Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process, we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.
In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.
For the eleventh post of the series, travel, lifestyle and interiors photographer Jonathan Stokes talks about a candid shot that he took at the Bar Las Teresas in Seville while on assignment for the Sunday Times Travel Magazine.
Jon says: "I took this photograph while working on an editorial assignment with Sunday Times Travel Magazine. It is a candid shot of a bar scene in the old town of Seville, Spain, taken in the late afternoon. The image shows 3 men sat at a small table in animated conversation, among a cluttered interior of old posters and paintings, plates and baskets for food, and a row of hanging cured jamón meat above the counter. The scene was very fortuitous, all the elements came together. The men in the bar seemed oblivious to me which kept the shot candid and not staged; I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
This is a personal favourite shot of mine for a variety of reasons and remains featured in my printed portfolio alongside newer work as it serves as a sort-of anchor, combining different features I love in photography. It’s a very cinematic shot with an unknown narrative which invites some imagination. Who are the men, and why are they there? Are they friends? Are they debating, arguing, sharing news, talking politics? I like how it feels like a modern scene, set in a traditional bar that probably hasn’t changed much over the years, which has seen countless meetings of the kind in this picture. I caught the moment the man in the middle is turning his head between the other two, the imperfection of the motion blur adding the feeling that the conversation is not a simple chat.
Bar Las Teresas, Seville @ Jonathan Stoke
There is a beautiful balance of light, with the men lit by the soft daylight coming from the window they were sat by, while the interior of the bar is a much murkier, gloomy artificial light. This contrast really makes the atmosphere of the shot to me; the people are bright and new and temporary, and the bar is old and established. I love taking what I refer to as ‘big pictures’ with lots of detail, textures and depth (as well presenting them as big too) which the viewers can immerse into. This image really demonstrates that with all the hanging jambons, the pictures on the wall and old tiles serving as background to the scene of the men meeting.
The image was used in the feature in the magazine, a food story on a tapas tour around Seville. Behind the camera was just me, and my guide who had taken me to the bar as they had (rightly) recommended it would be great for pictures. Usually, I shoot handheld in situations like this to keep things quite natural and loose, but as it was quite dark in the bar I used a tripod, so I was pleased it didn’t change the dynamic inside. This was shot on the Nikon D800 which was a real workhorse camera for me, I loved the results and used it for countless shoots before retiring when I upgraded (and after over 200,000 frames …)."
Thank you so much, Jon, I really enjoyed hearing about the story behind your image and learning a bit more about how you see life through your lens.
You can learn more about Jon's work on www.jonathanstokesphotography.com
If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here.
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