We discovered his photos on "Gurushots, the world's greatest photography game" and were impressed by his extraordinary work. Today we like to show you some of his amazing photos and introduce you to photographer and professor for photography Andres Mora with an interview. Andres, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography? I was born in Cartago, Costa Rica in 1968, I am 49 years old. Currently I live in San Jose, CR, however I lived in British Columbia, Canada and Athens, GA, for 8 years among them. I studied Arts and Education at University of Costa Rica and also at UGA. I have also traveled the world as a photo reporter being in Africa, South and North America, Europe and Asia. Currently I am a photo proffesor at Universidad Latina in San Jose. I also do comercial and fine art photography. So I work in photography full time. |
Andres, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography?
I was born in Cartago, Costa Rica in 1968, I am 49 years old. Currently I live in San Jose, CR, however I lived in British Columbia, Canada and Athens, GA, for 8 years among them. I studied Arts and Education at University of Costa Rica and also at UGA. I have also traveled the world as a photo reporter being in Africa, South and North America, Europe and Asia. Currently I am a photo professor at Universidad Latina in San Jose. I also do comercial and fine art photography. So I work in photography full time.
Have you been involved in the arts in some form other than photography?
Yes, I considered myself as a very creative person. In fact I have tried many other different kinds of art expresions: music ( I studied classical guitar for a while), paint, drawing, film, etc... I believe that when you are a creative person you have the need to find different outlets to express what you have inside.
Seeing your remarkable work, I am curious where your creativity comes from? I think there are two different perspectives on this question. The first one is when you wake up all of the sudden one morning with a great idea in your head. So you start developing the concept and organize the production. The other perspective is when someone hires you to do a specific project. In that case I always go through a concept process, organizing the different inputs in moodboards to help me meet exactlly what the coustoumer has in mind. Could you share with us how you first became interested in photography? I was giving my first camera by my parents in my 10th birthday. It was a little Kodak 110 mm that I still preserve. Since them I have always had cameras and taken pictures. When I studied art I decided that photography was the best of the fine arts that would help me express myself in a more satisfying way. What equipment are you using now and with what did you get started? My main camera right now is a 5 D Mark II. And as I mentioned before I have always had different cameras, first analog equipments, mainly Canon and when the digital cameras came out to the market, I have pretty much followed and acquired different models as they evolute and improve. |
What is your favorite lens?
As I do mainly portraits I like to work with 50 mm lenses, specially the 1.2 or 1.4 Canon.
Can you tell us about your work flow from the point until you showcase the developed picture?
I always start by meeting with the coustomer, together we brain storm and come out with a series of ideas for the project, then I start working the mood board to come out with a proposal. After that I contact my team (make up artist, designers, models, etc) and I share the mood board with all the people that are going to participate in the production. Then we schedule the production and carry out the shoot. Finally I, along with the coustumer choose the pictures to use and do the post production.
As I do mainly portraits I like to work with 50 mm lenses, specially the 1.2 or 1.4 Canon.
Can you tell us about your work flow from the point until you showcase the developed picture?
I always start by meeting with the coustomer, together we brain storm and come out with a series of ideas for the project, then I start working the mood board to come out with a proposal. After that I contact my team (make up artist, designers, models, etc) and I share the mood board with all the people that are going to participate in the production. Then we schedule the production and carry out the shoot. Finally I, along with the coustumer choose the pictures to use and do the post production.
Do you see a particular influence, be it a photographer or school on your work?
I love russian fine art photography and I try to emulate the style, however I try to give it a little more of a comercial feeling and not so artsy, I try to produce something that could be more in a magazine than in an art gallery.
What would you say characterizes your work in comparison to other photographers?
I like to think that I have a unique postproduction process.. Using false colors and artsy textures in comercial photography. I always try to capture the inside worlds that exist in all of us in order to create photographis full of feelings and sensations.
Among your works, which is your favorite and why? I probably enjoy doing fine art projects because they are just for me, they are not for a coustumer or a brand. They are pictures that I do just to satisfy my creativity and express my own crazy ideas. Tell us your funniest or most awkward photography story. Working with a soprano opera singer in Rome, Italy, we were at the ruins of the old city and worked for hours and hours. We were in a pretty hidden and rare spot where people usually don't go... just to try to have some privacy and not so many people walking in front the camera. Finally when we were done and tried to leave we realized the ruins have already closed to the public. The guards couldn't open the gates to let us out because they didn't have the authorization. Then the police came in. We were in big troubles. Fortunetly she spoke very good italian and could convience the police that we didn't mean to harm at the place and they let us go. |
What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start?
Study, study and study, but go beyond youtube. I advice to enroll in a university, college or art school because that way he or she will have a proper guidance and will learn what is needed to be a real professional. Grow not only as an artist but also as a person. If you are an intelligent and educated person then you will have more resources to create quality projects.