Interview with Jose Luis Gea Arques
BIFA 2024 Winner, 1st Place, Non-Professional Analog / Film, “Veichles and Their Owners”
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to embark on a career in photography? Was there a specific moment when you realized this was your calling?
I started at university some years ago, but on a personal level without sharing my photos. It wasn’t until 2012 that I really discovered that my passion was to photograph people on the street,with or without interacting with them. I fell in love with this hobby and since then I have not been able to take photography away from my life.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your winning project? How did the idea come to you, and what message were you aiming to convey through your work?
I have always loved classic cars and I like to photograph them, especially those that have something special. At a certain point, I wondered what was behind these vehicles, what encouraged their owners to keep these special cars and what was their story, so I started to ask the owners to pose with their vehicles and asked them to tell me their story. Little by little, the series grew and today it includes more people and also vehicles that are not cars. Finally, the series conveys the feelings that these people have towards their vehicles and what has driven them to keep them for so many years.
Q: Every great story comes with its challenges. What were some of the hurdles you faced while capturing your award-winning project, and how did you overcome them?
The big challenge has really been to connect in a natural way with people you don’t know, to get them to open up and tell you their story, in order to capture the most spontaneous and natural gestures when photographing them. It wasn’t always easy and not everyone was willing to share their story. It’s a communication that I really enjoyed, it has completed me as a photographer and as a person.
Q: What motivated you to enter the Budapest International Foto Awards? What does winning 1st place in your category mean to you personally and professionally?
Actually, I decided to send it to Bifa thanks to the advice of a great photographer friend who knew the series and encouraged me to move it in the international circuit. Personally, it was an immense joy to get a first prize of this level, especially in a category like Analogue/Film since I shoot exclusively film and it is not always easy to compete in the world of digital photography. That’s why I consider it a good thing that this kind of top level competition has a space for those of us who love chemical film. Professionally, it is a pleasure to see your name as a winner on a platform like Bifa. The recognition on social media, newspapers and exhibitions has made my work travel beyond my immediate world and be seen by observers who otherwise would not have known my work.
Q: Could you share some insights into the equipment and techniques you used to create your winning images? Is there a particular tool or method you always rely on?
I always choose a medium format camera, either 6×4.5, 6×6 or 6×7 and usually Kodak Portra 400 or Fuji Pro 400H film. The choice is absolutely improvised, in other words, I go out to look for a random person with his car, the rest is to let myself be carried away by each moment and each occasion.
Q: Looking back on your journey, what has been the highlight of your career so far? How does this award compare to other milestones you’ve achieved?
In these years, I have had moments that I love to remember, from street photography exhibitions, to awards in different categories in competitions, including honourable mentions and first places in different categories in various international competitions. However, this is the first time that I win a first prize as artist of the year in an absolute category. This makes this award the most important of my career, which makes me certainly happy.
Q: What advice would you offer to emerging photographers hoping to make their mark in the industry? Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you wish you’d known earlier?
My best advice is to believe in your photography, see what you see around you. We take pictures to grow personally, not only as photographers but as people. Nowadays, I am more interested in feeling good about my photography and this is what we must achieve to grow. Of course this award is wonderful and I feel very honoured by it.
Q: Photography is often described as a universal language. How do you approach storytelling in your work, and how do you connect emotionally with your audience?
Obviously, photography is a universal language whose interpretation always depends on the observer. No one looks at a photograph or interprets it in the same way. We could talk about a specific scene and no one would interpret it in the same way, and I believe that my photos connect emotionally in different ways depending on who is looking at them, so the reactions will always be different.
Q: If you could work on any photography project in the world, unrestricted by budget or location, what would it be and why?
I think that as an amateur, I have to enjoy the moment and the day by day, as I have been doing since now. Having photography as a hobby allows you to enjoy it every time you have to pick up the camera. Of course, I would like to be able to choose a place and a project, maybe some time in South America, who knows?
Q: What’s next for you after this incredible achievement? Are there any upcoming projects or goals that you’re particularly excited about?
I want to continue photographing and enjoying it day by day. For the moment, I want to continue making this project grow, which is far from finished. Maybe it will end up as a book or maybe as an exhibition. I am travelling along the longest road in Spain with a group of friends in stages, taking pictures of everything that happens around it. Maybe that will be a nice project to show in the future.
Interview portrait by Pedro Diaz Molins
