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Art   Collective  
Artist in residency - Diego Ortiz
3 minute read
"If you’re thinking about doing it, just do it, whether it’s photography, dancing, writing or anything. We came here to play and that we shall do."
 
At what age did you start photographing and what was it that sparked this passion?

 

I started taking pictures when I was 27, it was something that always called me but I never really felt it was for me. I started taking pictures for a brand that I started, more of a means to an end but not seeing photography as a long-term project. Somewhere along the road, I saw that with photography I could communicate my feelings and way of seeing things in a much deeper way. I was never a man of many words but I always had this fire burning inside of me and felt I had to communicate it in a certain way. Thru photography, I found my way. The way to communicate what is flowing in me and the external world. Sometimes you see or experience scenes so beautiful that is just hard to grasp and explain if you were not there. With photography, I hope to make this world we live in a better place. That is why I do it.

 
What is it about photographing that you love the most?

 

At a certain point, I realized there was something more to it. I loved how I could capture moments from my perspective and make timeless memories that would otherwise be lost in time. 

What camera and lens/es do you use?

 

I took pictures with my phone for years until a couple of years ago where I got a Sony AR7 II with my brother. Drone photography is something I love as well and I use my Mavic Pro. 

 

What made you want to go to Costa Rica?

 

Santa Teresa is a place I kept hearing about and I felt it to be calling me. A good friend of mine was living here so I decided it was the time to go and explore what was out there. It’s been above and beyond my expectations.

Your work is entwined with the natural environment and specially the sea. Can you tell me a little about the importance of it in your photography?

 

I’ve never planned what pictures to take, only go with the flow but it’s something with the ocean that keeps bringing me back to it. It’s the peace that I felt when I’m swimming in it that makes me want to take the pictures so I can grab a bit of that inner peace so I can share it with the world. Beauty is everywhere, you just have to look. 

 

Who or what are some of your inspirations?

 

I once entered a Henri Cartier exposition in Paris, I wasn’t planning on it but seeing the way he captured moments in time was something that I could just not let go. I knew it was a calling for me. I also try to use social media in the best way possible, always looking for inspiration and new challenges. 

If you could photograph any person or any place, who or where would it be? 

 

I would love to photograph India, get lost in the country and the people. Take pictures of the street vendors and the prime minister. There is so much to see there that I feel I must capture some of it. 

 

What personal projects can we look forward to from you next, what are you enjoying exploring at the moment?

 

I will be launching my book and minute now, a collection of moments from years of photography. “Fleeting” is the title as we are only here for a shot period of time. Life is feeling I always say and that is what I want to share, so people can wake up and make the most of life. 

Can you explain the blurry effect that we find in many of your pictures and why you use it so much?

 

The blurry effect that you see in my pictures or as I like to call it is "fleeting". It's a reminder of how our time in this life is finite. Everything that we experience shall pass so we must savor every single moment as much as we can. Life is something to be lived, the good and the bad. They say the gods envy us because we are mortal and you don't know when it will be your last day. Fleeting is an homage to how wonderful it is to be alive and how every moment that we experience won't come back.

 

If you want to share something more or different feel free!
 

If you’re thinking about doing it, just do it, whether it’s photography, dancing, writing or anything. We came here to play and that we shall do.