That escape route lead from his childhood in Mexico to North American feature film box office success and prime ad campaigns. Navarro's commercial reel mixes tight shots of sports stars for Converse and expansive tongue-in-cheek action for Mountain Dew. It shows off thick, gooey shadows in a spot for Jeep and it frames bright, happy people for Pac Bell.

The diversity of light, looks and film stocks speaks to his underlying philosophy on the art of cinematography, "Technique is at my side. It is my best friend but he does not drive me. Creative drives the technical."

The motto also holds true for his feature resume where high key box office blessings like Spy Kids and Stuart Little rest comfortably beside moody cult faves like Tarantino's Jackie Brown, Spawn and From Dusk Till Dawn.

Of his teen years Navarro says, "I supported myself by doing stills for actors and actresses and record covers. I ended up doing the stills of a movie and was fascinated by what the cinematographer was doing." Navarro was just 16, but knew from that moment what he wanted to do.

Navarro's introduction to advertising imagery was shooting product shots, which segued into shooting car commercials. "I was very lucky to hook up with a company in Mexico called Cine Concepto who did a lot of Chrysler campaigns. I have been in touch with the whole agency-driven world since then."

The project that got him noticed internationally was a small Mexican feature called Cronos, written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro (Blade 2, The Devil's Backbone) and released in 1993. Of their 15-year working friendship Del Toro says, "The best thing about Guillermo is that he puts the movie before his ego. So, contrary to other DP's that have their style and that's all you get, Guillermo decides what's best for the movie based on the story and the director, not based on what would look best on his reel."

Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, The Faculty) saw Cronos while putting together Desperado. He called Navarro and the rest, as they say, is cash in the bank and a house on the coast. Since Desperado, Navarro and Rodrigues have teamed on Four Rooms, From Dusk Till Dawn and Spy Kids.

Navarro finds the creative instincts that serve him today are rooted in his childhood, "I grew up with a very big intellectual demand from the family so I was always a reader. I think that gave me a solid understanding for telling stories and I realized that cinematography was the grammar of storytelling." Del Toro completes the literary metaphor: "Guillermo is extremely fluent and extremely articulate with his light."

Navarro tries to bring this narrative understanding to his commercial projects but says, "It depends on the director. Some of them are open and understand collaboration, and others can't deal with that."

Navarro attributes his unselfish working style to his mentor Argentine master DP Ricardo Aronovich with whom Navarro apprenticed in France in 1973, "He taught me how to deal with crews and to be very open with my knowledge and experience and share it with everybody."

When pressed about other cinematographers he admires Navarro adds, "Darius Khondji (Se7en) gives me stimulation that I have a lot of room to grow. And of course, Vittorio Storaro (Apocolypse Now)." When it comes to directors, he admits great respect for Joseph Losey, Luchino Visconti, Bertolucci and Coppola.

Star spot director Kinka Usher is a Navarro fan and says it is these European-flavored influences that make Navarro a joy to work with, "Instinctually we had so many things lined up. We shared this notion of history and art."

Usher has worked with Navarro many times including Pepsi "Goose," voted top Super Bowl spot of 1998. He admires Navarro the man as well as his work, "There's a very genuine vibe coming from Guillermo that's very un-Hollywood, very outside the system. He brings that honesty to his filmmaking. I think that's why all the top directors work with him."

That list of directors just got longer with the recent completion of a Goodyear spot for comedy icon Baker Smith. The pair is now gearing up on a project for Mini Cooper also to be produced through Baker's Harvest shingle.

Navarro says his favorite part of that film making process happens in his head, "The preparation process is where creative aspects are at their best. You can design with the director and the production designer what the movie or commercial really is." Navarro says that when everyone sees the same film in their head, production can start. He asserts, "It takes imagination. It takes the ability to translate words into images and pace and atmosphere."

Del Toro sums up Navarro by distilling the hyperbole down to this, "Guillermo does what DP's don't do that often. He listens. He listens and he articulates through the light what you are asking for."