If these green woods be dreaming
here to wake within my heart,
if I should rouse again.
W. Faulkner
successful, a photograph should
go beyond the forms and sensitive
appearance seen at any given
time, and show areas of impossible
rationalization: the underlying
reality of all things without
distinction between those which
we call living and those which we
call inert. Beauty is intuitive; it
does not stem from reason.
Just as a person is not explained
as a sum of flesh, bones, nails,
etc. a landscape cannot be made
up of just stone, trees and rivers.
The photographer should see what
captures his attention as a simple
form decorated by the beauty of
its essence, of its intimate nature.
Reality is unique, not dual, with no
room for dissection by scalpel as
our western cultures too often
enjoy. Nature is penetrated by the
form and the form in turn is
penetrated by nature.
We can accept that the form is
the engine or even the condition
of art, but this should not be
permanently attached to it;
artistic creation should show its
best human dimension and free
itself from the ties of time and
space which shackle western
culture.
exist outside the observer, neither
is there duality between them.
The photograph rests on the
interrelation between the eye and
mind of the photographer and the
essence and form of the object.
I believe that art in photography
lies in the ability to capture the
richness of objects on different
levels and our communion with
them. The artistic creation process
lies in evoking feelings and not in
presenting reasoning.
Technological advances in
photography, as in any other art,
do not add value to artistic
creation.
The result is that photography
becomes art as soon as a dialogue
devoid of words is triggered
between instincts; a dialogue with
the public, which springs naturally
from the aesthetic impression
caused.
As for silence; how do you
photograph silence?
AAM
I shoot digital or analogue cameras.
I use two Linhof cameras for this:
a view camera 4x5” and a
panoramic camera 5x17 cm.
For digital I shoot in small and
medium format.
I digitalize all my transparencies
with a high quality flatbed
scanner, which enables me
to have considerably sized files.
I edit my images in Photoshop and
LightRoom, making the necessary
adjustments for the final
presentation of each photograph
whether on computer or paper.
This is a very straight-forward
process that can be defined as
conventional; it is not very
different to what is done in a
chemical darkroom.
I use a latest generation Epson
44" wide printer, driven by two RIP,
GPG ColorProof and/or ImagePrint,
able to guarantee a high level of
reliability and quality in the final
print. Print papers are archive
quality, produced by reputable
manufacturers.
For special job requirements, I use
a Lightjet or Lambda printer.
in all its facets, has been a
continuous reference in my life,
acting like a solid anchorage
that only allows slow divergent
movements up to the point where
the chain is stretched enough, in
such a way that eventually the
vessel always returns to its
original place.
It will be easily understood
therefore, why I chose to study
the career of Forestry engineering
up to doctorate degree level.
My use of photography as a
means of approaching the
natural environment should also
be understandable, although
I had ceased this activity for a
long period in my life, until a few
years ago, when I found enough
time and resources to resume
this charming activity.
Since then, I have decided
to make photography my
profession.
