Mike Ruiz
| Mike Ruiz | |
|---|---|
Mike Ruiz as the grand marshal of San Antonio's pride parade in 2011
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| Born |
December 8, 1964 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation | Photographer, celebrity panelist, music video director |
| Website | www |
Mike Ruiz (born 1964) is a Canadian-born photographer, director, television personality, former model, spokesperson, creative director, and actor.
Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Filipino-Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. He moved to the United States at age 20 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study acting. He appeared in the independent film Latin Boys Go to Hell, but found the work unsatisfying and undemanding. After the release of Latin Boys Go to Hell, Ruiz was asked to audition for several major studio films but he acknowledges that the required interest did not exist. "I wasn't passionate about acting and it showed‚" Ruiz was quoted as saying.
At the age of 28 Ruiz began in the field of photography. "I found a camera under my Christmas tree and within minutes, I was obsessed. I began shooting everything in sight. I taught myself the intricate mechanics of the camera but it was several years before I realized that I could actually make a living with my work‚" Ruiz was quoted as saying. Presently based in New York, Ruiz is known for his high-impact, surreal brand of celebrity and fashion photography. Ruiz is a founding partner of Miauhaus Studios, a Los Angeles photography complex with four studios.
His work has appeared in numerous American and international magazines such as Vanity Fair, Flaunt, Condé Nast Traveler, Interview, Paper, Citizen K, Dazed and Confused, Arena, Italian Elle, Spanish and Brazilian Vogue and was a contributor to Dolce & Gabbana's Hollywood book and Iman's The Beauty of Color beauty book. He photographed the album cover for Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted. He has also directed several music videos for such artists as Kelly Rowland, Kristine W, Jody Watley, Traci Lords and Shontelle. Ruiz's keen eye and astute entrepreneurial skills have landed him positions in a wide array of fields. He founded Aardvark Aartists, an agency representing photographers, retouchers, art directors and set designers. In late 2012 Ruiz launched an APP for the iPad which will be a digital interactive extension of his book, Pretty Masculine.
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