Introduce yourself: tell us who you are in a few sentences and give us a little background on your career path thus far.
I was born in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, Spain. I studied photography in the United Kingdom. A day before I was due to begin a degree in Computer Sciences I changed my mind in order to pursue a career in photography. From the UK I headed East to China where, while studying for an MA in Photojournalism, I started working for some news photo agencies. In 2008 I came back to my hometown where I have been based since. So far I have had the chance to collaborate with many very interesting publications and NGO’s around the world, covering stories in different countries, from Europe, Asia to South America and hope to continue doing so after this crisis is over.
What is your earliest memory with photography?
My earliest memory with photography brings me back to my childhood, looking through my family photo albums, is something that I still do whenever I am at my parents house. Later as a teenager my parents gave me my first reflex camera. The camera was the excuse to travel, to discover new places.
Describe your approach to visual storytelling?
I use the camera as an excuse to travel, I am no longer interested in traveling to places far away but I like the idea of exploring places that are closer to me. I am a shy person but with a camera I push myself and I can get closer to people, it’s something that I really value as I wouldn’t do it if it was not for the camera. My approach towards photography has changed in recent years. I used to get close to my subjects, working with wide angles but with time I have distanced myself from what I photograph, I like the space and I like photos that breathe.
What is one piece of advice you would give to those just starting out or looking to improve their visual storytelling skills?
Be patient and work on stories and projects that really matter to you.
How did this particular project come about? Why were you interested in it?
Lapland of the South started as a journey to some place where part of my family came from in the Spanish province of Burgos. I knew there was a demographic problem in this huge area of Spain and I started reading about it and became really interested. Today it is a reality in Spain that this rural area is slowly dying as most of the population has migrated to big cities and leaves the area without a generational replacement.
What has been a specific surprise or challenge of working on this project?
Some of the towns in this area count only with a few inhabitants and some of them are very reluctant to talk to people. That has been the biggest challenge for me and it took me some time to get to know people before I started to photograph.
Pick 2-3 photos from your series to deconstruct: what was happening when you took the shot? Set the scene, what was going through your head?
I especially like the photos of Maria, the young girl wearing a huge jacket in one of the photos and also walking down the mountain in another photo. The photos were taken near the town of Yanguas, I spent some time with her family strolling with the sheep they had. I could relate to Maria as she seemed bored and isolated in the vast nature with no friends to play with.
The other photo I really like is the portrait of Jose Mari. I met him with his cows in the meadows. He looked sad. When he was younger he had the opportunity to leave, to go to work in a factory close to Barcelona but he didn’t. He regrets this decision as he feels lonely nowadays, at 65. His brothers have left and he is one of the few inhabitants of the town of Villar del Rio, in the province of Soria.
What motivates you to keep making pictures? In one sentence describe why visual storytelling matters to you
For me it is a way of learning, of getting to know new places and new people and that is what matters most for me in life.
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You mentioned this is an on-going project — how do you imagine this community is currently being affected by this pandemic and is the story going to change?
The people living in the so-called Lapland of the South are very isolated. The nearest doctor or hospital in most cases is around 60-70 km away and if the people living in this area, most of them elderly, are infected with the virus is going to be very difficult for them to get the proper medical attention. The COVID-19 is mostly concentrated in bigger cities in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona,..) but if the virus spreads across rural areas the situation for this community would be very difficult.
How does this moment impact how you view this project?
The inhabitants of this huge area have been forgotten for decades and there has been very little political intention to bring economic activity to the region in recent years. That is why I think is more important than ever to pay attention to what is happening in these communities now, they have been struggling for more than 40 years.
How is the current crisis affecting you personally?
These are difficult days for everyone, I have never experienced anything like this before and I don’t know when we will fully recover from this. Photo assignments have stopped for me, most of the clients I worked with are not assigning at all and I think it will take some time until I start to get work again. I am prepared for the worst. I try to take this “time off” as positively as I can and I’m trying to reorganize things around my photo and video work. I am working with a designer to redesign my logo, website and preparing some promos to be sent when this crisis is over. I am also working on a video reel and on my next newsletter. There is always some kind of work, like everything I mentioned before, that I don’t find time to do and this is the perfect time to do it.