Solitude

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I’ve been working with black-and-white photography using flash, both in street photography and portraiture. I’m interested in capturing raw, gritty, grainy, and, in some cases, even aggressive moments, although not always from that perspective. I seek direct images, without too much prior intention, that feel honest.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I learned that using flash combined with slow shutter speeds opens up many possibilities for capturing movement in creative ways within a still image. I also began to be more methodical in my process: choosing a style and sticking with it for longer in order to truly understand it and refine it. My goal is for that visual language to become natural, almost automatic, so I can stop thinking about technicalities and focus solely on the moments.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Melancholy. I’m interested in images that capture a person’s emotional or mental state, that make me —and anyone who sees them— wonder what the subject was thinking, how they got to that point, what happened that day in their life, and what their everyday reality looks like.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
My work has always been heavily influenced by cinema. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Bird by Andrea Arnold and Silence e by Martin Scorsese, as well as my constant pillars: the visual language of Kurosawa, Luc Besson and Sofia Coppola, among others.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
The impostor syndrome and constant comparison. Many times I feel that my work isn’t good enough. Over the years I’ve learned to recognize those thoughts and not give them too much weight. Going out to take photos has become a form of rebellion against them. Perhaps that’s what’s behind this new style I’m exploring: not taking everything so seriously and simply showing real, emotionally charged moments.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
A lonche Rufián with pork belly at Rufián or hamachi nigiri at Uroko.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
It would be called Solitude. El soundtrack sería una mezcla loca entre King Krule, Ed Maverick, The Velvet Underground and Juan Cirerol.

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.
From Tatsuo Suzuki and Yusuke Nagata I admire how they flow among people, observe, and capture moments effortlessly, almost like a meditative act.

Okada Minami works in a photo store and lab in Tokyo. On one visit, a zine caught my attention, and when I went to pay for it, she told me she was the author. I really like her photos: relaxed, intimate, and very honest, especially her work around skateboarding.