Portrait Session for the Photographer Eddy Kelele

Recently I had the honour to photograph a fellow colleague - the Girona based sport and documentary photographer Eddy Kelele. There is always a different feeling when photographing another photographer. Something between fear of the quality control and an honour that I’ve been trusted by someone who actually knows what the game is all about.

Eddy is an incredible person and professional. With decades of experience, published photography books and portfolio full of commercial and cultural photographs that will remain in history.

He was one of the first people I’ve worked with when I moved to Spain. I assisted him in a shoot with the professional basketball player and top medalist Laia Palau for La Vanguardia. I was with almost zero Spanish (Castellano) and nervous as hell. But my professionalism and experience took over, helping me to remain calm and concentrated.

The shoot was quite quick as it goes in such environments, well scheduled, with perfectly mapped location spots and poses. The experience was great and very nurturing. We had a great time and the final result was better that I’ve imagined.

This time around the task was different. Eddy asked me to take some portraits of him for a project he’s currently working on. Of course, I agreed straight away - it’s always a pleasure getting involved in anything related to photography.

We were supposed to do one quick photo. Instead, we ended up playing for 4 hours, changed 3 different light settings, 2 outfits and completely lost perception about time. The job definitely got done perfectly, but also we had a lot of fun.

We used 2 constant lights on each side of his face, a white background and at the end the door near by to make the background look black - photographers’ tricks and treats ;)

But I’ll tell you a secret - we didn’t actually his proper studio as it was supposed to be “just ONE quick photo” and his studio seemed too far away for us (3 min walk :D). So, we decided to set up a little studio in the pasillo in his house. Literally meter by meter square space, but you don’t really need much of a space for a classic portrait.

And here are the results - just another proof that you can create anywhere if you want to. With or without a proper studio, with or without a proper camera, what you’ve got is what you need to make something good right now.

Fine Art Photographic Prints

As physical beings we are drawn to physical objects where we understand it or not. Despite the all digitalisation around us, we will continue to crave the physical, something we can touch and feel. Like a kiss - there is a difference between a digital kiss and a kiss in real life. Would you agree?

The different experience is what differentiates the two. Sam with art, same with photography - we might all beautiful photographs on our phone, but somethings in the air changes when we have it printed, in our hands, experiencing it. First person contact with our senses.

Despite using digital photography as my main medium, I can’t avoid the feeling of the physical objects. I offer different sized Fine Art Photographic Prints. They are mainly selected photographs, part of my personal ongoing work called ‘Portraiture of the Self’. An art therapy through emotional portrait of the Self.

The Fine Art Prints are carefully printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Bright White 310gr paper. This is a light white art paper made from 100% cotton. The soft felt structure and soft hand feel of Photo Rag® give each print expressive depth and three-dimensionality. Combined with the premium matte inkjet coating, it is capable of producing striking prints that inspire admiration with luminous colors, deep black and exceptional detail reproduction. In addition, the high degree of whiteness of the paper allows high contrast motifs to be reproduced with a special shine.

You can visit the Store here.

Do you allow yourself?

Do you pay attention if you’re allowing yourself? If you do things for you or the way you’ve been told/think it will be accepted? Do you live according to norms set by somebody else?

Childhood patterns and all the experiences we go through put us in situations where we collect certain behaviours, believes, expressions. Often down the line in life, carrying and using them by default, we usually accept them as our nature, the way we are.

This is not entirely true. In fact, many of the believes and behaviours we carry don’t serve us well and we feel it. But trapped in the years of conditioning, forget to look them from aside and make the conscious decision to change them.

Lately I’ve been in a period of seeing, understanding and desiring to change something seemingly simple in my life, but that has been tripping me for years without me even knowing. I replied I don’t allow myself to live the life I actually want. Why? - because of my childhood condition to follow rules and guidance, that long ago now don’t have any value. I proved to myself I can do things I want, things I desire, if I put my mind into it and take the required steps. Now it’s another transition, seeing how much really all those patterns mean nothing to the adult me now. The child inside tho, scared of rejection, still believes them and here is when it’s time to change the pattern.

By taking actions, small different steps that what used to, we’re able to rewrite the script and change the pattern. Yes, it will take time and it won’t be easy, but the fact that is actually possible keeps be believing its also possible for me.

Don’t let voices, expressions trapped in your inner child’s memory from years long ago to affect your adult life. You have the power to change, to better your human experience simply by making the decision to take action in beneficial for you direction.

How often do you look at your soul?

The soul, our eternal part that accompanies us in this life, before and after. The soul, those 21 grams that contain the whole Universe. The soul, what streams when looking in somebody’s eyes…

The way we intent to see the soul is when we look deeper in the eyes. When we strip down the physical, temporary outfit and focus on that matters most - our essence.

As we live inside our bodies, we don’t really see our eyes if we’re not looking at a mirror. But how often do we really stop and pay attention to our should when we pass by a mirror? How often we sit and patiently observe, without agenda, without rushing tick the next bod on our to do list? How often we choose to stare in our own eyes, instead of looking for external entertainment?

We look at others much more than we look at ourselves. We drawn into our partner’s eyes when in love, we feel the pure love when looking at our children’s, we even insult and harm others using words told straight in other’s eyes. But we can’t see ourselves from the aside.

Usually we use the mirror for checking if our body is clean, in shape or ready to face the world. Often when in front of the mirror we often look everywhere else but in our eyes. It might be even something we avoid on purpose. We might face the judgment of the ego or the dreams of our inner child that we’ve neglected. Often when we began the practice of looking into our eyes intentionally, we find resistance, emotions start bubbling up, tears are just the beginning.

Mirror work has this powerful effect to connect us more with our mind, body and soul, simply because it’s the only way to bridge the physical with the spiritual part of ourselves. It’s a way to practice self love, beginning with talking lovingly to ourselves when looking in the mirror. Here is where you’ll find a lot of resistance at fist. But once you push throw it, you’ll find the most beautiful feeling there is - loving who you are for what you are.

I began using mirror to learn how to love myself and my body, as all the negative voice was harming me inside and out. I even used mirrors to feel less alone when living by myself, especially during the quarantine. I made sure I have a mirror in every room in the house, during all the activities I do daily, including the most mundane ones like eating, cooking and showering. I would sit and stare, talk to myself, dance and simply observe myself from aside. How do I look from aside, what others see when see me, how do I carry myself in the world.

This personal practice helped me with my professional work, my personal work and see esteem. The more i began to learn about and accept myself, the more liberated I felt. Now I can even make the difference when I’ve been away for too long from looking into my own eyes. That little girl inside, that soul is what nurture me and I better pay my part in the relation.

I dare you to try. You won’t regret it.