Portfolio Showcase

EVERYTHING ART.

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Ben Kutchins

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Theo Werner

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Francesco Frizzera

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Federica Calzi

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Lukasz Breitenbach

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Zachary Taylor

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Nuno Serrão

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Photograph by Guy Peterson.

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More from Vinnoth Krishnan

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What a trip!

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More from Vinnoth Krishnan

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Nirav Patel - The Poetry, The Communion, The Light

Nirav, What is your understanding about feeling lonely?

I believe there are two states based on personal experiences. First, there’s loneliness. A feeling like you are the only one that seems to be capable of understanding your own thoughts and actions. I believe it is a saddened state of mind when you yearn for attention or company but can’t find acceptance.  I don’t necessarily feel like you have to physically be alone to feel loneliness. Even when others accept you, you can still feel disconnected and unable to relate causing a mental state of isolation. The other state being solitude.  One of which you find peace and joy in being on your own. As a young boy, I experienced both. When I learned to be at peace while being on my own, it unlocked a new world for me. From that point on, no matter where I went, I saw the world in a simplified, calm, and quiet way.  Even in the most complex environments, I could see the calm and quiet moments making me feel at ease with being on my own.  

You constantly portray your subjects in a secluded setting - how is that setting significant to how you live your life?

Most of my work pertains to a very particular moment and time in my life as I mentioned above. But this small window of my life was a major catalyst for me.  It changed everything about how I viewed the world.  Now I’m a father and husband so this seclusion is not as apparent. I believe myself to be an introvert and still enjoy quiet spaces over active environments.

One more thing about such portraits that you create, I am curious to know, In your portrayal, are your subjects in a dialogue with themselves or are they in a moment of reflection. It's either one or you create a different story with each one?

Typically the people I photograph are in moments of reflection.  I like to start each session with a dialogue to understand each other’s stories and to find the ways in which we may relate. Then we build on these commonalities. But while I’m actually photographing, there is typically very little dialogue.  

There are also some stories that have a more divine tone, of a revelation. Are those the moments or such portrayals come from your own spiritual experiences?

My faith is a major part of my story and vision.  I learned about loss at a very young age but through this, found hope through spirituality. I’m a Christian and my love for Jesus is a huge part of how I view the world and make my imagery.  

Speaking of them, the use of light particularly, it magnifies the beauty of such moments. Firstly, what is your relationship with light? Secondly, how do you use it?

When I mentioned in my first answer that I try and find a way to simplify complex environments… I’ve found that using light is the best technique for me to be able to do this.  I use light to isolate and share the quiet moments that I see. Most of my compositions are based on lighting more-so than environment/backdrop.

And the lights coming through the curtains, the mood it creates, how does it make you feel in particular?

It brings me a sense of quiet and makes me feel at ease (my name actually means “quiet”).  It’s sad to say that my mind rarely stays in the present. I am constantly thinking about what’s next.  The images I make give me a sense of calm and make me feel present.  Revisiting these photographs takes me back to the headspace in which I made them.

Do you ever think that the lines, shapes or geometry, your attraction towards that keeps you away from capturing the flux of a moment?

No, I don’t feel that way at all. Before photography, I was an engineer.  My ties to engineering and working with architects have brought the use of geometry and lines into my photographic works. My vision is a culmination of life experiences and inspirations. So I feel like the addition or attraction to these features and characteristics only add another personal touch to the moment I’m trying to create.

With that, can you share with us the most profound teaching or poetry that has influenced you? Your work is nothing short of poetry.

Most of my work has been influenced by films/movies both from a compositional standpoint as well as storytelling.  My favorite cinematographer is Emmanuel Lubezki because of his innovative approaches as well as how he’s able to bring you directly into the mindset of a particular person or character in a film.  His beautiful use of natural light has also been such an inspiration to see. My favorite photographers are Jack Davison, Vivian Maier, Sally Mann, and Todd Hido.  As for painters, I love the work of Aron Wiesenfeld and for poetry, the work of my dear friend Lauren Isabeau is incredibly beautiful. Music is also a huge inspiration and my top tracks are by The National, Broken Social Scene, Jeff Buckley, Tycho, and Keith Kenniff.  

Lastly, what would you suggest or share with other photographers?

I always share the same quote.  It was the quote that pushed me to quit my job as an engineer and pursue photography.  

It's a quote by Eric Roth and was featured in the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".  

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late... to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

Interview with Nirav Patel

http://www.niravpatelphoto.com/

http://instagram.com/niravphotography

Interviewed by The Portfolio

*Cover Photo of Nirav by Ryan Muirhead

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Interview, Jeremy Snell - Human Beings within Humanity

Jeremy! How was it living among the Buddhas and Himalayas during your recent trip to Bhutan?

It was a special journey!  I’ve traveled numerous times to the Himalayas in both Nepal and India but will say that there is something intrinsically different about Bhutan. The entire country seems to function on a different wavelength.  The pace of life and the importance of life itself is something that is treasured and protected there. Despite being a culturally and geographically isolated country, they are in many ways leading the rest of the world in regards to their environmental footprint and cultural preservation. 

There's a sutra by Buddha, a part of which says, "Better than a hundred years of ignorance is one day spent in reflection" - Would you say that a deep reflection is what put you onto this journey?

The trip started from a spirit of adventure and curiosity amongst myself and two filmmaker friends.  During the trip, that sense of curiosity transformed into deep awe and reflection towards not only the beautiful people and landscapes of Bhutan but also the underlying spirituality that was ever present. 

On this journey, you are continuously highlighting the stories of these individuals whom you have had the chance to meet. How difficult is it to capture their authentic sense of being without generalizing?

I could never claim to be capturing someone’s authentic self or culture through my photography, rather my hope is to capture new perspectives.  What I point my lens at will always be my personal point of view and way of seeing the world.  I do make a strong effort to give a subject enough time and space to move past the initial reaction of a camera or foreigner in front of them though.  

Is it important for you to go into a place of no thoughts before you can connect with these individuals? How do you feel that transforms and deepens your storytelling?

So often we go into new places with a plethora of preconceived ideas about a space.  I think disconnecting from outside influences and allowing oneself to truly be present is very important to me.  Sometimes our internal dialogues can really bring a negative weight into a space.  I find that the moments where I feel the most “flow” in my creativity, are when I am in visually stimulating environments that naturally force me to silence my own internal dialogue. I feel that you are constantly highlighting life itself by portraying how these individuals interact with life. 

What do you think is necessary for people to come closer to life as it's experienced in these photographs, with joy?

It requires an openness of mind and heart.  I can only hope that what I capture reflects my own personal journey of learning new ways of seeing humanity.

Has there been an encounter so powerful while sharing with someone that it left you without words? Can you tell us about it?

Many of my interactions with subjects usually go without words. I find it endlessly freeing and beautiful to non-verbally interact with someone on a very basic human level.

To answer your question, I had a particularly powerful interaction with an elderly widow in Vrindavan during Holi last year.  She approached me and my friends in a temple and began to weep and pour herself out to us. None of us spoke Hindi, so there was nothing we could do but be present and embrace her in her sorrow.  We spent the rest of the day parading through the streets, playing Holi with her along with hundreds of others.  I’ll never forget the look she had in her eyes during her moment of vulnerability and throughout the rest of the day.

Now, there's an abstract between the western and eastern psychology. One revolves around concentration and the other on meditation. Are you still bridging these two approaches in your own life - learning and forgetting  - or it becomes harder as you travel more?

The more transient my life becomes, the more difficult it becomes to be truly present in a singular place.  I am often always planning multiple trips while still in the middle of one.  Being fully present in a moment is something I value highly, yet often fall short of.  I feel extremely blessed to be able to do what I do and am striving to never take these moments for granted.

You once told me that Vrindavan is one of your favorite places - was it because of the religiously rich environment or perhaps, feeling that you have been here before?

Vrindavan has a very significant spiritual history.  It’s one of my favorite places in India because of how culturally preserved it is. Walking the streets and along the river gives you a sense that you traveled back in time. Vrindavan during Holi is something everyone needs to experience.

Could you also share with us the details on your standard creative process - and how that's different while you are filming or photographing?

I’m pretty camera and gear agnostic, as I travel with multiple cameras and often change things from trip to trip. That being said, you can often find me walking around a rural village with a Profoto strobe on a light stand in one hand, and some sort of camera in the other. I’m sure it’s a very odd sight.

When filming, the process is usually quite larger in scale and involves a lot of support from a producer, director, camera assistants and gaffer/grips. Regardless of crew and production size, I like to keep things more intimate with whomever I am filming on set. The more people there are interfering with a space and scene, the harder it is to capture personal and authentic moments.

Are there any stories you look up to, or books that you read to keep yourself on this journey or for inspiration? Can you share the names with us?

I have a huge admiration towards the life and work of Sebastião Salgado — which was beautifully told in “Salt of the earth”.  I don’t read as often as I should, but a book I really resonate with is “Everything Belongs” by Richard Rohr.

Before I ask you the last question, Can you tell us what is the significance of human life to you? It’s a gift.

Lastly, what would you suggest or share with other photographers?

The process is more important than the outcome.  

Interview with Jeremy Snell

https://www.instagram.com/jeremysnell/

http://www.jeremysnelldp.com/

Interviewed by The Portfolio

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Interview, Ross Buswell - The Language of Nature, Silence.

Ross! How was your recent trip to northwest Iceland?

One word: Incredible. The main focus of this trip was the Westfjords. I had missed that area on my first trip to Iceland. The Westfjords in winter is still an area you can really get away from other travelers into remote areas. Weather-wise it’s a bit more volatile and unpredictable so you have to be careful and be prepared. You have to check weather and road conditions regularly. The vast beauty, massiveness, and tranquillity of the snow-covered volcanic hills that surround you are very awe inspiring.

Weather is the biggest character of your work, as it is for Iceland, such a setting - do you feel that it increases the magnitude of your vision or any location is such an opportunity?

I would say yes it does for the most part. I love how extreme weather or changing weather adds an unpredictable element to photography.  It’s an added challenge. You usually have to be very quick at setting up shots. Harsh weather also adds dramatic light, mist and fog elements. Sometimes these aren’t obvious until you work with tones and contrast editing.

Can you recall the moment when you first felt a calling towards a more natural way of life, towards nature?

Probably when I was very young. Growing up in Vancouver you’re always connected to the mountains and the outdoors. It’s called Sea to Sky country and when we’re not working in this city we’re usually at the sea or in the mountains. It’s a connection you’re born into if you’re from here. That all said I’m also an urban person who feels comfortable in a large city. I just have to disconnect from urban life regularly. Photography allows me that.

Living among nature, as your work on different projects, how has that affected or transformed the states of fear for you?

Working within nature for me is a constant reminder of where we came from and where we’re going. How this universe creates us and then will absorb us again. I really feel a connection to this power when I’m alone in nature. It’s frightening to think about sometimes - but working within nature gives you a greater understanding of its power.

There's one thing that one achieves out of their fearlessness, that is silence. Of all the other feelings, How do you transmit silence into the viewer?

I like to shoot vast landscapes and zero in on the overall space by keeping the subject simple and focus in on the light source and subtle color tones. My goal in most images is to express isolation and solitude in a powerful way without the image feeling bleak or hopeless. It might be vast, lonely and powerful but there’s usually positivity expressed as well if my image communicates successfully.

Has there been an experience for you in which everything was dissolving into silence, an enlightening experience - what was that moment, or moments, like?

I get that feeling a lot when I’m focused on working on anything creative or listening to music. Some call it “flow”. There’s too many to list or to remember one particular moment. I think they’re all a sum of their parts and have resulted in my creative process. I hope I always continue to have those experiences.

What I am curious about is that your time among nature, did that lead you towards what Gurdjieff called self-remembrance or did it increase your wonder towards the universe?

It absolutely increases my wonder towards the universe. There’s something magic about when you’re alone outside on a cold night in a remote place talking shots of stars or auroras - it’s a bit scary when you stop and look around where you are. I probably wouldn’t be out there if I wasn’t shooting.

With that, tell us about your process. How do you craft your projects, work with light, and choose locations? Is digital editing a big part of it?

I try to find interesting combinations of space, light and natural tones. In some locations you have to work hard to find them in other locations they’re happening all around you at all times. That’s the draw currently for me to vast Northern locations. The way the sun sits near the horizon most of the time that it’s out.  Editing is part of my process, for sure, but it’s more so used to seek out subtleties in tones already in the image. I don’t completely change the nature of any of my shots in regards to the color and tones in the original raw image.

I enjoy reading some poetry when I am close to nature. Do you have any favorite poems or songs perhaps that you keep with you?

I’d like to expand on this question a bit as music is so important to me. Music is my poetry. I used to DJ a lot in the past and I still run an eclectic downtempo/chillout record label with a friend of mine. Sometimes what I listen to has lyrics and sometimes it’s just instrumental but it’s equally as powerful.  Music and visual art is my life and the connection they make together is a powerful influence. I always have my music with me wherever I go. Ambient music and jazz help me detach from the pressures of day to day life. However, punk is my ethos - that’s my generation. I don’t so much mean punk as in loud music and fashion but punk as a DIY mindset showed me how to be creative on my own terms. It transcends just music for me - it helped knock down barriers that were put up all around me in my formative years.

What according to you is being forgotten by people who are living the urban life?

Detaching from the utter madness of our online society. You have to from time to time or it will pull you under before you realize what’s happening. Get out in nature and turn your phone off for a while. It is possible to do without losing touch with the world.

Lastly, What would you suggest or share with other photographers?

Carve out your own voice. Be original. Know how Speed/Aperture/ISO work together.

Interview with Ross Buswell

https://www.instagram.com/atmospherics/

atmosphericsphoto.com

Interviewed by The Portfolio

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Interview, Autumn Durald - A Transforming Force

Hey, Autumn! Are you having fun shooting a western film? 

Unfortunately the western I was supposed to shoot at the start of the year was pushed. When we do start shooting it will be a wild ride. 

Are you doing things differently with this project or there are significant changes to how you shoot?

The short film has the same storyline so we already had a test run at the visuals. On the short film, I shot 35mm anamorphic and I flashed and pulled the film stock. I plan on doing that as well for the feature along with some other tricks.

As the imagery should tell the right story, and each story has it's own look, Do you think it's possible for a Cinematographer to have a particular visual aesthetic?

When I first started out I didn’t use to subscribe to this theory, however, I do now. I find that people often tell me that there’s definitely a particular visual style in all of my work. Which made me think more about other Cinematographers work I love, and now I can see why someone would say that. Every story has its own distinctive look, but a DP definitely brings their taste and eye to each project, and if you have a strong one then it shines.

How do you translate the combined vision of the writer and the director - on film? Have there been times when you went a little too adventurous?

All of my feature work, now six features have been with writer-directors. This makes it easy when talking to the director about the vision since he/she also wrote it. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever gone too adventurous, nothing the director and I didn’t dive into together. On the Arcade Fire “porno” music video/documentary film I shot for director Kahlil Joseph in Haiti we definitely did some adventurous things, but he is a very adventurous filmmaker so it’s par for the course when you shoot with him.

Do you feel that the courage to allow the moments of the characters and the overall atmosphere to be raw, not just as a form of a mental stimulation but more visible is something that makes increases the viewer's investment into the film? Can it increase the emotional magnitude of the film? 

Some stories should be told visually with a lighter touch, then the characters stand out the most. It’s not our job as Cinematographers to take our audience out of the story by showing how flashy our work can be or how cool our framing is. If our choices don’t suit the story and add depth to the emotional quality of the scene then we aren’t doing our job correctly. I don’t think an image has to be handheld and only naturally lit to feel realistic or raw. If those qualities are appropriate then great, but I do think you can manufacture a realistic tone through lighting it and keeping the camera more still.

When you are shooting, do you ever think about whether you would want the audience to be an experiencer standing by or let's say a third actor in the film? How do you experience the movies or photographs you reference to or enjoy?

Definitely depends on the project. I’d say for Palo Alto it was important to express intimately what these teenagers were going through and have you feel like you were a part of their world. We also chose not to shoot it in a gritty handheld doc style. I don’t think the camera work or look has to be loose for audiences to feel like they are apart of the scene. Gia and I favored a much more considered camera style and dreamy visuals, and we knew our audiences were sophisticated enough to relate. 

Coming back to your process, can you talk to us about how you transform the use of light according to specific scenes and according to the nature of the film? Can you please share with us some of your experiences over the years shooting and working with light? 

When I was at AFI (my graduate film school) my focus was always more lighting driven. The DPs that inspired me to choose Cinematography as a career had a very strong sense of light in their work. Gordon Willis, Harris Savides, Conrad Hall, and Michael Ballhaus. Sadly none of these DPs are with us anymore but their work is incomparable. So I made it a point early on in my career to learn lighting and what a gaffer does, and what they do well. I find the technical aspect of lighting intriguing and early on I always paid attention to what my gaffers and electricians were doing on set. When I read a script one of the first things I can visualize is how the light falls in the space or scene. I’m not sure why that is or when in my career this happened but it's something that becomes apparent first. After discussing the look with the director this definitely evolves, but I start from there. If it’s a period piece there are already some limitations set in stone depending on the genre. I favor using hard and soft light together in a scene. And most importantly where the light comes from should serve a purpose.

Can you share with us the experiences you went through in order to widen your vision, your imagination and your dreams? Is it exhausting to spread your wings in a society as it is?

The two most important things a good DP should draw from is her/his sense of taste and their confidence. When you have a good sense of taste and the confidence to carry it out that’s where the images speak for themselves. It can be exhausting at times to get the projects you want to shoot. This career has a lot to do with determination and patience. Since Palo Alto, I get offered a ton of coming of age films. That is not the only story I want to tell or can tell. So it takes some work convincing this industry that you can shoot a variety of genres. Putting in that work can be exhausting but you’re a better DP for it. I wrapped a film called Teen Spirit last summer, it was an amazing experience and probably the film that most widened my vision and imagination. The film turned into something so special that I couldn't’ have predicted that when I read the script. Those are the most enlightening experiences, when you work your ass off, along with your team, and your directors' vision shines and they ultimately put together a good film. Those experiences can be few and far between. That’s when you feel your wings spreading when everything just comes together and you're proud of the final film you shot. Finding directors to work with that inspire you and you trust to tell great stories is one of the most important things I’ve learned making films.

Do you feel as more women come into filmmaking, they are going to bring an entirely new perspective to it and ultimately inspire a life from the heart than the mind? 

The best and most successful films ultimately all come from the heart. That’s why you feel so emotionally connected to them. Female filmmakers started making films in the late 1800’s. It’s only now we’ve decided to shine a huge light on the subject. If audiences were paying attention, female told stories and perspectives have been out there for a long time. Now this current light on female filmmakers is allowing more women opportunities which are allowing more of those stories to be told. Hopefully, one day making it more of an equal landscape, mainstream films directed by women and men. Instead of what we’re most used to seeing at the box office, female and male stories told by men. I appreciate both perspectives, I think it’s fascinating to watch a female protagonist directed by a man and then see one directed by a woman. This diversity is what makes filmmaking so fun. You don’t need to be a male to tell a mans story and vice versa. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t shoot a masculine film. One of my favorite lensed films is BLOW,  I remember the first time I saw it I looked up who the DP was. I was so delighted and inspired to see it was shot by a woman. Ellen Kuras is one of the reasons I thought I could even do this job when I finally decided to pursue it. Great cinematography or filmmaking shouldn’t see gender.

Before I ask you the last question, can you tell us, how would you compose silence? 

Not sure how I would go about that, but if I was brainstorming a way to do it, I would start by sitting in a room with a Rothko painting.

Lastly, what would you suggest or share with other cinematographers?

Find your own sense of visual style and taste and run with it. Great work comes from the soul and only you can tell that story. Don’t be too concerned with making everything so precious in the frame. When you do that it tends to draw you away from the actual story and also the other artists making the film with you. You learn more about your style, the way you shoot and telling stories by all your mistakes. Take those mistakes and learn from them, don’t forget them. I am fortunate enough to do this as a career and I love my job, but this job is nothing without the people I work with. Filmmaking is a team effort and without that support, we as DPs can’t carry out our vision. Always appreciate your hard working crew and figure out the best way to lead them. And last but not least, for all you girls who want to be DPs but are discouraged by the lack of diversity in the industry, just go out and do it. There shouldn’t be anything stopping you. If you have a unique perspective and can create beautiful images, that is enough to get your foot in some door. I hope seeing more female shooters now is a testament to that. 

Interview with Autumn Durald Arkapaw

WWW.AUTUMNDURALD.COM

www.instagram.com/addp

Interviewed by The Portfolio

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Interview, Navina Khatib - Psychedelic Colours Over The Horizon

Navina! Do you have a psychedelic vision of life?

My vision of life is free, colorful, peaceful and open-minded. I wouldn’t say that it is psychedelic as for me this term is associated with a certain time, style, music and also chemical supplements. My vision of life is never to oppress creativity, to be honest about your own creativity, cherish your creativity, never give up on your creativity, no matter what they say. My vision of life is a genuine and constant discussion with creativity in order to maintain and preserve it until the end.

A person with awareness or someone in meditation is bound to have a psychedelic vision, yet some supplement with chemicals for glimpses. Where does your vision come from, was it influenced by an event or a spiritual longing?

I think the root of my imagination and creativity lies in my childhood, growing up in the laidback German countryside in the 80s. We had no TV or other distractions back then, so the only media we were exposed to were vinyl records and tapes, and, of course, books. As a child, I loved listening to fairytales. I think one of my favorites was “Tino und die Nachtigall” (Tino and the Nightingale) by Will Quadflieg, a fairytale about a boy who catches birds - until one day he catches a nightingale that takes him on a trip around the world and changes his life forever. “Die Unendliche Geschichte” (The NeverEnding Story) by Michael Ende had a deep impact on my life, too. I recently remembered that it was the first movie that I ever saw, on a friend’s video recorder.   All of my favorite fairytale recordings had a beautiful soundtrack, so the discovery of music has influenced my imagination ever since. When I create I love to listen to music, especially ambient music. The mood totally reflects my vision of life and my imagination. I still love music that expands space and time, full of lush pads and reverb. So maybe my vision of life comes from audiovisual patterns.

A large amount of your work consists of landscapes, dreamscapes, psychedelic colors all over the horizon. Showcasing poetry, hidden treasures in these moments. Now again, is that because of a spiritual longing or something else entirely?

Longing is definitely a central topic in my photos. I started photography at age 11 and along with music and film, it was my first love. It gave me the opportunity to totally lose myself – time appears to stand still when taking a photograph – to imagine foreign places and dream of traveling. I always wanted to see the world. In German, there is a word called “Fernweh” that literally means the longing for distance. In addition to photography, I also do films. Fittingly, my first attempt in filmmaking was a short with the title “Longing”.

I love distant and foreign places, but for my art, I feel a simple landscape is not enough. I view things differently, I see more in them. I see more colors and more horizons. I would say that with the abstraction of every landscape, I am referring to the conflict between the perception of our inner and outer world. My aim is the dissolution of concrete reality in order to solve this conflict and even more – to dissolve it.

Are these scapes invented through imagination? What are your feelings towards imagination and its importance in shaping human consciousness?

Imagination is everything to me. It’s free. It’s raw, It’s real and honest. You will find exactly the distance you long for with your imagination. Imagination is life and the engine for creativity. Imagination is protecting ourselves from the pressure and harshness of the reality of life. It’s like a shell that unfolds its beauty inside.

Have you had a more elaborate experience of your consciousness, something that moved you into the unknown? Could you please share that with us?

It’s mostly places that moved me and expanded my consciousness. When I was 20 I lived in California (San Francisco and Santa Barbara) for one year. I traveled a lot along the West Coast during that time – the nature just blew me away. The color and the wilderness of the Pacific Ocean has influenced me ever since. Later, I lived in Mexico City for a year, quite a chaotic place where you could easily lose yourself in all the buzz.

When I was younger I really liked the idea of losing myself. I guess on the one hand to experience my limits, and on the other hand to pull me out again. I have always loved the unknown, so a few years later I went back to Peru to work in an orphanage, which became the content of my first documentary. An extended trip through South America in 2011 brought me most of the photos you can see in my gallery.

A lot of my pictures were shot in Uyuni, a huge salt desert in the Altiplano of Bolivia – the most breathtaking place I have seen so far. Experiencing it has definitely expanded my horizon. Imagine blue, pink, red lakes with pink flamingos on top of it.  However, even the most breathtaking nature is still a reality. I figured out that in my imagination this is not enough. By the abstraction of these landscapes, I want to take away even the last glimpses of reality. You could say nature is my muse and inspiration; the abstraction of it makes it complete.

..and does that contribute to why you chose this medium, of being a visual artist?

I can express myself best in visual arts. When it comes to film I show reality. My first feature film “Casa Luz – House Of Light” was about the children of an orphanage in the Andes of Peru. My second film, which is still in the pipeline, will be about personal destinies in modern society. For me film is the medium to document reality, photography to document imagination.

Now, can you please bring us closer to your process? Do you usually sketch first, or use photoshop to create later? What's it like?

Almost all photos were shot in places that are already magical, such as the Altiplano of Bolivia or the foggy woods on La Gomera Island. I exaggerate the psychedelic nature of these places by giving them my vision and imagination via post-processing.

Coming back to the colors, with such an extraordinary palette - how do you think that affects the mood of the photograph itself and also the experience of the viewer?

I started creating it as a kind of therapy - you could even call it a color therapy - for myself. In Berlin where I live, we hardly have light and colors especially in the winter days, so most people get depressed. From the fields of art therapy I know about the impact colors have especially on children. I love the power of colors, the influence they have on our moods and minds.

How do you keep the perspective straight on where you wish to lead the viewers of your imagery? Does that actually shape your experience while creating as well? Do you feel it makes you want to be more grounded before you start creating?

I can tell you what the colors evoke in myself, but I can’t and I don’t want to control how other people might perceive them. I am always happy when somebody writes me a lovely message or elaborates on my work, for example saying it is like a kind of meditation for them. This makes me more than happy, for it means that the colors might have the same kind of impact on them as they have on me.

However, I don’t want to lead the viewers. I don’t want to be explanatory. I don’t want to give answers. People should see in my pictures whatever they want to see in them.

With that, can you tell us about your favorite poem that you have read since you started creating?

The magic of poems caught me at a very young age, the play with language, metaphors, myths, and images.

I love the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. It is really dark, but it sparks so much the imagination. I love how the language is put together. Poe was a master and it really moves me to think that it took him 10 years to finish this poem. In a world where every single second is money and everything is calculated, spending 10 years on a single poem seems unimaginable.

Lastly, What would you suggest or share with other visual artists?

Artists should free themselves from expectations and should love what they do so that this love shines through their work. They should trust their intuition.

Creativity comes from creation; life is creation, creation through love.

Interview with Navina Khatib

https://www.instagram.com/navinakhatib/

https://www.vimeo.com/navinakhatib

Interviewed by The Portfolio

[portfolioshowcase]

Interview, Ibai Acevedo - Experiencing Different Realms

Ibai! Are you looking for a utopia?

It could be possible, yes. In other words, in my pictures, I realize that I'm constantly trying to create parallel worlds where the atmosphere and the feeling are the keys. The middle point between reality and fantasy using light and colors as vehicles to reach those scenarios.

A number of your recent images revolve around the dimension of dreams. Do you remember the moment when these dreams became a medium for you to express artistically?

I use my fascination for dreams to inspire myself during the creative process. Dreams are a completely subjective trip to nowhere that makes us realize how our mind is a huge unknown maze where get lost in it. I rarely can drive my dreams as other people say they can do, I'm just a victim or a spectator of them. Despite my bad skills as the pilot of my own dreams, I find this kind of mysterious fantasy so much more inspiring than common reality. Traveling to places without leaving your bed and wake up in the next morning like "wow, I thought I was there...". So that's the thing, many of my pictures want to stay "there".

What is your approach towards exploring the subconscious and unconscious aspects of your mind?

I try to chase sensations rescued from dreams and altered states of mind: Moments of pain, moments of joy, ... the constant search and pursuit of "that something" turns into my fuel.

Does that ever leave you to encounter a great amount of self-imposed isolation? I see that a lot of your images have their subjects experiencing something like that.

It's curious because I consider myself a very social person, I really need the love, the laughs and the company of other people. However at the same time, I'm aware of the other side of my moon, and in this other side lives other Ibai, deeper and lost than any other. This is where I experiment with my sensations and creations, where I drop my fears and wishes. Isolated characters in the middle of strange lands are a recurring element to illustrate this inner exploration. This could be as simple and complex as the typical phrase "Yo have to get lost to find yourself".

Such confrontations can be exhausting. Is meditation becoming the medium for you, or is it the catharsis through art?

The word "meditation" is written on my skills wish list, but I would choose the option "catharsis through art without so much bohemian drama".

Now, can you bring us towards how you create the immersive imagery? What is your process like and what's the post-process like?

The word that comes to my head is "Imagine". I mean, my process is based on pure experimentation trying to show through pictures all the imagination that fills my mind. Despite the nice words, as a photographer, I have to deal with real things, real persons, real places... and find the way to turn all this reality into what my imagination is chasing for. I always try to work thinking about possibilities instead boundaries. So I don't have any problem if I have to lie in some way, I only want to transmit to the person in front of the picture.

Like I told you, I have a few friends from Spain and I have felt their spirit to be of great sensuality and receptivity, of music and dance. How do you think that enriches or affects your perspective, and, your expression?

We are the product of our culture and environment, so for sure! As a latin human being born and raised in a small town near Barcelona I think that I have a lot of strengths and weaknesses related to that. For example; I think that all the priorities in life, all the warm and visceral part that lives in me, the general doesn't match very well with the classic Nordic thinking stereotype. However, at the end everyone is a unique product from a very different and complex combination, so obviously you will be able to find a horrible Spanish lover and a great German tango performer. Everything affects without determining.

What form of expression is the most total for you?

Music and cinema are the fields that most connect with me.

Before we come to the last question, can you share with us a book or a story that you have been the most transformed by?

I don't have key pieces in my history, what I have is a lot of small satellites that build my personal galaxy. I would tell you to hear the disc "A Year of Hibernation" from Youth Lagoon lying in the grass with a loved person during a spring sunset, the film Boyhood to think about the pass of time and happiness in life, the book "Cuatro Amigos" from David Trueba, The War On Drugs latest album "A Deeper Understanding"...  Many little stars that inspire me in my own path.

Lastly, what would you share or suggest with other photographers?

I would say "Don't stop doing what you most like to do, keep pushing, keep getting lost because its there where real amazing things emerge".

Interview with Ibai Acevedo

https://www.instagram.com/ibaiacevedo/

www.ibaiacevedo.com

Interviewed by The Portfolio

[portfolioshowcase]

Interview, Jomayra Vega - The Power of Compassion & Perspective

Jomayra! Every time I look at your work as visualmemories, I am reminded of a quote by Georgia O'Keeffe, "One can't paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt." - is that true for you?

Absolutely! It is the only way I experience New York City. For me, my photography needs to be felt, because it is so personal to me. That’s the only way to experience it in my eyes. The way I speak through my photos. The only way I know how to create. The best way I can keep true to my self and the way I see and feel things.

You have mentioned before that you like to explore every possible angle to shoot in a given location. How do you play these endless variations? In your films and photographs?

I certainly do. I’ve learned that in order to stay creative you must be aware of all of your surroundings, it keeps your creativity flowing. For example, I never plan locations, I never plan a photo. For me, this is the way I keep my mind curious. If I find a certain location that intrigues me - then I try to look at it from different perspectives. I even come back at different times of the day/night, it always looks different. I just allow my self to be endlessly curious. You have to find your own way to express yourself, and you have to remind yourself that your own perspective it’s far more interesting.

When these variations are played by you, all climates and moods are included. How do you think that allows you to explore and present the culture and psyche?

I just simply let it be whatever it has to be. I don’t ever think about it too deeply, just because sometimes overthinking ruins your creativity. I just allow it to take me wherever it has to take me. Hopefully, the end results will speak for itself.

Have there been any personally insightful moments for you, an experience that you can share with us that transformed your approach towards how you communicate with the atmosphere around you?

There has a been a few experiences that have allowed me to be more spontaneous, more brave when it comes to street photography. My favorite memory was getting close to my subject (person) and feeling really nervous but also very excited because I knew that moment would impact both of us in one way or another. We ended up having a whole train ride conversation about life, and of course photography. I communicate better with strangers oddly enough and of course rainy, foggy days, it’s my way of coping with my own feelings. They allow me to be whoever I want to be at that very moment, without hesitation or fear of judgment.

With that, can you please share with us the details on how you create your images?

I won’t get too deep into details because when it comes to creating you can’t really put it into words, you just let your self-feel it out. I usually just listen to a whole music album, create a narrative in my head and from there I just let the flow take me wherever it needs to. It usually to takes me to a dark place, probably why my photo editing is so dark and mysterious. I’m a loner, I’ve always been like that ever since young, so whenever I’m alone, I am the best version of my self. I do my best work when I’m surrounded by silence. I drown myself in it sometimes just to listen to my own thoughts, so I don’t take my solitude for granted, it helps me stay creative.

Since you have called these moments straight memories, do you ever find these moments overwhelming due to your identification to other people's stories and lives? How do you interact with those feelings you encountered?

If anything they help me cope with my own issues and the memories I keep. There are times when I connect with someone for a brief moment and I realize that I’m not so alone after all. It’s a beautiful thing to keep your memories but to also keep some of the memories from strangers, makes me smile. You owe them nothing, and they owe you nothing, it’s a beautiful thing.

Coming back to your process, since you like to experiment with your compositions - when exactly does a shot fall in the rhythm of your perspective and aesthetic?

I’d like to think that I have a certain theme to my work, so for me as long as they are dark and mysterious, its a true representation of who I am. I like to experiment because it keeps me inspired, but I don’t like to do anything that’s not representative of me. I don’t go too far away from myself. I just allow myself to create different characters, even if it’s just briefly. Sometimes I want something light and happy but those feelings are the hardest for me to express.

It’s like writing a happy love poem, it just doesn’t flow as easily. The best way I can create is through my own feelings, sometimes I don’t want to deal with them, so I hide them but they always seem to come out to play when I go shooting. My mind goes places where it’s hard to put into words, it changes and it takes me by surprise, I just let it be. Sometimes I’m in charge, sometimes I just let myself be controlled by the emotions.

Can you talk to us about the significance of weather in these images and how time is an underlying theme in all of your images?

I think is safe to say that I feel most comfortable in rainy weather. I almost feel like I step into an alternate reality and I feel at home, at ease.

I don’t ever look at New York the same way everyone else does, I look at it as if it was another world, and I’m a new character living in it. While most people call it “bad weather” this is when I feel like myself the most. The city becomes a bit isolated, people hide from the rain, so for me, it creates a whole new world, a new way to see New York. I love isolating my subjects in such a big city, I enjoy focusing on that isolation. It makes me feel like I can finally express how I feel most of the times when I walk aimlessly through the city.

I can’t allow myself to see it as everyone else, not anymore because it’s just not satisfying to me. I also love the sound of rain, it makes me feel like I belong, for a brief moment I feel like I belong.

Before we ask you the last question, Can you tell us about your favorite movies and a book/story that you absolutely love?

This is a hard question for me because I have so many favorite films that it’s hard to just pick one or a few. I will say one for the moment “Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind” is one that always brings me inspiration. It is so relatable yet visually pleasing and simple. The storytelling is everything, from the dialogue to the visuals. it’s a perfect combination of a small dose of fiction mixed in with a lot of disturbing realities.  Anything by David Fincher, Pedro Almodóvar, Scorsese, and I cannot forget to mention Quentin Tarantino. They all play a part for when I look for inspiration.

I haven’t read a good book in a LONG time, but I own every Charles Bukowski book. Ever since I was 15 I’ve read his stuff and always related to him on a very deep level. I love his dark sense of humor. I always say he’s my soulmate, the way he felt about love, sex and the people that surrounded him, was always so raw yet so beautiful. I’m Currently going through “Love is a dog from hell” for the hundredth time.

Lastly, what would you like to suggest or share with other photographers/filmmakers?

My best advice is always to represent yourself through your own work. Be passionate and brave, find your self in your work, get lost in it. Don’t be so afraid of rejection, but most importantly, don’t replicate something just because you admire someone else’s work. CREATE your own voice, and the rest will come to you naturally. I also like to remind people to not be in such a hurry to know It all, just let things come to you, evolution doesn’t happen in a day.

Interview with Jomayra Vega 

https://www.instagram.com/visualmemories_/

https://twitter.com/visualmemories_

Interviewed by The Portfolio