Mallorca has a big influence on my work
Alberto Polo Iañez's photography lies between two distinct yet interconnected spheres of fashion and nature. The connecting element is the technical approach and the emphasis put on the importance of light and the atmosphere created. The desire for perfectionism in this aspect is what emerges on the surface for the viewer to contemplate. “I could spend a lot of time looking for the perfect light in the studio and waiting hours in a landscape.” - Alberto shares.
The magic of the ray of light revealing a small part of the frame or the subject invite to immerse oneself in what might have been a photographer’s experience of the moment and the decision to represent the aesthetic discovered. The main drive is to show beauty found almost everywhere and enable the awakening of the viewer's senses.
Alberto Polo Iañez is a photographer based between Mallorca and Barcelona. His main passion lies with photography; however, the additional specialties include fields of sound, audiovisual production, and video. For the past several years, Alberto has been working as a creative photographer for global fashion brands. We discuss with Alberto the need to balance between personal projects and commercial work. We dive into some of the childhood memories and bring to light the conception of the idea to start photographing. Alberto emphasizes the effect nature has on his work, "Being born on an island always gives you that feeling of being wrapped up in it.” We learn about some of the upcoming projects Alberto is working on as the book on flowers and the construction of his website.
‘I remember happily and gratefully, the beach of Alcudia in Mallorca, family meetings, the great Paella from my father, being naked on the beach without any worries.’
I Am
Hi Alberto, happy to have you in our magazine. You’ve been born and raised in Palma de Mallorca, such a unique hometown! What is your warmest memory from your childhood connected to the island?
Right now, in my situation (not joking), I do not have so many memories of those moments. Our minds are so scattered and busy that we forget to remember them knowing that they could help us in some way. Thanks to my parents' disposable cameras, occasionally, I teleport. And, yes, I remember happily and gratefully, the beach of Alcudia in Mallorca, family meetings, the great Paella from my father, being naked on the beach without any worries, and the way back home in the car with my father’s favorite sports program on the radio.
The Pandemic
We heard so many artists addressing their discoveries about themselves and their work during this period as it seems some bright side was identified as well. How would you describe the last year in terms of work, self-contemplation, and creativity? What has changed for you?
It is complicated to explain how one feels about this situation. My sensation is like being naked in front of an unknown audience. Uncomfortable it would be the word. It is as if suddenly, you have a lot of time to think, and you start to plan a thousand ideas (those that before you could not plan in any way), but you cannot materialize them due to obstacles this situation has generated. In my daily work, for example, it’s been quite hard as, in a manner of speaking, we had to set up the company. I understand it, and I accept it, and I feel proud to see that it worked. On a personal and creative level, as I told you before, I felt self-conscious. For a long time, it has been difficult to materialize your ideas in a small and repetitive space as I am a traveler and I always find moments to escape from the noise of the city. For the moment, I am writing to you from the terrace of my house in Barcelona, without being able to escape from it.
‘Working with companies, one of your purposes is to contribute your knowledge and experience, knowing that you will always have a creative limitation and that it will be quite repetitive.’
A Profession
Apart from your personal projects, you’re also a fashion photographer working at Massimo Dutti in Barcelona. How would you compare the way you bring your vision to the project juxtaposing commercial and personal work? What are the main things you learned from both of those fields?
Hahaha, you caught me right now! Could we move to the next question?
When it comes to my personal work, I try to escape from my day-to-day life, but it is inevitable that fashion has a strong influence on me. Obviously, those are very different jobs, but they have a lot of similarities, for example, the use of light, the planning of the project, etc. Working with companies, one of your purposes is to contribute your knowledge and experience, knowing that you will always have a creative limitation and that it will be quite repetitive - something that could affect my passion for photography. And that is why, for me, it is necessary to differentiate between the two jobs, as I would not want it to become routine, although I can never avoid them coexisting.
‘I consider my character to be like that of nature itself, with its ups and downs.’
Nature
Landscapes and the raw beauty of nature as displayed in your work draw attention to the specifics of your interpretation of it. You portray nature through the prism of emotion, it is charged, it is sensual, it presents power confronted with loneliness. How does being in nature influence you, your thoughts, your aesthetics?
It produces the same sensation that I got when I arrive at the place: a peaceful silence and freedom that nowadays is a gift. The grace of art, and in the case of photography, sometimes, indirectly, it makes us teleport ourselves. In some ways, it's what I pretend. Being born on an island always gives you that feeling of being wrapped up in it. So I could say that it obviously has a big influence on my work, both aesthetically and personally. I consider my character to be like that of nature itself, with its ups and downs.
‘I remember my friend Anna on our trip to Iceland, hallucinating, even at times, worrying about my obsession to get the best atmosphere for THE picture.’
Light
Light is an additional element that is prominent in your work with landscapes, fashion, and personal projects. It appears that your approach is very accurate to the way light enters the frame. Could you guide us through some technical aspects of your way to work with light and the importance of it in the final result?
Haha, everyone has their manners of working and their secrets of capturing photographs. I’m joking, but honestly, it’s also true. I see many situations where a lot of artists lose their ways and style and are tempted by the fascination of what the person next door is doing. Speaking in a technical way, I won’t fool you because there is nothing that I could do that someone else doesn’t. It’s true that unlike other photographers and their works, the most important thing in my images is the use of light and the importance I give to it. I could spend a lot of time looking for the perfect light in the studio and waiting hours in a landscape. Right now, I remember my friend Anna on our trip to Iceland, hallucinating, even at times, worrying about my obsession to get the best atmosphere for THE picture.
Next Steps
What project are you working on or planning as the next one?
The most important project that I have now in mind is how to find time to organize myself LOL don't know whether to laugh or cry. I would say that I’m preparing a book about flowers, which is true, that I’m molding my new website, that in the future I want to open my own studio in Mallorca, among other things. Some help on how to set up my time and my mind? While I’m finishing this interview, I’m seeing how one of the flowers I bought two weeks ago is dying of boredom, so I think this one I can't use for the project (I have photographed it just in case you want a proof).
