A bit about how I started. My first camera landed in my hands completely by chance at a very young age. The Agfamatic Pocket 1000,
Comes to mind my first memory about photography, begging my mother to buy me film and later pay to develop it.
Creating compositions with my grandmother's fragile crystal ornaments would be my somehow scary second memory. You would understand better if you were born and raised in Venezuela.
I'm forever graceful for the first important and supportive human in my life.
Thanks, mother.
When growing up, you better believe I was the first volunteer to take photos for many years with someone else's budget and camera.
One day, out of nowhere, a dear friend gave me my first SLR camera. He is the closest to a big brother that I had. He bought two copies of the same camera, and one was for me.
And yes, that's Andres holding his camera today. Gracias chamo! (Thanks, man!)
Fast forward, the digital era came. Online shopping in Venezuela was a novelty for many, me included. And with no free access to foreign currency since 2003, I had to learn my way about online shopping in a different language. I sold my Yashica SLR, an flipped on my word two point & shoot digital cameras (fully paid in cash in my hand). The proceeds plus all my savings went to afford my first digital camera. After paying a ridiculous amount of shipping money (first-timer) to import three 5MP Sony P93 cameras and waiting for weeks, I finally had them: my camera and my word.
I can not describe the joy I felt. No more begging or borrowing cameras, no more scrapping by money to buy and develop film, total and pure freedom. Well, almost. I did not have a computer. But one beast at a time.
From that day, even a leaking water tank was an excuse to grab this tiny, fragile camera and take it out for a spin. And I should say about the next image: this is not a creek and the flowers weren't there either.
Not too long after, by asking, talking, and doing some more asking, again and again, I met this guy during a big photography event who nicely answered many of my questions about his camera, a Canon 5D. That thing felt like something out of a Star Trek episode's. A bunch of buttons, solid build, heavy and professional. I had no idea how the camera worked, but I promised myself I would learn how to use it one day.
That's me with Carlos and my beloved Sony H1.
I'm pretty sure I burned a few pixels in my camera that day after looking straight at the sun through the bridge, but I remember the smell and sound of the Orinoco River shaking the tiny boat where we were at. A hot and humid day perfectly preserved in one imperfect shot.
That is photography.
That is photography.
Carlos happened to be a very experienced and the lead photographer of a local newspaper. Weeks later, after sending him my humble portfolio, he offered me a job as a photojournalist apprentice.
From there, my life in photography took a different dimension. The best life journey.
