Your audio podcast, The Candid Frame, is terrific. How did that come about?
Ibarionex Perello:
I was listening to a lot of podcasts, many of which focused on equipment and technique. I felt what was missing was a show that focused more on the creative aspects of photography. I realized that I had a talent for interviewing people and that after all my years at Nikon and at Outdoor Photographer, PC Photo and Digital Photo Pro magazines I knew a lot of photographers. So, I knew I should put my money where my mouth is and start the show myself. After having a friend teach me how to edit and upload audio, I started producing the show every two weeks. I have been doing it for over a year and have had over thirty guests so far. You can check out episodes at www.thecandidframe.com.
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You also have another interesting ongoing project: a series of portraits on established and emerging writers of Southern California. Can you share your thoughts, and experiences, on this project?
Ibarionex Perello:
I always wanted to take more portraits of people, but was always shy and reticent about approaching potential subjects. I asked some writer friends of mine to take their portraits and during a party I was sharing the images with them and their families. The husband of one of the writers was a gallery owner and asked me to exhibit the work at a showing. I only had about 5 images and he wanted to have a show in less than 6 weeks.
I didn't want to pass up on the opportunity and so I ended up approaching a host of authors in Southern Calfornia and shot their portraits during my weekends. On one Saturday, I shot a total of 5 portraits. By the time of the exhibit, I had over 30 portraits including some prominent writers such as Janet Fitch, Hubert Selby and Jerry Stahl. It got me over my shyness about taking pictures of people and I have been working on this series for over three years now, with several images being used as the author photos for a writer's book jacket.
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For many photographers, approaching strangers for a photograph isn't easy. Did it always come easy for you? If not, how did you overcome that "hurdle"?
Ibarionex Perello:
I tricked myself into doing it. It began by challenging myself to approach a stranger every day and give them a compliment. I found that it was the approaching the person that caused me the greatest anxiety. I found that by using the excuse of complimenting someone on their hair, shoes, clothing or smile, it was easier for me to get past my anxiety.
I discovered by making the person my focus, rather than "getting" the image that I was able to get past that fear. I always have my camera and if I felt that the person was responding well to me, I would ask them to take their photograph, which they often agreed to. I think it was because they felt that I was taking a sincere interest in them, which I was. It wasn't so much about getting the picture, but enjoying the encounter. It really changed everything for me and has allowed me to photograph strangers. It's not always easy to deal with my fear, but I think this exercise really broke down the walls for me.
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