Streetphotography : Caracas or elsewhere

La photographie est aussi urbaine. La rue est leur terrain de photos favori. Je vous propose de découvrir des photographes de rue du monde entier (enfin presque!). Professionnels ou amateurs, ils sont passionnés de Streetphotography et postent leurs photos sur EyeEm, un réseau social de photos, plus discret que celui qui commence par I, enfin le mien.

Click on a picture, for the portfolio / Cliquer sur une photo pour voir dérouler le portfolio

ll se fait appeler Auxier, du nom d’un arrière grand-père français venu s’installer au Venezuela au début de siècle dernier. La ville est son terrain de jeu favori notamment Caracas où il vit et travaille comme entrepreneur et propriétaire de bar. Tout l’inspire ! Les perpectives, les angles, les rues étroites comme les larges avenues, « Il suffit de prêter un peu attention à son environnement ! » dit ce passionné de voyage et d’architecture. C’est l’instantanéité qui prévaut à chaque photo. « Je n’ai jamais l’intention d’une photo. En moins de 3 secondes, je clique ! ». Son outil est l’Iphone et son mode d’expression, le noir et blanc. Il retravaille ensuite ses photos avec différentes applications, Caméra + VSCOcam, Snapsseed, Aviary ou EyeEm dont il est un adepte depuis deux ans. Il y poste en moyenne une photo par jour. « J’aime ce réseau car la photo est téléchargée en taille réelle, on peut zoomer sur l’image. Mais ce réseau est aussi rempli de gens formidables avec qui j’échange !» n’hésite pas à dire Rafael Gómez de son vrai nom. Ses photographes préférés sont Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino et le meilleur pour lui Helmutt Newton.

Mais à force de poster des photos, ses amis le poussent à faire une exposition. « Je commence à croire que je suis un photographe et mes photos peuvent être achetés. Je pourrais le faire. Qui sait! »

Interview in English

Are you a photographer professional or not ? 

No, I’m a amateur photographer, or you can say: iPhoneographer. I just take photos with my iPhone. In the past I’ve studied photography as part of my career: Advertising and Marketing Degree. But I don’t have a degree in photography, it’s just my vision as a creative advertising man that helps me to see things that capture my attention, and then edit my pics in Black and White, my favorite style at the moment.

I’m an entrepreneur, a bar owner and a former creative copywriter by profession at well established advertising agencies. I’m 43 years old, married and I have a 14 years old daughter. So far, I live in Caracas, Venezuela. But I’ve lived in London and Costa Rica also. 

I love to travel and I love architecture and cultures. The opportunity that I have to travel lets me capture the amazing architecture that the world has to offer in every big city and the vintage and old houses of small cozy towns. And an enormous chance to see new things (objects, places, people) and capture them and share them with my point of view.

How do you work?

I never plan a photo. Almost every shot is taken in less than 3 seconds. I usually grab my phone, turn on the camera and click, click, click. Then when I have the time I study each photo carefully to select the one that I like the most, then edit it, center it if necessary and turn it in black and white most of the time. I enjoy taking photos of angles, perspectives and deepness (specially in street photography).

What is your tool ? 

My tool is my eye and my iPhone. I always edit my pics either in EyeEm or other several photo apps like: Camera+, VSCOcam, Snapsseed and Aviary, just to mention the ones that I use the most.

Are your pics snapshots ? Or you build your image more rigorously? The geometry and the details are still here.

My shots are mostly snapshots, few times I take more than 3 seconds to take a shot, but almost every photo is a quick shot. Some times I don’t realize the greatness of an image until I edit it and I even get amazed myself by the result because the photo changes magically and pops out as a wonderful image.

What do you think about the street ? It’s for you the best « playing field » for a photographer ?

As an amateur photographer I enjoy a lot taking photos of the street live, the architecture, I think the street photos are great to capture the moment of a city, through it’s people, through their objects, buildings, transportation, parks, downtown, streets, among others.

What do you prefer in the streets, sidewalks, street furniture, or the facades of houses, people watching ?

Everything! Perspective and deepness of a long street, a narrow street, a wide avenue. Sidewalks are very interesting, they are usually full of many details, that people tend to take from granted, but almost never taken seriously. But if you pay a little attention to your surroundings, and specially if you’re walking in a sidewalk you’ll start discovering new and very interesting things to photograph. Obviously always paying attention to any suspicious guys in the nearby because your mobile might get robbed in the delight of the moment.

How long are you on EyeEm ? Why do you like it ?

I have been uploading photos in EyeEm for almost two years. I like it because EyeEm allows you to upload the photo in its real form and size and not the square format that Instagram does. You can double click an image and it zooms in and you get to see every detail in the shot, just fantastic. The great thing of EyeEm is that it’s a platform in which you not only upload a photo, but you create a network with great people, that are in the same path as you are. And the feedback is very important and you make new friends, fantastic friends with a great point of view.

How much pics per day or per week, do you post on your wall ?

I normally try to upload one photo per day, but if I have many pics and if I’m in the mood then publish more than one photo, maybe three in single day. Not more than that, I don’t want to bore the my friends with a bunch of pics. I’m not selfish, just want to share and enjoy the other photographers as well. I do check them out and get inspired by a lot of them.  

What is your favorites photographers ? What are your influences ? 

I like many photographers in EyeEm, for instance: Gera Heusen, Mariposa, Heike, LaRocka, Raffaele Cavicci, among others. In the real photography live I like the work of Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino and my favorite of all Helmutt Newton. 

If you want tell me other things about your practice… Come on !!!

I wish to keep on traveling more and more, get to keep on exploring new and exiting places so I can share the world through my point of view. I still need to visit Asia, which I haven’t got the opportunity yet. Asia is growing rapidly and it’s changing the world with it’s ultra modern architecture.

I’ve printed and framed a couple of my photos and my friends are telling me to make a photographic exposition in an Art Gallery, I’m starting to believe that I’m a photographer and my pics can be bought. I might do it. Who knows!

Thanks lot Raphael !