Meet Michelle Paradis | Photographer / Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Paradis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
In a way I didn’t choose it. My mom gave me a Barbie Film Camera when I was about 10 years old. When I got that roll developed, everything started to make sense. I felt connected to the world around me. I could use this to create, to understand, to document, to express, to empathise, to canonise, to inspire. And I continue to do that every time I take a photo.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My persistence, curiosity and ability to bring people together sets me apart from the rest. I can look at the bigger picture and assess situations, locations, and scenes and give you the truth. In the film and photo industry we say to get “the establishing shot” first. And that’s a great discipline to have. I’ve met so many people, gotten to know so many cultural communities and produced events that bring similar people together, that makes me proud. And the only way to do this is to be open to any situation, say yes to as many opportunities and be surrounded by the people you want to emulate or that inspire you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you wanna go where it’s all “happening,” the lower east side is a must. It’s where all the music, restaurants, creatives, and fun late nights are. A great place to eat around there is Dr Clark, especially if you like your Japanese food with karaoke on the side, I’d highly recommend. I’ve spent lots of good summer evenings there. You can find me in 787 most of the time, a fave coffee chain of mine. The Puerto Rican Coffee can’t beat any other place. But to get away from all the hustle and bustle and grittiness of New York City…to truly admire the cityscape, it would have to be on a plain of grass in middle of Central Park overlooking the tall buildings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many people have helped me and inspired me over the years. To start off with, my mom is probably the single most motivational person in my life. She supported me going to art school, going to Paris to continue my artistic endeavours and she did so with a lot of patience and bringing me down to earth. Another very important one to me is my Alma Matter, School of Visual Arts, that taught me everything and made me think the way I do today. Tor Caracappa, who mentored me at one of my dream jobs. Without even knowing it, he taught me a lot about creative direction and how to be a rockstar doing it. And to the rest of my family and close friends who supported me and the artists that inspired me along the way.

Website: Michelle-Paradis.com

Instagram: _himynameismichelle

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellefigueroa00

Image Credits
Headshots: @chilled_tones on IG