What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I just started my first workshop at the Manuel Álvarez Bravo Photography Center in Oaxaca with Daniela Gar, learning how to develop my own analog photos in the darkroom. I'm already dreaming of setting up my own darkroom at home and experimenting more with black and white photography.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on it?
Working with black and white photography was a new experience for me, and I realized once again how much color draws me to this world. It was a challenge to find images that didn't rely on color composition but still inspired me even without it. It inspired me to shift my perspective and pay attention to new frames and images.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
New projects bring new inspiration. I immediately started thinking about how to add color to the black and white images using collage techniques or perhaps by painting over the photographs. I'm very excited to experiment with these new ideas and creative approaches.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Estoy leyendo “Art Work” de Sally Mann. Fue un empujón después de terminar mi primer fotolibro “MADRE” y empezar con algo nuevo para seguir avanzando con mi vida creativa. “This is a book about how to get shit done”.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Be patient. Trust the process and let go of the expectations I have for myself and just be present in the moment and enjoy what is in front of me.
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Dimes in New York, Lower East Side. I always order The Big Salad with extra Haloumi and a Fennel Ginger Lemonade. For dessert, the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Pure bliss!
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
“MADRE”. Soundtrack by Lhasa.
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 love Tyler Mitchell's eye and his powerful, colorful way of portraying people. Each image has a feeling and movement that always moves and inspires me. You can feel the connection with the people in front of his lens. Camila Falquez is also an artist I've admired for a long time. The composition and color in her work inspire me greatly.
After years of living and working in London and New York, German photographer Luna Antonia Arboleda has settled in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she lives with her partner and son. She recently published her first photobook, titled “MADRE” (Mother).