ARTNOIR / In conversation / Black Label
Paul MoralesThe Art of Collaboration
Light, shared vision and the stories behind Black Label.
· ARTNOIR / Issue 28
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For Paul Morales, the most compelling fashion photographs begin with a shared idea. His creative turning point came in 2022, when working with models opened a new chapter after years spent photographing weddings, families and senior portraits. Today, collaboration shapes every stage of his work with the Morales Fashion Art Collective, from the first styling conversations to the movement and expression that bring an image to life.
With Black Label, that approach takes on an intimate, atmospheric character. Photographed at Hoosier Proper in Warsaw, Indiana, the series draws on the bar’s upscale setting, pairing bright highlights with deep shadows. In this conversation with ARTNOIR, Morales discusses the craft behind his images, the patience involved in developing a personal vision, and his belief that a powerful photograph should leave its audience wanting to know more.
Paul Morales in conversation with ARTNOIR · Black Label
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how your journey into photography began? What initially sparked your passion for capturing images?
I feel like the heart of your question has more to do with my photographic rebirth in 2022 than the first time I picked up a camera. I had been a photographer for 5 years by that point, but when I switched from weddings and seniors and families, etc., to working with models, I discovered a new creative and passionate gear I didn't know I had.
How would you describe your photographic identity? What emotions, themes, or visual elements define your work?
Collaboration is the key to my identity as a photographer. The final image is something the subject and I craft together. I'm chasing light and angles, I'm chasing the edit, but what they bring in terms of posing and movement can't be understated - and it's the combination that tells the story, which is ultimately the goal. We tell stories.
ARTNOIR celebrates monochrome, moody, and atmospheric photography. What role do shadows, contrast, and lighting play in your creative vision?
Our art collective (the Morales Fashion Art Collective) has a standard visual language for our shoots: 3 color photos at close, medium, and full range, and 1 black-and-white photo, for each model. The color photos are pretty consistently edited from shoot to shoot, but the grayscales really give me a chance to play. The shadows and highlights have everything to do with the story we're trying to tell and the mood we want to establish with each shoot, and so the balance between them changes every time. In this shoot, we shot in a restaurant bar called Hoosier Proper in our small town in Warsaw, IN, and so we really wanted to capture that upscale restaurant feel. Pops of bright highlight surrounded by crushed blacks and heavy shadows were the key for this one.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Are there particular photographers, artists, films, or personal experiences that have shaped your aesthetic?
That's an interesting question. I think more than from an aesthetic standpoint, I'm really inspired by techniques. I think of Audrey Woulard and her incredible control of lighting in her portraiture, or João Victor Andrade Carvalho (who goes by Victorphto on socials) from Brazil - one of the best directors of models I've ever seen. I'm inspired by their artisanship as much as their art.
For you, what separates a beautiful photograph from an image that tells a powerful story?
In storytelling, they say you should always leave the audience wanting more. Storytelling in photography is no different. A beautiful photograph can establish time and place, but it stops there. The most powerful stories leave us with questions. We demand to know more about the subject - the photo creates a hunger to investigate inside of us. That's the difference.
When developing a fashion or beauty editorial, how do you approach the creative process? How do styling, location, and collaboration contribute to your storytelling?
I hit on it earlier, but it bears repeating. Collaboration is everything. And that doesn't just happen on the day of the shoot with our collective. I work with our team of models to establish the fashion themes, individual expressions of those themes, hair and make-up styling, accessories, specific shooting locations within a broad setting - it's all done as a team.
Is there a particular photograph or editorial series you've created that holds a special meaning for you? What is the story behind it?
Last year our team did a series in camo fashion, and it was the first time I felt like we were able to execute EXACTLY what we imagined, with no compromises. Often my skill has lagged behind the creative vision, or someone who had planned to be present for a shoot had an emergency and wasn't able to be there, or weather wasn't cooperative and we had to pivot locations. And we always make it work. But from top to bottom, that shoot was every bit what we wanted it to be, and it really raised the bar in quality for the rest of the year.
With artificial intelligence becoming increasingly present in the creative industry, how do you see the future of photography, particularly when it comes to artistic authenticity and human expression?
That's a really interesting question. I think photographers have been wrestling with versions of this question for years. How much editing is too much? If you're retouching your models or products, is it still really a photograph? I think there are already so-called "AI artists" out there, who generate "photos" at a high technical quality. They have sharp subjects. They have bokeh. They're well lit - but I've never seen one that left me wanting more, and I don't know if that's something AI can do. It has no imagination. It only knows what it's been trained to know, and it can only create based on that. But human expression can create beyond the limits of its own experience.
What has been the greatest challenge in your photography career, and what advice would you offer emerging photographers trying to establish their own visual identity?
I think the biggest challenge I've faced as a photographer has been patience. There are amazing artists out there, some with years and years of amassed skill and some with heaps of raw talent, most with a combination of the two. And often I've been able to see what it is I want to emulate and achieve with my own art, but I haven't been able to execute, and that's frustrating. I have to remind myself that I'm on my own timeline, and whatever level I am able to achieve, no one is doing exactly what I'm doing, and that's valuable. To emerging photographers, I'd echo that sentiment, as nearly every photographer would. Comparison is the thief of joy. No one is you - make your art and let the rest go.
What's next for you creatively? Are there any upcoming projects, dream collaborations, or unexplored artistic directions you'd like to share with ARTNOIR readers?
Next year, the Morales Fashion Art Collective is launching its first men's team and expanding its women's team into two separate teams to explore a broader range of diverse fashion themes. I'm really excited about the growth that represents, and I can't wait to see what we all create together in 2027.
What stands out in Paul Morales’s approach is the attention he gives to the people behind each photograph. Models are creative collaborators, and the story develops through their shared decisions, individual expressions and willingness to experiment. That generosity of spirit sits alongside a thoughtful commitment to craft: learning to direct, refining the light, and allowing his skills the time to catch up with his ambitions.
As the Morales Fashion Art Collective prepares to launch its first men’s team and expand its women’s team into two groups in 2027, that collaborative practice has room to grow in new directions. Black Label offers a compelling introduction to a photographer who values both the precision of an image and the questions it leaves behind.
Black Label / The creative team
Credits
- Photographer: Paul Morales · @moralesfashionac
- Model: Jessie Olson
- Model: Cierra Thomas
- Model: Wa Da
- Female Model: Erika Hill
- Female Model: Taylor Thurston
- Model: Jasmine "PJ" Wood
