Today we’d like to introduce you to Cesar Soto.
Hi Cesar, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been shooting for about twelve years, off and on. It started in Hereford, shout out H-Town. I’d take solo backcountry trips into Palo Duro Canyon. Just me and the land. Landscapes were easy…no pressure, no direction. If the light sucked, you waited. If the frame was off, you tried again. No one looking at you wondering if they look weird, no stress. I never shot people, but I romanticized a career following someone on an adventure and documenting it without interrupting it.
Then I moved to Allen in 2014 and started dating (my now wife) Shaina in 2015. That’s when it got uncomfortable. I started taking posed photos. Awkward ones. The kind where you can feel the silence between directions. I realized exactly why I avoided photographing people; I didn’t know how to direct them because I hadn’t figured out how to express myself yet. I had ideas in my head, but no language for them.
Shaina didn’t sit me down and push me into photography, but she pushed me by existing. By being there. By letting me try and fail and try again. She’s been my biggest supporter and we ended up getting married in Palo Duro Canyon in 2020.
All this time I was working as a warehouse supervisor. Stable job. Decent money. Photography was just… something I did in waves. Free shoots. Collabs. The occasional paid job. My first paid gig came through my sister and I remember thinking it felt almost criminal to accept money for something that started as a hobby.
Fast forward to 2023. I picked up a job at Bethany Discount Liquor. I needed extra income, wanted Sundays off and it seemed fun…plus it was within walking distance. I liked bourbon, but I didn’t really know much about it. I started bringing my camera in. Shooting bottles, the staff and anything that caught my eye. Eventually I approached the owner, Nav Singh, with a proposal to invest in my photography. He said, “We can do that… or we can go all in together.”
So we did. August 1st, 2024 I quit my warehouse job. The same day, I shot my first official session under Barrel Proof Productions. Shoutout to Danica Trevino. No safety net. Just forward.
We chose the name Barrel Proof Productions because it lives in both worlds.
Barrel proof: uncut, unfiltered.
Barrel and proof: photography terms too.
It felt right. It left room to grow beyond just our names. The goal has always been bigger than just us. A team. A standard. A presence.
I still work shifts at the liquor store when I’m not shooting. It keeps things flexible. It’s sharpened my customer service. It’s connected me with clients. It’s put me in rooms I wouldn’t have been in otherwise. It even led to a Tequila trip last week, shooting distilleries and agave fields for Chido Travel. And that’s where it hit me. At 15, the first job I ever landed was working in the fields (sugar cane I think). Nobody would hire me because I was too young but my Tia Vicky knew some people that got my cousin Mike and I hired on anyway. We worked in the Texas heat for three days. Friday after collecting our paychecks my Tio Rafael took us to Mervyn’s to buy some school clothes and I remember being so proud because I earned that check.
Standing in agave fields decades later with a camera in my hand…that felt full circle. From a kid working in the fields
to documenting the meaningful work done in agave fields in Tequila, I think 15-year-old me would be proud.
And I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m definitely not where I started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been smooth.
Taking photos is the easy part. Building trust is the hard part. The biggest challenge has been steady growth. Photography isn’t just about skill, it’s about relationships. At the liquor store, people trust me with recommendations they’re going to consume. Earning that same level of trust to document their memories takes time, consistency, and showing up over and over again.
Leaving my supervisor role wasn’t universally celebrated either. Some people supported it, others questioned it, especially because I have a family and honestly, that’s exactly why I’m doing it. Their doubts still sit in the back of my mind, but instead of discouraging me, they push me to keep building something real and sustainable.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a photographer/short-form videographer and creative partner behind Barrel Proof Productions, focused on documenting people, brands, and moments in a way that feels intentional but never forced. I specialize in storytelling; from seniors and families to small businesses and spirits culture. My background of working with all types of people and the recently acquired customer service skills have shaped how I shoot; I know how to read a room, make someone comfortable, and pull real expressions out of real situations. I’m most proud of walking away from a stable job to go all in, forming meaningful partnerships, and earning the trust of clients who invite me into important milestones. What sets me apart is that I don’t treat sessions like transactions; I think long-term about branding, identity, and how images live beyond social media, while still keeping the work raw enough to feel human.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think over the next 5–10 years, photography is going to lean even harder into authenticity. The overly polished, trendy stuff is already getting tired. People want images that feel real and actually mean something. AI will change workflows and make some things easier, but it won’t replace taste, connection, or the ability to direct and make someone feel comfortable. I think the photographers who last will be the ones who think beyond just taking photos, who understand branding, storytelling, and community and who build real relationships instead of chasing whatever’s trending that month.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barrelproofproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrelproof.productions
Image Credits
all images by me; Cesar Soto/Barrel Proof Productions
