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Interview
by Edo Q ©
2009 CoverMen
Mag!
November, 2009
-Hello
Bell, I am really flattered you accepted to be interviewed
for CoverMen Mag!, just to start this interview off,
please give me some brief background information.
I was born in Lima Peru, and went to college
over there and later went to SCAD and International Center of Photography in
New York.
-What got you interested
in photography?
When I was a teenager everybody wanted to do
fashion, in Peru the late 80s I used to take pic of my friends and one day a
magazine wanted to publish them and that is how it started. I went to school
for communication, since photography was not
considered a career. I finished and I applied for a Fulbright
scholarship and I was granted one, and that gave me the validation that I was
serious about my photography to my family, since they always thought I should
be an engineer or architect.
Did you take
any courses or did you go to a school to learn photography?
I did college in Communications and then photography in New York.
Later I
assisted a couple of photographers and I learned a lot of the technical part
with that experience. However, I think a background and education in Art and
History is very important. Nowadays, anybody can pick up a digital camera and
shot a gorgeous model in great clothes, make friends with an editor and get
published but I think that culture is something that makes your work stronger
and not just a flavor of the moment. Even though in fashion is all about
"now". I admire more the work of people with a longer career.
-What
are the common elements of your photography style? How
would you describe your shooting style?
I think my style is very eclectic. There is a tendency in our industry to label
the work of photographers, in order to classify and make you a product. I do
not think that is natural to an artist. I do not think it is natural to keep
the same style over the years either. Big painters go through faces. But unlike
painting , fashion is a commercial art so we have to play with some rules. I
love to shoot in studio with connection with the model. I love expressive lighting
in studio...I like to feel "a moment" or sometimes something very graphic and
direct. On
location, I like to have a more cinematic approach to the image. As if they are cuts of a film or something
like that.
-What are your favorite
subjects to photograph?
I like people that inspire me. I have done
projects with totally unknown women from Amazon and countryside in Peru and
they are as intense and interesting as fashion campaign models, which I have
shot as well. But in a very competitive industry as fashion, people do not
really look at your work as image, but
put into consideration all the politics of who you work with, and who you
shoot. I am grateful I have access to a
great selection of talent but I tend to choose to photograph the people that I
feel connected or inspire me.
-How do you compare shooting in
the studio to on location – any preference?
In studio, I really prefer to shoot something very minimal and graphic. I like
to focus on the light on the subject and try to get an emotion. Yes, our industry can be vain about external
beauty, but being in this for so long, I need to feel there is some soul on the
person or the image I am making. It is a great feeling when you get that.
because after all, even after all the retouching, it is humans I'm working
with! On
location, it is all about a mood, a story in a second. The subject is an
element of the whole picture.
-How do you feel about digitally
enhancing photos and to what extent do you utilize it?
In
photography I started working with film, and there was a time I did not want
to shoot in digital because it felt too fake. However, I think technology made
possible to get a good feel with digital and I like to play with it. There are
2 trends of natural raw against a very ultra retouched imagery. I play with both, I like to enhance colors
and retouch to an extend, the most important is the emotion that enhancement
adds to the image. If the image is good, it does not need so much retouching
to make it more expressive. Most of my images are shot as it is, specially
with locations. I am not a big fan of using one head of one picture, arm from
the other, neck for another etc...but I think the media is making us all
become more addicted to perfection.
-You
are a very successful photographer, do you have any
advice to photographers starting out in the fashion
industry?
Success is a very complicated concept. In America success is more about money
while Europe is a little bit more inclined to quality and art. I live in New
York, so I think it is important to combine the art and commerce. I am not big on great sets and lots of people
around kissing each other cheek and telling each other how fabulous is
everything. I prefer something more quiet and real. People should also keep in
mind, that it is just clothes, and pretty people but it is not like we are saving lives or discovering the
cure of major diseases in the world.
Photography, like Fashion, have this amazing aspect
of creating an escape to people, and I believe that photography and lately film
/ video is another expression of art, and in that sense, it should move and
inspire others to create and dream. When I was in Peru, I would look at work of other big photographers and
I would admire their talent and the beauty of their images, even when it was
big shoulder pads and extreme 80s makeup!..it inspired me to move by
myself to another country not knowing
anyone, and has helped me to continue and because of that I have had a great
experience in life not only as a photographer but as a person.
-Please
share with me some of your recent and upcoming projects...
I
always admired the work of photographers that survived the trends and politics
of fashion industry because of their work, talent and intelligence. Times,
however, have changed so much and the access to so many points of view have
created a confusion on direction on art, photography, fashion etc. In
response to that, to me, I think it is important to try to find your real
inspiration inside, and try to put them on the work that you do. I started to
work on film and video because it gives me another element to express myself.
Many magazines have a direction and most publications do not allow you to do or
shoot and publish just anything you want, there are some rules, politics and
advertisers to please. I try to shoot my
own stuff even when I know I will not
publish it. Maybe I will do a show later on, Now I am working with amazing
people that keeps me inspired and the video is something that I hope reaches
the sensibility of more people. I
am learning all the time and it is refreshing for me because it keeps me
curious about learning a new media. I will probably keep shooting photography
till I can not do it anymore. I love what I do!
-Thanks again
Bell for taking your time to answer my questions, it
was a gift to me and my readers!
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