How did you begin your career as an editorial and commercial photographer?
I have been doing photography for more than 10 years but for a really long time I was not able to do it full-time because of visa restrictions. To be honest, it is difficult for me to answer how I started my career because in many ways I feel like I am just now starting.
That being said, I do have a very clear memory of the first time I grabbed a camera (being intentional while using it). It was when my dad’s old, interesting British uncle was visiting us in Colombia for the holidays and he let me borrow his point and shoot camera to shoot photos of dragonflies in a pond.
It was a very picturesque scene, I want to think that it was something similar to Monet painting his lilies. This moment sparked the curiosity to freeze a moment in time into a visual, while telling a story. From this moment on I have been extremely passionate about photography and I have made sure to use it to explore my creativity and to connect with other people.
Tell us about your work with editorial photography.
When you google the meaning of the word “editorial” you will find that the definition is the following: a newspaper article expressing the editor's opinion on a topical issue. I see myself as a visual editor who communicates his opinion, or sometimes the brand's opinion, on something specific. When I am working on a series of photos I always ask myself, what’s the story? Who is this character and where are they going? How old are they?
All these questions help me build a narrative and provide me with ideas on how to structure the shoots. It’s also a lot more fun to tell stories than just to shoot random things without a connecting line.
What’s your favorite part about the New York creative community?
The best part is that it is endless. There are always more people for you to meet and for you to get to work with. New York has such a diverse population that you can find many creatives within your industry with completely different backgrounds and as a result, completely different bodies of work.
As a photographer in the city, I am always fascinated by how many photographers are here and how they tint their work with their stories and personal experiences. It is incredibly inspiring and sometimes overwhelming but I would much rather have that than just 2 white men to pick from.
Do you think your childhood growing up in Bogota, Colombia inspires your artistic style now?
I think that growing up in Bogotá informs the way I live my life, and in result it does inspire my work. Bogotá, like many big capitals around the world, is a very cosmopolitan city. I compare it a lot with New York because it is the place where everyone around the country migrates to in order to achieve their dreams or to look for better opportunities.
It is a city with a fantastic restaurant scene, it is culturally rich, the art scene is spectacular and the lifestyle I had there is in essence pretty similar to what I have in NY. My style of work is driven by stories in a big city. That is translated into my work as movement, contrast, simplicity in the chaos and strong individuals.
Do you have a favorite photographer (past or present)?
I have too many to reference them all but some of my favorites are Rafael Pavarotti, Camila Falquez, Michael Oliver, Simon Schmidt, Natalia GW, Dylan Griffin, Lauren Bamford, Rob Woodcox and Eric Van Nynatten.
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