MOST Magazine Fitness APR-MAY'15 ISSUE NO.1 | Page 98

NOEL DAGANTA By: Darcy Tharp “Personality on camera is important.” Commenting on what makes for a great fitness model, photographer Noel Daganta is the man who knows. With a multi-cultural background, as a Filipino-American and a true love for his craft, Noel seamlessly melds his visual talents with a project’s specific needs and creates stunning images. As a US Navy vet, having served in the Gulf War and earning two combat zone medals, Noel went on to discover his true passion, that of filmmaking and especially photography. As a self-taught photographer, Noel began working in 2009, initially helping a good friend make it in the modeling world. He moved to Los Angeles, established his own studio in LA’s Fashion District, and quickly carved out a lucrative career for himself, photographing numerous models, actors, Hollywood celebrities, and TV personalities for various magazines and billboards all over the world. With spreads and ad campaigns in fitness magazines such as Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen, and Iron Man, he has also shot videos and done work for the British Broadcasting Corporation, Active Channel, and ESPN. He is one of the most published fitness photographers in the world in recent years and Fitness MOST Magazine was lucky to get ahold of the busy photographer to chat about his life, photographic style, upcoming projects, and how to be the perfect model. 98 || FITNESS M A G A Z I N E || APRIL / MAY 2015