What is your preferred mail carrier of choice?
Giving, USPS priority mail. Receiving, UPS

Favorite candy?
Haven't been such a fan of candy in the last few years. But I've been known to get a reese's peanut butter cup now and then.

Do you own any less than macho cds? Dvds?
Not that I've paid for!! Does that count?? Maybe Postal Service? But it reminds me of a girl I used to be really into years ago. Damn, is being sentimental "anti-macho? Actually, I've found a new and quite un-ironic appreciation for the Bee Gees this year. And of course, thanks to a friend who LOVES synth-pop and italo-disco, I've been more and more into quite un-macho dance music. in fact, I'd say I even love it. There I admit it!!

Do you have a favorite item of clothing?
My classic blue old-skool-lo Vans I skate in. They rule!! My vintage motorcycle jacket is nice too.

What do you like to draw?
I used to just draw people resting, either sitting, or occupied by a task. That's when I used to carry around a sketchbook all the time. Now I just go to figure drawing sessions so I can stare at naked girls and not be on the computer. Haha! That's kind of a joke. I posted some of my sketches online actually if anyone cares to look, although I have not updated in a while. http://www.miltondrawer.blogspot.com/

Any unusual talents?
A few weeks ago I remembered, in the 3rd grade being obsessed with tying my shoe laces. So much so, that I used to have shoe lace tying speed contests with anyone I could. Does that count as a talent? I learned to juggle when I was in 10th grade. And I think I hoola-hooped for like three minutes straight in elementary school for some charity thing. Wow, I just realized I've only mentioned talents from the past. Oh, I'm really good at recognizing faces. For instance, a silly junior high picture of some actor, I'd get it in a second.

Favorite artists?
Just after college I was into the German school of fine art photographers (Gursky, Ruff, Struth, Demand, etc.), and thus Stephen Shore, Edward Burtynsky, original gangsta William Eggleston, diCorcia, Crewdson, etc. I went to a Tom Friedman talk last year that made me love his work even more. Cai Guo-Qiang's show at Guggenheim was pretty amazing. It was pretty fun being stoned at the Murakami show, specially in the room with the eyeballs wall paper. I really think ALL art is valid, no matter if people like it, hate it, get it, or dismiss it. Its better for the world that it exists, rather than not. But I can name a few lauded artists who i really don't care for, such as Cindy Sherman and Annie Leibovitz. Oh, and most of the "SF slacker" style art that's followed the trails of the Barry McGee, Kilgallen, Johanson, etc.

Any favorite food joints?
LOVE North-east Kingdom, out in Bushwick. Its 2 blocks from me, and deeeeelicious. In Williamsburg i hit up The Bedford taco truck, cause its "money", without being money. Chai Thai restaurant is great. Juliette is great French. Wish I'd go to La Superior more often for gourmet street mexican. Dumont Burger rips. Bonita RIP : ( , Papacitos tex-mex in Greenpoint is yummy. Brooklyn Label is super brunch, also in Gpoint. Hmmmm... Best croque monsieur is at Schillers!!! Best dim sum is at Vegetarian Dim Sum House, 24 Pell Street 2 blocks south of Canal btwn Mott and Bowery. GET THERE IMMEDIATELY!!!
I enjoy the Monday night "Asia Dog" night at An Choi, Vietnamese soup n sandwich joint which my buddies own. Yum Yum!

Favorite Patrick Swaze movie?
Red Dawn, by far. WOLVERIIIIIIIIIINES!!!!!!!!! Now, I have to note that Too Wong Foo disturbed me MUCH more than Donny Darko.

Who do people tell you that you remind them of?
Oh f*ck, I really wish you hadn't asked that. Usually I get Carol Channing, if she were a man. Or Higgens, from Magnum PI.
Just kidding. My roommate has been saying I look like Ahmadinejad, and that I should be him for halloween. I think it's because I smile a lot and I'm a pretty nice guy.

What is the craziest thing that you have ever done or witnessed?
Wow, that's a major question. Not sure how much to unload, but F it, guess I'll just GO for it. When I was 11, a couple months after my Grandfather died, and his ashes were released in the ocean, my mother took me to Miami Seaquarium. He was the first relative I had that died and so I was really thinking a lot about death and beyond. At the end of the dolphin and trainer
performance, after all the flips, spins, jumps and what not, the last act was that the trainer holding out a flower in his hand, while the dolphin circles around a bunch of times, finally jumping up and grabbing the flower in its mouth, which then the trainer said that the dolphin would spin around and choose a spectator who it liked. I was half paying attention to the act, and half thinking and thinking of what existence would be like outside of one's own body. I really tried to imagine what existence would be like now for my grandfather, since he loved the ocean so much, and I assumed his remains would just attach themselves to everything else in the ocean, including marine life. I was pretty concerned about his "after-life", so with my eyes shut, I prayed to my grandfather for some sort of sign that everything was fine with him. Of course, once I opened my eyes, the dolphin leaped out of the water right in front of us, and I got splashed with water and the flower bounced off my head and into my hand. After we left, we went to the shore at sunset to say a prayer for him with my mom and aunt, and I thanked him for letting me know and I tossed the flower in the ocean. I'd say that was pretty intense for an 11 year old. There's crazier stuff, but I figure a cute childhood story would get the lady readers all gushy n stuff. Geez, finally the questions are over!!!!! (Editor's Note: Thank you Milton for taking the time!)