ISSUE N31
HALLOWEEN EDITION
THIS WEEK'S
RESTAURANT
Action Burger SPOOKY GUYS
Zander Creatives Camera Strap
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20 twenty, october 31
FEATURING PHOTOS BY
@MELODY_OFMOMENTS
PHOTOGRAPHY: @MELODY_OFMOMENTS MODEL: @CRIS.A.MORENO5
in this issue
MODEL: @NAYRIITIME
INTERVIEW WITH DANIELA PEREZ
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RESTAURANT: ACTION BURGER
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CAMERA GUYS: ZANDER STRAP
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SPONSORED: THE SOAP BOX
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ALL MODELS SHOT BY DANIELA PEREZ (IG: @MELODY_OFMOMENTS) MAKEUP: DANIELA PEREZ, GENESIS NERY, INITA D, IRIS STEVENS, LEONEXY OYOLA MODELS: BRIT JONES, CHRISTINE CORTES, CRIS MORENO, DANIEL PENA, DANISHA MATEO, GENESIS NERY, INITA D, ISABEL DIAZ, JANNA MILLE, KATHLEEN GERMAN, LEONEXY OYOLA, LILLIANA MEDINA-RUIZ, MATTHEW RIVERA,, NATALIA DE LOS SANTOS, NATASHA SANTIAGO, STEPHANIE MONTERO, PHOTOGRAPHÂ THANH WOODS, YVONNE WINBORNE HAMLETTE BY EVERETTE
MODEL: _IZZY1 MAKEUP: MELODY_OFMOMENTS
MODEL: N.ATD MAKEUP: GENESIS_SKY
MODEL: YAGIRL.JANNA MAKEUP: GENESIS_SKY
MODEL: _MATHEWRIVERA MAKEUP: LEOPEPSIIII
@GENESIS_SKY
Makeup: Leopepsiiii
Model: tw_l89
@cris.a.moreno5
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MODEL: PSYCHONAT
@INITA_D 14
@Leopepsiiii
Model: yvonnewinborne
Makeup: ohiris 16
@nayriitime
I WAS AT A TIME WHERE I WAS TRYING TO REDEFINE MYSELF AND I STARTED GOING BACK TO ALL THE THINGS THAT I LOVED AS A CHILD . PICKING UP THE CAMERA BROUGHT ME BACK INTO MYSELF .
- @MELODY_OFMOMENTS MODEL: N.ATD MAKEUP: GENESIS_SKY
questions with sos
FEATURING
@MELODY_OFMOMENTS My name is Daniela Melody Perez. I'm from The Bronx, New York, born and raised, and I'm a photographer. I grew up in Parkchester and love good food, good beer, and homecooking. Follow me on Instagram @melody_ofmoments .
How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it? I've always enjoyed capturing moments. Even at family events, I was always shooting with my phone or those disposable cameras, but I got my actual DSLR about a year and a half ago. I was trying to redefine myself and going back to the things that I've always loved but never took a chance on. So I took my income tax and I was like, “I'm buying a camera.” From there, I've been really fortunate to have a lot of friends and family support me. My brother bought me a lens and then my friends bought me a backdrop and lighting. It's really something that I've been wanting to do for a long time and it kind of came full circle.
What kind of camera did you get? I have a Canon Rebel. I work with that. Then my brother got me a 50 millimeter lens. And then my last income tax, I was like “I need to get a new lens.” So first, I had to learn about the camera, then I was like “oh wait it’s all about the lenses.” That’s why it’s an expensive hobby.
What kind of content do you usually post on social media? I usually post portraits. A lot of friends of mine are aspiring to get into creating content, whether they're dancers, actors, or just building their own content, so I like to reach out to them first and see how I can support their dreams. And it gives me a reason to practice. So that's really what I enjoy doing most is the one-on-one shoots where we can get a little bit more creative or create some sort of story. It's something that not just benefits me, but it benefits the person that’s in the picture also.
It got brought on through Covid. My birthday was on May 31 and I was turning 31. Prior to Covid, I was like, “I'm going to do something for myself every day” that month. And then we got stuck here. So I turned it into a 31 self portraits of myself project. For 31 days, I tried different poses, bought different props, and tried to make 31 unique pictures. It was really for me to learn how to use my light and practice. When it comes to Halloween, I've always loved Halloween. I know for so many people it's not going to be a party this year, it's not gonna be trick-ortreating, so I wanted to take that experience and bring it to everyone else like “Okay, I know Halloween is going to be different this year, but how would you like to have a photo shoot?” It gives you a reason to get a costume. It gives you a reason to get dressed up. It gives you something to celebrate. And everyone that I reached out to was really excited because it's the first holiday that we’ve really had since Valentine’s Day.
Where did you find the models and the makeup artists? All the makeup artists and models are friends of mine. Everyone is volunteering, so for a reward, I gave everyone a Halloween candy bag as a thank you for buying costumes or doing makeup. Everyone was actually super excited.
Did you ever get a "no" from anyone and was it hard to coordinate? I reached out to people that I know that are comfortable in front of a camera or people that I know that just love Halloween, and I know a lot of people that always need new content, so I think because it started getting colder, and they’re looking forward to something, I didn't get any "No's". I had to do a lot of rescheduling, but otherwise everyone seemed super excited to do something for Halloween and some people even wanted to do more than one look. I worked with each person individually, and I went under four themes: horror, fantasy, scifi, and fairytale. I let them come up with the costume that they wanted, and if they needed help, I would guide them. If they said I can pick whatever they want to be, I picked a costume. If they didn't want to buy a costume I’d say okay, well you know what, we'll just do makeup and hair, or we'll just do this. It was really just working with each person individually and making sure I was working within their means.
Are there any other characters you might want to shoot in the future for Halloween?
What motivated you to pursue photography? I was at a time where I was trying to redefine myself and I started going back to all the things that I loved as a child that I didn’t pursue as an adult. You're supposed to go to college, get a degree, get a job and climb the traditional world, and I just don't think that's my truth. I was like “I need to find a passion” and picking up the camera brought me back into myself.
How did you come up with the idea to do these Halloween-themed shoots this year?
I think next year I want to do group shoots like the Warriors, The Addams Family, Scooby Doo. I think I want to get into trio groups and be able to have more of a set, whether it's outside or indoors, but I definitely think in the future, I want to get more people together to create a whole scene with the pictures.
Daniela Perez
SOS MAGAZINE
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MODEL LEFT:SASHABABY22 MODEL RIGHT: CREATIVITY.CH8NG
Model: tw_l89
Makeup : Leopepsiiii
MODEL: MADHTIRA MAKEUP: GENESIS_SKY
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MODEL: I_AM_CYBORG_LILY
MODEL: PSYCHONAT
292 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY @action_burger
AMERICA'S ONLY COMIC, SCI-FI, RETRO VIDEO GAME THEMED RESTAURANT AND BAR!
At Action Burger, you can eat like a hero or a villian. Hero food is healthier: Veggie Burgers, Turkey Burgers and Salads. Villian food includes: Beef Burgers, Wings, Shakes and more
SOS MAGAZINE
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Spooky guys Are you looking for a stylish camera strap that can also keep your equipment safe and secure? No worries... Camera Guys to the rescue! We know what you need and, lucky for us, we already got one to test out!
Paracord Strap by Zander Creatives
$39.99
After 3 months of using my DSLR without a strap, I decided to stop risking my investment on every shoot and used an Etsy Gift Card towards the purchase of a new camera strap. Zander Creatives' straps challenge the concept of the traditional camera strap, transforming it from a boring and ordinary tool to a handcrafted & colored ornament that is capable of holding up to 550lbs. I now consider Zander’s strap an essential part of my toolkit, since it gives me the freedom to get more creative shots without worrying about the safety of my equipment. Zander’s straps also attract a lot of positive attention when I'm out shooting. There hasn't been a single time when I have not been given a compliment when wearing my new strap!
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THE SOAP BOX NYC
Ismael Volquez Content Creator
MODELS: LEOPEPSIIII & HANSEL MAKEUP: LEOPEPSIIII
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SOS MAGAZINE
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HALLOWEEN EDITION