About Me

Hi, I’m Pepe

a Mexican-born, Utah-raised photographer and filmmaker capturing the beauty of fleeting moments — one frame, one second at a time.

I was born in a small town in Hidalgo, Mexico, and moved to Utah when I was just a kid. While my full name is Jose Cruz, everyone who really knows me calls me Pepe — a nickname passed down from my grandparents that stuck through every stage of my life. It’s more than a name. It’s who I am.

My journey with the camera began not with photos, but with videos. In school, I’d trade traditional reports for video essays whenever I could — drawn to the power of cinematic storytelling. Over time, I fell in love with the art of freezing emotion in a single frame. It started with a simple point-and-shoot my mom gave me, but quickly became something much bigger.

I’ve spent the last decade capturing everything from newborns to weddings, personal milestones to community history. I honed my craft at one of Utah’s largest portrait studios, photographing people from every walk of life. That experience taught me something vital — how to find the real moment, even in a split second.

Today, I run Photos by Pepe with a simple mission:

To capture the humanity behind the lens — who you are, not just what you look like.

My style is cinematic, timeless, and candid. I aim to document the details that matter — the way your child glances up at you, the way you laugh when you're not thinking about the camera, the light that falls just right when no one notices.

When I’m not behind the lens, you’ll find me watching movies like a film student, getting lost in a story-driven video game, or practicing close-up magic just because I love learning new things.

At the core, I believe photography is about remembering.
Not just for now — but for generations.
Not just the big moments — but the quiet ones that pass too quickly.

If that’s the kind of art you're looking for, then let’s create something unforgettable — together.

– Pepe

If you’ll like to follow my journey check out my socials below.