Famous and Professional Photographer Profiles: JAVIER ARCENILLAS

JAVIER ARCENILLAS

Recent success across a host of categories in the Sony World Photo awards sprung the work of JAVIER ARCENILLAS on to the world stage

WORD PAUL NUTTAL PICTURES JAVIER ARCENILLAS

Documentary photography, and in particular work undertaken in some of the more tumultuous and trouble-ridden areas of the world, has been in the news of late for all of the wrong reasons.

With conflict and social disarray in much of the Middle East and large parts of Latin America, there has been ample opportunity, and also a dire need, for the services of the documentary photographer. However, documenting these situations is extremely dangerous, and the recent passing of World Press Photo winner Professional Photographer Tim Hetherington and Getty Professional Photographer Chris Hondros has only served to highlight what a dangerous career it is.

Yet for those who are passionate about getting the story across from the front line and from the source, there are few more rewarding careers. One person for whom the career of a documentary photographer was a calling was the multi-award winning Javier Arcenillas, but how exactly does one find oneself working in such perilous environments?

'I don t remember the time exactly, and I come from a world of cinema that I initially was a lot more interested in,' begins Javier. 'Later, however, I changed my opinion on cinema, as to me it looked too artificial. I needed a path to something more real and authentic, and photography allowed me to work and develop my own perspectives without needing great means, which in itself was an advantage over cinema.'

Javier's early interest in the world of cinema rather than photography is reflected in his education - he studied Psychology, studies which were accompanied with cinema and video.

However, Javier later learned about photography in a practical sense from a tutor who no doubt influenced his style. ’With regards to my photographic training, I've spent time learning from Professional Photographer Fernando Herraez, who is a reporter of the old school Spanish information retrieval officer

The time spent learning under Professional Photo-grapher Fernando Herraez clearly influenced Javier, and it can be seen in. the gritty realism of his work. With projects covering subjects ranging from the garbage dump cities of Central America through to the drug trade of Jamaica, there is barely a subject Javier won't cover. But what is it that drives Javier to choose such fields to photograph, and how does he go about establishing a project?

'The most important thing is the idea arid the development of its content. It's fundamental that a photographer is very conscious of the work they realise. 'In my case as a documentary photographer I have a work of narration and there's great responsibility in taking the photographs. This is because I'm showcasing an event that can hove global transcendence and could be very important.'

So once Javier has conceived the idea, or decided upon the subject-matter that he feels needs a global audience, how does he work out how to cover it and get to the bottom of the mechanics of the shoot?

ABOVE: 'Sicarios' - one of the most popular and respected professions in Latin America is that of a hit man. Young people, including minors, are seduced by money and respect among peers

Below: 'Gladiadores' - behind the scenes at the Olympic boxing school in Havana, Cuba

'It's a process that involves time, patience and much work. I spend lots of time thinking about what I want to do, how I’m going to do it and why I should do it. It's no straight way to decide on a project, but I like the variety of subjects it allows me to shoot. Each story has an element and an angle for me to photograph.'

This is an admirable stand to take on documentary photography, and one that allows Javier to photograph the broad range of sublets he does I his adaptability and diversity of projects has, whether through design or as an affect, allowed Javier to achieve great critical and competitive acclaim. In this year's Sony World Photography Awards, for example, Javier was placed first in two of the major categories, and second in a further one.

Javier has won a host of further awards through the years, although this isn't the most important thing for the man himself: 'The prizes Professional Photographer themselves are not generally important, with the exception of grants that can fund my projects. The most important thing is to be able to keep working and taking photos.'

ABOVE: 'Citizens of Despair' - the Rohingya population have fled Myanmar due to persecution, and seek refuge, sometimes indefinitely, in temporary camps in Bangladesh

BELOW: 'Glodiadores' - the fighters at the Cuba boxing school are considered some of the best athletes in the world of boxing

Covering such a broad range of subjects currently hitting the headlines is not without its risks.

So how does Javier gain the access that he does, and how does he handle the risks?

'I don't normally ask for permission to carry out my projects in particular - it's more of a combination of spending time preparing and with the subjects, having a good amount of patience and a fair amount of good luck.

'I try to stay away from the areas of extreme danger wherever possible, but I guess that I’m oblivious to a lot of the dangers.

My eagerness to understand the situations that I'm photographing sometimes overcomes that fear.

There's no doubt Javier's life is a dangerous one but, as is instantly apparent when speaking to him, it's also a deeply rewarding one if you're willing to take the risks. So if you are willing to, what advice does Javier have?

'You have to be armed with patience - it's not a profession, but more of a very complicated and difficult life. Not only is it necessary to be able to take good photographs, but also to master languages, to have a knowledge of the world's geography and cultures a long way beyond our own. In general, however, I do not like to give advice to some one wanting to dedicate themselves to documentary photography... I can only say welcome to this wonderful world.

To view more Javier Arcenillas's work, visit http://www.javierarcenillas.com/

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