Over the years, however, his understanding of the medium deepened. Influenced by classical painters such as Caravaggio, Gustave Courbet and the Mexican muralists, he began to think less about photography as a tool and more about its role in representation.
Growing up, he rarely saw people who looked like his family reflected in the art world.
"When I looked at the canon of art," he explained, "there weren't many people who looked like my grandparents or the people I grew up with."
That realization shaped both his artistic vision and his sense of purpose.
Today, his work focuses on portraying people with dignity and authenticity, particularly communities that have often been overlooked or stereotyped.
His philosophy is simple.
"The sun shines on everybody equally," he said. "You get to record these moments in time. I care as much about the people that I photograph as much as I do about the artwork that inspired me to become an artist."
Whether someone is wealthy or struggling, whether they were born in the United States or elsewhere, he believes everyone deserves to be seen with the same care and respect.
That perspective guides how he approaches every portrait. Rather than searching for visual clichés or familiar cultural markers, Giraldo seeks the complexity found in ordinary life.
"My people, my community, my family are more than what people think," he said. "I moved from loving being able to make these pictures, these images, capture these moments and preserve them to being able to expand on the history and the people in all these images, situations, communities that are in photo and in the art world and how it pertains to photography."
Instead, he gravitates toward what he calls "the drama in the mundane" — the quiet moments that reveal something larger about a person's life.
Those same values followed him when he visited the New Jersey Devils as part of a photography project. Unlike many sports photographers who rely on speed, long lenses and rapid-fire bursts of images, he approached the rink the same way he would any artistic subject. Moving deliberately around the arena, he searched for moments rather than action shots alone.
One of his favorite subjects wasn't even a player.
It was a Zamboni driver.
The employee's face and presence caught his attention, and before leaving, he asked to make a portrait. When the employee asked why he wanted to photograph him, he answered: "I believe everyone deserves a well-made image of themselves.”
Today, teaching is his primary profession. He serves as a photography educator at Penn State University, helping students navigate both the artistic and practical realities of creative careers.
Giraldo own journey took longer than many of theirs. He attended college while working full-time, finished his bachelor's degree at age 30 and earned his master's degree at 37.
He encourages students to pursue their ambitions while remaining realistic about the challenges ahead. Talent matters, he tells them. But work ethic matters more: showing up on time; staying committed; continuing to create even when opportunities seem distant. Those habits, he believes, are what ultimately sustain a career.
His mentorship carries special significance for many Latino students who see themselves reflected in him.
As a photographer, educator and working artist, he recognizes that representation extends beyond the images he creates. It also exists in the example he sets.
Growing up Latino and working-class, he says, fundamentally shaped how he sees the world.
"It formed me," he said. "It formed my visual language."
For young photographers wondering whether a career in the arts is possible, his message is neither romanticized nor discouraging.
Success takes time. It takes commitment. It takes work.
But it is possible.
And for someone whose own path began with a chance decision to enroll in a photography class, that lesson may be the most powerful image of all.
