Public Republic

Mariana Velichkova’s interview with the fashion photographer Antonio Garcia

Antonio Garcia: “The Most Important Thing in Fashion Photography is Passion”

How were you attracted to the world of fashion?

When I was learning photography, I was introduced to many photographers. A lot of disciplines, a lot of different fields: documentary, sports, landscapes, still photography… and fashion. I found myself totally impressed with works of such artists like Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Patrick DeMarchelier, Mario Testino, Steven Klein… Those pictures led me into fashion almost instantly.

What definition would you give to fashion?

Well, I’m not a fashionable one. I mean, I am not concerned about my clothes, trends and so on. That’s why my sense of fashion is only about the people. I think fashion is not about what you wear, but about how you feel with it, what you want to be and how your clothes define you. The matter is, once you have decided who you are and how you see the world, you can express yourself (actually, you must express yourself) in a visual way, using the body as a canvas for your mind.

What are your goals and pursuits as a fashion photographer?

I’m in it just for the money!!! Just kidding… Several years ago I found the way to be happy and successful in my life: being comfortable in what I do, with my family, my friends and, of course, with my job. When I found photography was a way to be a “creative force”, I thought “this is the way I wanted to live”… so this is my primary goal: living the way I want to.

Do you use Photoshop and other similar software for image-enhancement?

Of course!! I used to apply Photoshop a lot more because, at first, it was not image-enhancement, but image-fixing!!! Right now I take much more care in lightning and make-up to get the most out of the picture itself. Once you get the right picture, work in Photoshop can be reduced to slight, soft retouching and Photoshop-abuse is not necessary.

How would you describe the “atmosphere” in your studio?

I always say that my studio is built ‘with love’. What I really mean is that I put all my effort into making my studio a comfortable place to work, create and have fun while doing it. There is always music playing and the atmosphere is always positive and charming.

Who are your favorite designers?

I love ‘crazy design’; people like Marc Jacobs, Galliano, David Delfín, Alexander McQueen… I can’t remember some names, but you know, people who make art out of fashion, that’s the point for me.

What specific aspects of fashion photography differ from other forms of photography?

I think the most important thing in fashion photography is passion. Watching fashion photography you can see beauty, love, fun and a lot of ‘pretty nice stuff’, but also sex, hate, solitude, voyeurism, even violence.

There’s a lot of feelings, good and bad, because fashion photography is all about human feelings and the most powerful of those is passion. Passion touches everyone of us. It’s the most powerful force in the world.

What has made you laugh while shooting?

There’s a funny thing while I’m shooting in my studio… I always work with my Mac Book so we can watch the pictures in the middle of a photo shoot. I put out the memory card, plug into the laptop and revise the pictures in order to ensure everything is OK and to get the feel and improve some of the poses.

Once we watch the pics, we return to shoot and I always forget to put the memory card back into the camera!!! So model have to wait (sometimes after posing) until I go to the laptop, eject the card and bring it back to the camera… It happens almost 10 times each photo shoot!!!

What fashion show would you consider to be the best you have ever attended?

I never attended any fashion show… so I cannot answer 🙂 I’m just starting!

How does the culture in your country, Spain, influence the fashion designs?

Spain has a very peculiar culture, starting with music styles like Flamenco and even painting… Picasso, for example, has influenced a lot of Spanish designers, who explore fashion design as an art itself, and try to reinvent it… well, I’m not so much into design 🙂

What can you describe that exists in the world of fashion that you cannot find anywhere outside of it?

In most arts you can find a lot of interesting things and ways to express yourself. Fashion is even more dynamic because it mixes two worlds: art and industry. The industry factor makes fashion accessible to all people through advertisement and the artistic factor allows you to send your message. So we have an artistic expression that is marketed world wide to all ages, genders and even social statuses… that’s very powerful!

Thank you very much for your answers and participation!

Biography:

Antonio Garcia was born in Madrid in 1982. He has been a purely a digital photographer since he began. As a programmer and web designer he was introduced to Photoshop and, after that, he found a way to express himself in photography.

He got his first camera three years ago and it has been his passion ever since. He loves sharing the art he creates with his camera. Antonio studied in the Spanish photography school EFTI. After that he set up a studio in Madrid making portraits and working in fashion photography. He loves beauty, passion, emotion and everything that goes with fashion. To him it is a fantasy world where you can be anything you want.