How Sabrina Carpenter’s personal photographer captures the pop star’s evolution

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Alfredo Flores is a dynamic photographer, yet his photos of Sabrina Carpenter performing are remarkably still and focused. He captures her playful personality and the gleam of her boots with striking clarity.

Most people likely recognize the work of 36-year-old Flores, who photographs Carpenter on tour. He’s the one behind those popular photos of Carpenter holding a mug with the city’s name on it, often finishing with a kiss.

Flores documented Sabrina Carpenter’s journey from her early days with “Emails I Can’t Send” to the hugely popular Short n’ Sweet tour. His work on the tour earned him an iHeart Radio Award, and he’s now hitting the road again for another North American tour, including six shows at Crypto.com Arena next week.

But Carpenter’s towel reveals, set changes and winks won’t look exactly the same.

Flores, still energized from the VMAs and the recent release of Carpenter’s album, ‘Man’s Best Friend,’ explained that he focuses on finding new and innovative ways to film each performance.

He experiments with different camera lenses – wide-angle, zoom, and fisheye – all using his Canon camera, a brand he’s used throughout his career. But even though he’s always evolving his techniques, his early photographs still stand out.

Flores’s approach to photographing live music is shaped by his upbringing. He came of age with simple cameras, quick photo developing, and a love for music experienced through CDs and VHS tapes – all things that inspired his eye for capturing moments.

I remember exactly when I knew what I wanted to do. I was home sick from school in Belleview, New Jersey, and stumbled across VH1’s “Pop-Up Video.” It was one of those shows where they played music videos with little fact bubbles popping up all over the screen, and honestly, it just clicked for me. That’s when I realized this was the path I wanted to take.

Flores recalled seeing Mariah Carey’s ‘Honey’ music video and noticing credits identifying people like the director, Paul Hunter, the location – Puerto Rico – and extras or body doubles. That’s when it dawned on her that music videos were a constructed art form, and that’s what sparked her serious interest in pursuing it as a profession.

By 2008, YouTube had become the main place for music videos, surpassing channels like VH1. That’s when Flores relocated to Los Angeles, hoping to learn from the directors and producers who had influenced his early work – the ones who inspired him when he was first starting out with simple camcorders and disposable cameras, long before he began using professional Canon equipment.

“I went to the [Geffen Records] offices every day until I got a yes,” said Flores.

Flores began his career as an intern, demonstrating a talent for visual storytelling by gathering images from magazines to create storyboards for music videos. This skill quickly led to an on-set opportunity, where he filmed extra footage for the 2009 Nickelodeon movie, “School Gyrls.” The film starred a rising Canadian teen actress who gained popularity through YouTube.

That Justin Bieber appearance turned out to be a real turning point for me. It blossomed into a full-blown working relationship, which finally gave me the opportunity to chase my dream – directing music videos. That’s actually why I moved to Los Angeles in the first place!

Flores’s music video for Justin Bieber’s “Love Me” perfectly captures what Bieber was like at the start of his career. The video mixes shots of Bieber singing directly to the viewer with fan footage, casual conversations with Usher, and lots of different angles showcasing his iconic hairstyle – the one that sparked a global hair-flipping trend.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt in 2020, director Dave Flores continued working, teaming up with Justin Bieber again for the music video “Stuck with U.” The video featured a collection of couples and families dancing and connecting at home – a celebration of togetherness during a time when people were forced to stay close. The song itself is a collaboration between Bieber and Ariana Grande, whom Flores considers an exceptionally rare talent.

Throughout the 2010s, Flores frequently collaborated with Ariana Grande, handling various creative aspects of her projects. This included designing the unique album cover for “Thank U, Next,” co-directing the cheerful “Santa Tell Me” music video, and helping to create the nostalgic feel of the “Monopoly” collaboration with Victoria Monét. For the music video of this friendship anthem, Flores paid homage to the 1990s by incorporating a lot of footage that looked like it was filmed on a camcorder.

He imagines Joan, Ariana Grande’s mother, has a huge collection of old VHS tapes of Ariana as a child, and Beth Carpenter, Sabrina’s mom, probably has the same for Sabrina.

The careers of artists Carpenter, Grande, and Flores all connect to the acclaimed music video director Dave Meyers. Meyers is known for creating memorable and iconic visuals, including Kendrick Lamar’s recreation of “The Last Supper” in the “HUMBLE.” video, Britney Spears’ award show fantasy in “Lucky,” and Grande’s otherworldly performance in “God Is a Woman.”

Meyers directed two music videos for Carpenter’s album, “Short n’ Sweet,” while Flores captured behind-the-scenes photos. These videos were key in launching Carpenter into the spotlight, with the vibrant summer scenes in “Espresso” and the dramatic storyline of “Taste” both contributing to her rising popularity.

According to Meyers, seeing BTS’s work through Alfredo’s lens feels like reliving our shared experiences, almost like flipping through a yearbook. When I’m creating something, I get so caught up in the moment that I don’t always realize what’s happening around me. Alfredo’s work lets me step back and appreciate the stories unfolding. He consistently captures the real creative process and the passion we all feel when making something together.

Flores frequently captures spontaneous moments using a Polaroid camera – he quickly aims, takes a picture, and trusts the process. He believes the unpredictable nature of instant photography, relying on both lighting and chance, is what makes it special.

“It’s the color, the grain, the imperfection of it all,” he said.

Pop music is, by its very nature, a product of its time. Its themes and sounds usually appeal to current, especially younger, listeners. This often means it’s quickly tied to a specific moment and can fade as tastes change, similar to how photography and video styles evolve.

As a film and music buff, it’s really interesting to see how today’s artists are embracing the past. Take, for example, how Carpenter covered Abba’s “Mamma Mia,” or how Ariana Grande sampled ‘N Sync in “Thank U, Next.” It proves that even the things we associate with a specific era – like MTV and VH1 – still have relevance and can inspire today’s creators. It really makes you think – aren’t we all just a mix of everything we’ve experienced, the music we grew up with, and the ways we first connected with it? That’s where true creativity comes from, I think.

“When I work with an artist we have longevity,” said Flores.

Honestly, it didn’t shock me to hear him say that, considering he was snapping a Polaroid of a Gen Z singer who’s really into disco. It just felt… fitting.

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2025-11-12 14:38