The national young photographer

The national young photographer tells us about his career, his work in the press area of ​​various national newspapers and on its draft strong, and photographing the Chileans and Argentines who live in the beautiful but hostile terrain of Patagonia.
By Diego Quezada Araya


Pablo Martinez was born in Santiago in 1974. He studied photography at the Institute Arcos and served as a photographer for two years in the newspaper "La Tercera" and missing "The Metropolitan". Now is dedicated to working on personal projects like photographing in Patagonia, and in this interview tells us about what has meaning in your life photography, and how their thinking about this area has evolved.


How do you believe in yourself this taste for study and practice this profession?
"My father was always fond of photography. He had my camera and started with the typical "Paul takes the picture" and those things interested me the camera, but after I started studying when I realized it was totally different, but the thing I liked the camera, change lens, and the technical aspect. And so he departed, not wanting wanting, having a camera in my hands I started this desire to take photos.


Tell us about your project in Patagonia
"I just came from there, took three weeks in Santiago after four months of traveling, because I'm in this project. I was the first time six months and let stand the work, I made a statement as this is a lot of work, I hold the old technique with black and white, I have nothing to do with digital, then all you have to do with it is hard work and my source of income is the sale of photos.
Then just come coming, because I'm resting as they were four months of hard work, where 24 hours a day are those that you work, not always taking pictures, but I went to bed thinking they would take photos the next day.
That's the job I am doing now on the Patagonia and the man in your environment. How the inhabitants of Patagonia unfolds in a place so hostile, yet beautiful, so here's a value ambivalence.


What led you to do this project in Patagonia?
"I always liked the South. I have traveled and know everything south from Santiago to Antarctica, and was an area that did not know and had some notions about the place, had seen pictures bone photos of these places and made me curious and it is no thing of another world but it was a place I wanted to know, so I went, I went through a grant from the Kodak, I sponsored all the materials and I was six months traveling across the area taking photos.


Do you do shows or some sort of sample of your work?
"When I take pictures my purpose is not to make statements, or display the photos. For me photography is a way of life, thanks to this machine that is the camera managed to take a stance towards life that makes then exhibitions, books, stuff like that. What I did today was take pictures and did an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, also in Germany.


How is working in press photo?
"It's fun. When I left my studies, my desire was to work in press. But later, after being there, you realize that all work is equal, at first they are fun and then everyone becomes tedious, monotonous.
I have a good experience because I learned tired, I met many places because you work in print gives you access to places no one else can be, so it is a plus, and have advantages over those things. Also you learn about technique, and develop in the medium, how to solve problems. For me photography is a technical release is a way, once you finish exploring this formula, we know how to develop against certain situations and interact that way.


So what was the monotony that you say that made you leave this item?
"Yes, it made me leave the press work, and because it had already completed a cycle. That worked for two years and always my personal projects are most important. While in the daily work I mean a good salary and was fine, I'm willing to give up everything for my passion or my lifestyle and I went to take pictures as I wanted. There was nothing to seduce me in the press area.


And I name several advantages of being a press photographer, What are the disadvantages?
"When you work in media are an instrument. Independent of your quality, you are a person who can occupy a unit, a camera, and with some vision. And that's what you, another employee for a day, because here there is no communicative medium in which the photographer to let him work, to unfold as they really want. You're always adhered to editorial discretion and that basically you're a machine, like the camera.


Do you use any technique at work?
"The technique you learn it, but when it dominates as a carpenter hammering a nail, bone, once you have mastered the technique the rest is part of your lifestyle, it's like you see the world with this craft. I have no special technique, but has much to do with my moods. But in the most technical thing I greatly prevail composition rather than the content of the image, it speaks for itself, but rather the way, as do the composition and messed up as a geometric abstraction and forget the characters in the scene and just noticing how they interact in the rectangle of the picture.


Do you have someone who has influenced you in your career?
"I am a good influence in this regard, and there are several that I like, but I love a photographer named Joseph Kudelka. I like the worldview he has, because when each one takes a picture, in every job is a part of you, then you are giving to know how you see the world through your work. And as he shows me the world through his work seems interesting, as is the everyday that has the world he is the person who has influenced me greatly.


Any future projects?
"It would be much speculation. But photography is not my only source of income and that to me is an advantage because the work in photo, kill the eye, because if one spends all day taking pictures and so continuously, my eye starts to spoil , and I'm going to stop surprising me with many things. But for now, I'm just in it and I hate to speculate on another project.