From as early as eight years old, photographer Yobe Crespo was fascinated with photography, begging his mother to buy him a camera. Not an easy prospect since it was 1992 in Communist Cuba where it was difficult, if not impossible to get even the most basic things.

Miami, FL -- (SBWire) -- 10/18/2012 --From as early as eight years old, photographer Yobe Crespo was fascinated with photography, begging his mother to buy him a camera. Not an easy prospect since it was 1992 in Communist Cuba where it was difficult, if not impossible to get even the most basic things. She bought him a used, twin lens Rolleiflex film camera, but had to wait three months for the store to find film for the camera. Yobe immediately began taking photos of his classmates, making them pose according to his budding art director vision.

He also found beauty in the close examination of the smallest flowers and leaves, photographing them in close-ups so extreme they became abstract. At age 10, Yobe and his family emigrated from Havana to Miami and according to Cuban government regulations, his beloved camera and other possessions were confiscated and left behind.

What began as a childhood infatuation continued to blossom and by the time he was in high school, Yobe was the first student to own a then cutting-edge digital camera. Soon after, he had a brisk business taking digital portraits of his classmates for their personal websites.

Yobe’s influences are as far-reaching as his creativity and abilities. He delights in the seemingly spontaneous, yet carefully orchestrated celebrity portraits of Annie Leibovitz but is equally mesmerized by photojournalist Steve McCurry, who became famous for his iconic National Geographic photo of the haunting “Afghan Girl” during the war in 1984. “It’s his talent for recognizing and capturing a fleeting moment in reality. You don’t get a second chance,” says Yobe.

Legendary fashion photographer Herb Ritts also informs Yobe’s work. “Ritts broke ground in fashion by pushing the envelope of what was accepted in magazines in the early 80s, then transitioned effortlessly into the then-new field of music videos directing for Madonna and Michael Jackson. His imagination had no limits.”

Fine art is also a strong influence for Yobe, who has travelled the world always visiting art museums. Those images inform his choices and the breadth of his photography, which currently includes fine art landscapes and portraits commissioned by private clients. His commercial photography work includes executive portraits for attorneys and top CEOs. He has also covered fashion week and designer fashion shows in South Florida and in New York

Yobe’s photography is often a narrative of real life, he shoots for a wide variety of clients and his work can be found regularly published in interior design, real estate and retail websites as well as in lifestyle, industry, fashion and business trade publications. He recently participated in a photography exhibit featuring prominent women in South Florida including TV news personalities, philanthropists and business leaders. Yobe has flourished into his own style of editorial photography with a unique style that is a blend of an artist’s imagination and the unerring eye of a journalist.

Like Herb Ritts, Yobe has seamlessly transitioned from still photography to video. He has become a highly-skilled editor who edits the video reports on TheDaisyColumn.com society website, working alongside TV news veteran and society columnist Daisy Olivera. His video work has extended into making short films and documentaries and is currently developing an online television show based in Miami. For more details please visit our website http://www.YobePhotography.com