Eclipse season

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
A bit of everything, trying to expand as much as possible and explore different paths. Lately, I’ve been working a lot photographing people, exploring the body, whether in a controlled environment with a model or in spontaneous street scenes. I love observing bodies and how each one interacts with its space and the light. The experience of directing and connecting with someone feels very enriching. Likewise, photographing strangers on the street feels like a very important act of attention and discovery. I’m also working on a stop motion project animating butterflies, which excites me a lot, and recently I directed a dance short about self-criticism, which ended up being a very healing experience.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
With these projects, I learned a lot about my own post-production process. Before, I didn’t give it much importance because I didn’t feel technically prepared and couldn’t achieve the results I wanted. With each project, I experimented more and more, but I ended up relying too much on editing and retouching. I learned the importance of finding a balance between both: trying to get it right in the scene while letting retouching enhance rather than fix. I’ve also enjoyed applying what I’ve learned to video, simply to observe how the image transforms and behaves differently.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
I thought about how fragile and at the same time powerful the body is, how lucky we are to be able to experience it, and the importance of checking the white balance on my camera.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
There’s always a lot swirling in my head. For these projects, I thought a lot about the work of Justine Kurland, especially her series Girl Pictures. I love how sincere the photos are, and I’ve always felt a strong connection to them. I would love to create something in which people see themselves reflected. I also thought about the movie Perfect Blue Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kon and Bathroom Intimacy by Jaime Humberto because of the atmosphere. Likewise, the album Push Push by Sextile inspired me with its energy.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Finding the balance between the aesthetic and the meaningful. I love images, but sometimes I worry about falling into the superficiality of presenting only “pretty photographs.” For me, context is just as important as technique, and I have to constantly remind myself that one doesn’t exclude the other. That said, I enjoy much more when a photograph invites me to see the photographer’s personality and values reflected in their work, rather than focusing only on technical matters, like “what lighting or lens did they use?”

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
It changes all the time. I recently discovered a place called Bangkokinside Galerías Plaza de las Estrellas, right in front of Juan Gabriel’s star. It’s excellent, especially the mango and rice dessert. I also recommend Faba on Chiapas Street; it just opened, and everything I tried was amazing.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
If this month was a movie, it would be called Eclipse season, because September was a bit intense, and the soundtrack would have to be a collaboration between Enya, Dean Blunt, and Air.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
I deeply admire my friends and the way they create, especially my dance colleagues, who inspire me with their ability to solve and materialize what they imagine, as well as their constant drive to keep creating and encouraging each other. Among the artists who inspire me, I would say Juergen Teller, especially a photo he took of Björk with her son at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I love how relaxed Björk looks and the fact that it was taken in such an iconic location in her home country. I’m fascinated by the context and intimacy of that image.