Will ENVY is a super talented drag queen photographer and film maker working in Miami, Florida. From Latrice Royale to Alyssa Edwards, Will has photographed a number of our favorite Drag Race all stars. We spoke with Will, who opened up about working behind the scenes with some of the country's most popular queens- who he feels is the most underrated, who he was most comfortable working with, and who handled a photo shoot mishap like a professional.
How did you get your start in photography?
"I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to two Cuban parents. My creative attributes did not manifest themselves until I moved to Miami, Florida with my mother. When I was in high school, I started playing with a video camera and would bother my friends to model for me. I fell in love with the camera. At the age of 18, my mother got in a serious car accident almost losing her life. The doctors said her brain needed to heal, and she would not be normal until then. As a result, I had to live with my brother. It was so unbearable that I just needed to get out. I decided to Join the U.S. Navy. I am currently still in service. I love my job, and have received many opportunities because of it. I never lost sight of photography while in the Navy, and continued doing it even when stationed in Virginia Beach."
When did you decide to focus solely on Drag Queen Photography and Filming?
"While in Virginia, I met drag queen Naomi Black, with whom I really started to develop my craft. She would let me photograph and make videos of her, and she exposed me to the club scene of drag. I later moved to Miami where I went to school for Film. My teachers told me that to be known in the art community, I needed to concentrate my art into a single field. They made a good point, how would I be searchable on the internet if I was doing too much? I decided that since I loved the art of drag, why not try to establish myself as a drag queen photographer and film maker? I did just that! I started photographing a young queen named Sasha Lords, who I still work with to this date. Sasha Lords is extremely talented in front of the camera. She is a natural and serves it up every time. On the opposite spectrum of drag, I got together with local actors Gio Profera and Josue Garcia to bring their hairy, bearded drag queen characters Juleisy and Karla to film. We have been receiving overwhelming amounts of media attention at a local level."
How did you begin working with the RuPaul's Drag Race Queens?
"I started photographing the RuPaul's Drag Race girls in 2013. The first one I worked was Serena ChaCha. Shortly thereafter, I photographed Latrice Royale. These two queens started my RuPaul's Drag Race Photography Chapter."
Since then, Will has photographed Morgan McMichaels, DiDa Ritz, Phi Phi O'Hara, Lashauwn Beyond, and Alyssa Edwards.
"I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to two Cuban parents. My creative attributes did not manifest themselves until I moved to Miami, Florida with my mother. When I was in high school, I started playing with a video camera and would bother my friends to model for me. I fell in love with the camera. At the age of 18, my mother got in a serious car accident almost losing her life. The doctors said her brain needed to heal, and she would not be normal until then. As a result, I had to live with my brother. It was so unbearable that I just needed to get out. I decided to Join the U.S. Navy. I am currently still in service. I love my job, and have received many opportunities because of it. I never lost sight of photography while in the Navy, and continued doing it even when stationed in Virginia Beach."
When did you decide to focus solely on Drag Queen Photography and Filming?
"While in Virginia, I met drag queen Naomi Black, with whom I really started to develop my craft. She would let me photograph and make videos of her, and she exposed me to the club scene of drag. I later moved to Miami where I went to school for Film. My teachers told me that to be known in the art community, I needed to concentrate my art into a single field. They made a good point, how would I be searchable on the internet if I was doing too much? I decided that since I loved the art of drag, why not try to establish myself as a drag queen photographer and film maker? I did just that! I started photographing a young queen named Sasha Lords, who I still work with to this date. Sasha Lords is extremely talented in front of the camera. She is a natural and serves it up every time. On the opposite spectrum of drag, I got together with local actors Gio Profera and Josue Garcia to bring their hairy, bearded drag queen characters Juleisy and Karla to film. We have been receiving overwhelming amounts of media attention at a local level."
How did you begin working with the RuPaul's Drag Race Queens?
"I started photographing the RuPaul's Drag Race girls in 2013. The first one I worked was Serena ChaCha. Shortly thereafter, I photographed Latrice Royale. These two queens started my RuPaul's Drag Race Photography Chapter."
Since then, Will has photographed Morgan McMichaels, DiDa Ritz, Phi Phi O'Hara, Lashauwn Beyond, and Alyssa Edwards.
Behind the Scenes with The RuPaul's Drag Race Queens:
| Will ENVY on Serena ChaCha: "When I initially agreed to start working with Serena, I hadn't seen the show yet. After watching it, I began asking myself if I should actually work with her. Once we finally came together, she showed me her work and expressed what she wanted to accomplish. I was so impressed, and since then, we have created numerous productions, countless photo shoots, and a performance background video which was played during her Finale Party at Club XL in NYC. We also have an upcoming music video which should come out in September. Serena Chacha gets so much criticism from the show. Once you get to know her, you see how wonderful she is. Of course this was not mentioned during the RuPaul's Drag Race reunion show, but Serena stopped doing her own makeup backstage to help Coco Montrese with hers. Serena taking care of another queen with such limited time just shows how generous she is. I definitely think people should keep an eye out for her because she will continue to bring viewers quality work." | 
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| Will ENVY on Latrice Royale: "My most memorable photo shoot was with Latrice Royale. During the shoot, she asked me for some lotion. I don't use lotion much, so the tip of the nozzle had dried shut. When I squeezed it, I accidentally shot lotion onto her dress. Her face was absolutely priceless. I was a little embarrassed, but luckily the dress material did not absorb the lotion so it was easy to wipe off. We laughed for a good minute and of course associated the shot of lotion to, well, what do you think, we're men!" |
| Will ENVY on Phi Phi O'Hara: The Queen I felt most comfortable around was Phi Phi O’Hara. While she was getting ready for the photo shoot, we had a kiki of a good time just talking about RuPaul's Drag Race and all the divas. Phi Phi likes to keep it real. | 
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| Will ENVY on Alyssa Edwards: Alyssa was in a hurry because the shoot was right before one of her shows, but she remained so calm. At times I was panicking because of our limited time together, but she made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. The second she got in front of that mirror, she was lost in her image. Alyssa was the only queen that didn't use press-ons; she actually used crazy glue on her long nails! | 
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Will has upcoming photo shoots with Carmen Carrera, Jessica Wild, and Coco Montrese! Check Will ENVY out on Facebook and YouTube to see his photo shoots the same day they happen.
| Special Shout out to Will's brother and assistant Billy ENVY: "Without him, many of my productions could not happen. I can’t do everything alone, and he is always there for me. He provides advice when I edit and recommendations prior to publishing my work." |
