PHOTO CONFESSIONAL: Adriana Loureiro
SAN DIEGO DE LOS ALTOS, VENEZUELA - JANUARY 10, 2023: After school, Clarelys Lopez-Jimenez, 4, rests on the bed she shares with the family of four. Her mother, a full-time teacher, earns around $6 per month, which is barely enough to feed the family once per day.
IF YOU WEREN’T A PHOTOGRAPHER, WHAT OTHER PROFESSION WOULD YOU PICK?
I have not been able to see myself as anything other than a photojournalist since I discovered it. Even trying to see myself as a studio or commercial photographer seems difficult. There are so many people who still have not found their passion in life, like their driving force. I had the luck of finding that very early on, so I can’t find a good reason to let that go. All the other options seem a bit hollow for me. What I can see more clearly is doing other things while I continue to grow and learn in photojournalism. I am very interested in print and how our work can exist beyond screens. I am interested in how our brains work in relation to images and the construction of memory and creativity, for example.
PUNTA DE MATA, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 5, 2022. Under a sky lit by gas flares, Jalismar Villaruel, plays animal lottery with her neighbors and two children, Camelia and Thiago Fuentes.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CRUCIAL DECISION YOU HAVE MADE IN YOUR CAREER’s DEVELOPMENT?
The most crucial decision I made was to go all in. I remember the day and the circumstances that surrounded that decision. I remember thinking to myself that it would be a big gamble, and that I would have to sacrifice a lot to become the photographer I wanted to be, and I remember thinking ‘Ok. So if we are going to gamble, we are going to go all in.’ There’s a poem by Charles Bukowski that I want to share, just in case someone reads it here and it does for them what it did for me:
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.
go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.
do it, do it, do it.
do it.
all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.
The day I decided I was going to become a photojournalist, I actually had some interpretation of this poem tattooed on me. Every time things get hard or I hesitate, I have it as a reminder of why I began.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JANUARY 10, 2023. Sun sets over a busy street market.
HOW IMPORTANT IS RESEARCH IN YOUR WORK?
Research is 80% of the work. Photographing it is the really fun part. But in my work, I can spend days, months, reading about and ruminating on a topic. If the idea is relevant and I research it well enough, photographing it well becomes so easy. Pre-production is what separates a lucky shot from an outstanding body of work. That’s not to trash luck as a concept, because so much of the magic that sometimes happens in photography is luck (I am such a worshipper). But I think pre-production and research is the way in which we maximize luck and put ourselves at the right place, at the right time, to potentiate the luck factor.
I don’t think people realize how much work is involved behind a fully hashed-out visual story. There are oftentimes, a lot of people behind the camera: field-producers, reporters, sources, experts, researchers. I don’t think my work would be what it is without the collaboration of so many people who help me understand a problem, long before I even grab the camera. There is a concept in psychology called the Frequency Illusion, that describes a cognitive bias where you start noticing something more frequently after becoming aware of it. Research allows me to see significant things when I am out in the field that I may not notice otherwise.
TACNA, PERU. JULY 5, 2017: Kely Vicuña (18) and Darwin Contreras (19) sleep on their eighth bus, as they head to Peru’s border with Chile. The couple are asylum seekers who escaped Venezuela after being political prisoners in 2017. Venezuelans now top every Latin American list for asylum requests.
IS THERE A PHOTOGRAPHER/ARTIST WHO IS A CONSTANT REFERENCE FOR YOU?
Natalie Keyssar is sort of my Northern Star. The way her brain approaches situations and the kindness she extends to the people she works with are inspiring. Nina Berman was my first mentor in photography and continues to ground my practice every time I hear her talk. Alvaro Ybarra-Zavala was my first inspiration in terms of composition structures and layering —his eye is magical.
I continue going back to artists like J. M. W. Turner, Caravaggio, Edward Hopper, Eugenio Recuenco, if I need to refresh my mind and eye.
MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA. AUGUST 2, 2019: Saida Bravo, 45, who suffers from acute malnutrition, enjoys the sunlight. Ms.Bravo rarely has strength to get out of bed, so she sees sunlight when a family member comes to open her window.
WHAT WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH?
I want to photograph everything. There is so much to learn every time I make an image, specially when I fail at it. So I think it is really important to photograph everything we can. The practice teaches us to recognize what sparks our interest, how to do it better, what not to do. To me, it’s not so much what we photograph, but what we choose to share with the world. There is so much image overload these days, that I think we owe it to people and to images themselves to pause for a minute before putting more images out into the world. If I feel that an image is weak, for the love of good images, I will most likely keep it to myself and try to learn from it.
PUNTO FIJO, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 16, 2020: With Cardon refinery burning in the background, fishermen repair their nets before sailing. Some of their nets have been permanently damaged due to crude oil spills. In 2012, the refinery behind them, Amuay, had the deadliest accident in recent Venezuelan history: An explosion tore through the gas storage facility leaving, at least, 39 dead. The fishing town has grown with the constant threat of another explosion, and an increased risk due to lack of maintenance.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE, AND WHAT IMPORTANCE DO YOU GIVE TO TECHNIQUE?
Technique is important, although I don’t think of myself as a technical photographer. Compared to many photographers I know, who are geniuses in the technical aspects of their work and know how to maximize their gear's capacities, I am pretty average. To me, what matters most is the moment, the emotion, intimacy, closeness.
I have used almost all camera brands out there. I started with a very old Canon, then I got a Nikon. I briefly had a Sony. Now I use Leica. I am not gonna lie and say the equipment doesn’t matter. Specially in harsh lighting conditions, there is a big, noticeable gap between brands and models. But I do think it is always true that equipment can’t stop us from doing what we want to do in photography, and so it is good advice to just work with whatever we have and do the best that we can with it.
YAURUNA, VENEZUELA - MARCH 18, 2021: Magaly Lozano hugs her cousin Florinda Baez. It was the first time the women were reunited since both fled the region in 2018, displaced by the armed group known as La Zona.
WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
To me everything starts with researching a good story in a place that will bring some magic to the equation. The environment has so much weight in my photography that I am usually guided by the space, and then looking for relevant and unique stories there. Once I have the research, the storyline and the place, I will let the context drive my photography. Although I can be very structured when I go out to photograph, I leave a lot of space for life to happen and I make sure that I am very present throughout the day so I can recognize when something important is happening.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA. SEPTEMBER 14, 2019: In a house made of plastic sheets, Grilis Febres (center), 19, holds her youngest daughter. While her mother (bottom right) and sister-in-law (left) hold their newborn children in their home in Petare. In Venezuela, contraception shortages began in 2013. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Venezuela has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. Every 3 minutes, there is a birth from a teenage girl.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WITH a #tag
N/A.
SAN DIEGO DE LOS ALTOS, VENEZUELA - JANUARY 10, 2023: Yrelys Jimenez, 38, stands beneath a hole in the roof of her home, holding her son Yonder Lopez-Jimenez, 2. Mrs Jimenez, a full-time teacher, earns around $6 per month, which is barely enough to feed the family once per day.
at what point did you feel you were a photographer, and what made you think that way?
I don’t remember when I started to feel like a photographer —I think I always felt like one, ever since I had my first camera. The camera has always justified my presence in places that I should not be in. It has always been my mediator with the world and a prism for curiosity. I interrelate with people, with their worldviews and their experience of reality through the camera, so it has become a fundamental part of how I understand the world, a fundamental part of myself.
GUACA, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 30, 2020: Attaiz Bellorin, 33, digs the sand in search for gold while children play around her. : The fishing town of Guaca was starving when a miracle came: a child, playing in the sand found a golden piece of jewelry. As gold pieces started washing ashore, the entire town descended on the beach. Most of them traded their treasures for food, which fed them for weeks.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION?
I was lucky to have very strict parents, teachers and mentors, so I can’t underline enough how much I appreciate a rejection, specially if it comes with advice. Most importantly, I don’t take rejection personally or allow it to hold weight on my value and self-worth. The amount of no’s I have gotten throughout my career far outweighs the yeses. If I believe in a story, I will push for it to happen, regardless of how many times it gets rejected. I also think there is so much to learn when things are not going our way: usually, it just means you need to improve in some areas and keep trying. It’s always an opportunity for growth.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JANUARY 10, 2023: Men scavenge for food in a large waste container during a busy afternoon in Petare, a working-class neighborhood.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SUCH SUCCESS?
I don’t think success is something I accomplish. It’s something I strive for, always. Being brought up in journalism, there’s a saying: “You’re only as good as your last story”. So I see success in those terms: how can I make my next story better? Where can I improve? If I learn something in the process, I consider that a success.I think it’s just a matter of committing to ourselves and to our purpose. Going all in and always being open to learning and improving.
CABIMAS, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 24, 2019: Luis Javier, 9 and Luis David, 8, play on the shores of lake Maracaibo, stained with algae blooms and crude oil. Lake Maracaibo is covered by a layer of algae that flourishes because of mineral contamination, caused by a constant flow of oil spills.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH STRANGERS IN YOUR PROJECTS OR TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PROJECTS?
Being open and genuinely curious about others and their worldviews is so important. When I approach people, I always do it from that headspace and with all the respect for their humanity and courage. I don’t think standing in front of a camera is easy, especially for the people and themes I photograph, so I always tell them how much I appreciate their time and courage. I don’t go into places to judge, I go into places to learn. Agnes Varda said, "If we opened people up, we'd find landscapes” —I carry that idea within me when I approach people for stories and I think something about my presence lets them know that about me too. It’s a magical experience.
CABIMAS, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 24, 2019: Yon Medina dives from an abandoned oil structure in lake Maracaibo, covered in algae blooms. Lake Maracaibo is covered by a layer of algae that flourishes because of mineral contamination, caused by a constant flow of oil spills.
IS IT COMMON FOR YOU TO QUESTION YOURSELF OR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?
All of the time. I question everything all the time. Myself, my practice, our practice. I do not doubt that what we do as photojournalists and documentarists is important, maybe that’s the only part I don’t question. The rest is always up for debate and has changed over the years and will probably continue to change. The questions become more existential when it relates to photographing the horror, the pain. Because we need to recognize that we are not there to provide solutions, we can’t provide reparations. So why are we there?
CABIMAS, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 24, 2019: Diego (14), Manuel (13), and Miguel Mendez (16) fish next to dead fish in lake Maracaibo. The three brothers have to fish on a borrowed boat that is blackened by crude oil to help their mother feed the family.
how is your approach to the art world/ photo-book world?
I don't want to get hung up on the idea that it took me longer because I am a woman, but I also won’t ignore the fact that it happened. It was really hard to get a foot in the door at the beginning, especially in Venezuela. The industry was entirely dominated by men and there was still that long-standing idea that the job was too dangerous for us. But, as I said before, I appreciate rejection and I always find power when someone believes I can’t do something. It was an opportunity for growth that made me better and allowed me to open a space that did not exist before me. That has been a really beautiful thing to experience. For the rest of it, I think being a woman gives me some tools that really enhanced my work: being able to work with kindness, softness, and empathy has made photography such an enriching career.
PUNTA DE MATA, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 3, 2022: The road leading to Punta de Mata, lit by multiple gas flares. The town is the brightest spot in the country, topping even the capital, due to one of the world’s largest gas flares.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A NEW PHOTOGRAPHER WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT?
It is really important to get honest with ourselves from the beginning. What are your truest motivations? What is the essence of this practice for you? Those answers will sustain your practice in the long run. Because photojournalism demands all of you, all of what you are —and it doesn’t always give back in obvious ways. It’s vital to understand what moves us, so we can have that anchor throughout time. And if those answers truly satisfy your spirit, my next advice is to trust yourself beyond logic. Go all in, even if people reject you initially, even if the start feels impossible. Just continue photographing the stories that move you, commit to them and to yourself. The rest of the world will eventually catch up, and things will start to align.
ABOUT adriana loureiro
Adriana Loureiro Fernandez is a freelance photojournalist based in Venezuela. Her work focuses on social conflict and has been published in outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Los Angeles Times, Causette Magazine, Der Spiegel, NPR, among others. She has collaborated with NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children. She is currently a frequent contributor to The New York Times and was recently recognized by the Leica Society Foundation, which awarded her the Women in Photojournalism Award.
Adriana was among the first generation of Adobe Rising Stars. In 2017, she received the Ian Parry's Highly Commended Award and in 2019, she received the Remi Ochlik Award at Visa Pour L'Image. Her work has been exhibited at Photoville in New York, as well as in several cities in Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
She holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York and is a student of Eddie Adams' workshop.
Aside from his commissioned work for The New York Times in Latin America, he is continuing his personal project, Paraiso Perdido, in collaboration with the Leica Society Foundation.
portrait by Carlos Becerra and Carolina Cabral
