El Mayor Portraits in Guadalajara Mexico

I love shooting portraits and was particularly pumped about this project shooting ads for El Mayor Tequila through our friends at Rodgers Townsend. We traveled to Guadalajara to shoot the portraits and do a motion piece covering the amazing process of making El Mayor Tequila (yum yum yum...you should try it if you haven't). It was a gorgeous and friendly place, and learning about the process of making El Mayor was really interesting. From the years in agave fields, to the hand labeling process was a real treat. Just a heads up, agave plants are really sharp, I learned the hard way...and it was totally worth it.

Some of the portraits below, along with the video piece and a nice big helping of BTS of the entire production. Cheers!

More of our stills and motion work at www.brutonstroube.com

This was the first shot we did for the campaign, I grabbed this guy to be a stand in...and he was so perfect, he ended up being the final talent.

Towards the end of this portrait, our translator said somethign to him and he laughed for about 10 minutes. I wasn't told until later that she told him I like dressing up in women's clothes...how did she know?

This is a blacksmith in Tequila, Mexico who is responsible for sharpening the coa de jima (round headed tool, they are passed down for generations) that is used to remove the sharp spines from the agave. Loved his hand made cardboard apron, emblazened with his logo. Beautiful.

All the agave are cut and placed into the autoclave by hand.

This man was one of the strongest humans I've ever seen. He was half the size of everyone around him doing the same work and more.

The motion piece directed by our very own Tim Wilson, and DP was James McKenzie

Steve and his really solid photographer stance.

Why am I wearing MC Hammer pants?

I snuck in without a full eyebrow net. Don't tell anyone.

No big deal guys, motion crew just running a RED Dragon up a clunky conveyor belt.

No James, you're totally covered.

Coming to FOX next season, the new family comedy, Ask Cheryl!

The brain child of this project, VP and Design Director, Kris Wright...check out his killer work here

Hatchet Harry (legs).

Some brutal call times. Think we were out in front of the hotel at 3am after getting in at midnight.

Doing some sun scouting...yep, the app says it's in my eyes.

Agave strikes again!

Look at the bonito mano

A storms a brewin'. We wrapped shooting no more than 15 minutes before the skies unleashed on us. Side note, it hailed. Other side note, the city flooded (which it does in heavy rains) and we watched a car float by on our way to dinner. See below.