Personal Manifesto

To me, all of my images have a story. They are all born from that special encounter between the scenes that once awed me in some way, and the things that then stayed on my inside, dormant, waiting for a moment to be expressed. In my case, the audacity of adding words to a photograph does not seek to embellish or intellectualize, nor does it seek to enrich something that is already so rich in its aesthetic origin. In truth, the only thing I look for in this combination of elements is the attempt to make justice to these unique experiences, sharing them in the only way that feels "whole".

And so when my images are captured, edited, reflected upon and written, there are two persons in them. The "photographer" who finds himself hypnotized by the endless shapes, the primordial play of light and color, the visceral memory of feeling the violent and unpredictable waves hitting the shoreline rocks, immersed in the contemplation of something so much greater than us. The "psychiatrist" who, with less innocence and plenty of years on his shoulders witnessing so many shapes of suffering, here once again learns the lesson that the most chaotic scenes can always become places of serene contemplation, having the potential of being transformed by the camera (or by life), when enough time is given to them, to mature and be revealed.

In all my images there are two people, not always in agreement, but always holding hands. Two crossing paths, questioning themselves, discussing, arguing, but also nurturing each other, and it is precisely from this tension, passion and need for expression that everything I share comes from.

This is part of my story, and Nature is one of the main protagonists that propels it forward.

Conservation, existentialism, awareness, spirituality, emotion and contemplation are some of the most important themes I try to explore through my images. Over the years, all experiences combined, my portfolio matured into a specific creative signature, looking for immersive compositions carried by strong visual lines and exquisite light, based on showing the most awe inspiring and special moments I have witnessed in Nature, joining them with stories and reflections that wish to offer the viewer a place of contemplation, emotion and, ideally, transformation.

All my images are the result of a long process of planning, capture, selection and careful editing, and none of them is a digital composite, as the experience of being in Nature and capturing it through the camera is my chosen starting point upon which everything else is built. This implies accepting Nature’s virtues but also its endless challenges, and a deep conviction that no shortcuts should be taken to create a meaningful and truthful bridge between being “there” and then sharing the artistic interpretation of an unrepeatable moment.

https://www.joseramos.com/