Hi, I’m Blake Velasquez.  I’m a freelance photographer and artist from New Jersey.  Art has been my passion for my entire life. Even as a child, I dreamed of making a book like Calvin & Hobbes, full of my art. Growing up, I thought I would be an animator or a character artist. My whole world changed when my grandfather gifted me his old Nikon D5100.

Photography became my second love when I took that beat-up camera to the Grand Canyon. Suddenly, I could create art with pen and paper, but also with the press of a button. My love blossomed when I took my first academic photography class in high school. I learned that there’s so much more to photography than just pressing the shutter button. I graduated from Crayola markers to Copics—I saw the potential to take my photography farther than I ever initially thought was possible.

I began to translate my work into a love letter to my family. I’ve been able to blend my grandfather’s passion for the arts with my grandmothers’ love for animals through my work. I love shooting all forms of life, but dogs and birds hold a special place in my heart. I pay homage to my father’s love for cinema through my dramatic style. Even if I’m not in the film world for work, I still want my photos to feel as if they’re movie stills. Looking back at that kid who dreamed of filling books with his art, I realize I’m still doing exactly that—just with a camera instead of a pen. My photography has become the bridge between who I was and who I’m becoming, a way to honor my roots while carving my own path in the visual arts.

I have done work with local animal shelters and at nature reserves around New Jersey and the United States.  Some of my favorite pieces I’ve ever created are from the beaches of San Diego, California while others are from trucking through the muddy trails in the Great Swamp in Morris County, New Jersey.  Whether I’m taking pictures of wild California Condors or northeastern songbirds like the Carolina Wren or of sweet pitbulls looking for their forever home, I always aim to show the natural beauty of all these creatures.  I would love to work with more pet owners so that they have stunning art of their beloved furry family members.  If you’re interested in prints of my work or of scheduling a shoot of your animals, please don’t hesitate to reach out!