PHOTO CONFESSIONAL: Alejandro Cegarra
PIEDRAS NEGRAS 2023
IF YOU WEREn’T A PHOTOGRAPHER, WHAT OTHER PROFESSION WOULD YOU PICK?
I would try to be a doctor, paramedic, or fireman, something related to helping people.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CRUCIAL DECISION YOU HAVE MADE IN YOUR CAREER’s DEVELOPMENT?
Leaving my home country was maybe the toughest decision ever, I didn't want to be known as a Venezuelan photographer in Venezuela, I wanted to challenge myself in a new scenario and that's why I decided Mexico would be a good place to be, I'm glad I took that decision.
Caracas 2017
HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH IN YOUR WORK?
It gets more and more important every year. Going out there is expensive, so to not waste money and time is crucial to investigate beforehand as much as you can, always leaving some room for exploration. I have jumped to a couple of places without too much investigation and it's a lottery, but I'm not a fan of doing it that way anymore.
IS THERE A PHOTOGRAPHER/ARTIST WHO IS A CONSTANT REFERENCE FOR YOU?
The person who has seen me through my first steps and has constantly been a source of reference to me is New York City based photographer Harvey Stein. He was one of my first teachers at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York and has been a mentor since. We also hold workshops together twice a year around the world and in New York City.
WHAT WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH?
I don't like to photograph natural catastrophes, nevertheless, I have been in two in Mexico ( the 2017 earthquake and the 2023 Hurricane Otis), I believe they tend to be the hardest coverage to do besides armed conflicts.
Also sports, I get bored of sitting in one place.
CHIHUAHUA 2023
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE, AND WHAT IMPORTANCE DO YOU GIVE TO TECHNIQUE?
I use a Sony A7III with a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm (Photojournalist kit), and Leica M10-R with a 35mm or a 28mm (the artist kit). For new photographers, I would say you need to master the technique, the camera needs to be an extension of your eye and your hand, like it's glued to you forever to you, that's why I don't like to change equipment so often because I have to again make that adjustment to my gear and it makes me lose synergy.
WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
When I get worried, angry, or amazed by something I tend to go deep into the subject and then figure out if there is a way to tell a story from it.
CARACAS 2014
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A # TAG?
#Close
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION?
Rejection is part of any creative work, not taking it personally and moving on to the next project/idea when I feel ready is important.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SUCH SUCCESS?
Being perseverant, always going the extra mile, and knowing when to stop talking and start hearing people around you with far more experience.
CHIAPAS 2020
HOW DO YOU APPROACH STRANGERS IN YOUR PROJECTS OR TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PROJECTS?
I always ask for some kind of permission, sometimes raising my camera and asking with my eyes, something like "Is this okay?", other times is a mutual recognition nod with my head, year after year is getting more subtle. Other times I just talk a lot with the people I want to photograph and then ask "Is it okay if I take a portrait of you?". Most times I'm around people who are having the worst days of their lives, so I tend to be careful about how I approach them.
CARACAS 2017
IS IT COMMON FOR YOU TO QUESTION YOURSELF OR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?
Yes, everyone in any creative field does it, it is normal and even healthy to do it.
PIEDRAS NEGRAS 2023
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT?
Oh, this one is hard, I would say perseverance, perseverance, perseverance, it is a marathon, not a race. For me, it took me 13 years to be where I wanted to be, working with the people I wanted to work with, in the meantime, I was making decisions toward those goals, learning a new language, learning from other photographers, moving to another country, and even exercising and my eating habits, I tend to challenge myself.
Also, be obsessive but at the same time take some time to let knowledge settle in, what you put out there with your photography is also a reflection of your intake, the books you have read, the movies you have seen, and the life experiences you had, everything sums. When your photography is poor it is not because you are not "close enough", it is because you haven't lived enough, whatever that means for you, so go out and expose yourself to new experiences, with your camera or not.
ABOUT ALEJANdro
ALEJANDRO CEGARRA WAS BORN IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA. HE BEGAN STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHY IN ROBERTO MATA TALLER DE FOTOGRAFÍA (ROBERTO MATA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP), WHILE AT THE SAME TIME STUDYING PUBLICITY AT ALEJANDRO HUMBOLDT UNIVERSITY.
AFTER WORKING FOR A YEAR AT AN ADVERTISING AGENCY CALLED CREATIVE ARMY AND ONLY VIEWING PHOTOGRAPHY AS A HOBBY, HE DECIDED TO PURSUE PHOTOGRAPHY AS A CAREER. IN EARLY 2012, HE STARTED FILLING IN FOR OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS AT THE LARGEST NEWSPAPER IN VENEZUELA, ÚLTIMAS NOTICIAS. SINCE THAT SAME YEAR UNTIL THE PRESENT , ALEJANDRO HAS BEEN WORKING AS A FREELANCER FOR DIFFERENT OUTLETS AS ASSOCIATED PRESS, BLOOMBERG,NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, THE NEW YORKER, THE NEW YORK TIMES,THE WASHINGTON POST, CALIFORNIA SUNDAY MAGAZINE, GEO MAGAZINE, SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE,AMONG OTHERS AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN OTHER MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS AS TIME, L’ EXPRESS AND LFI.
HIS PERSONAL WORK WANTS TO REFLECT ON THE SENSE OF BELONGING, THE LOST AND SEARCH FOR A HOME, FROM THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO THE COLLECTIVE ONE AS ALSO THE DENUNCIATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN VENEZUELA AND MEXICO WHERE NOW HE LIVES.
