From the Beginning: Unveiling Yago Ruiz’s Photography Journey
Photography is described as the art of capturing moments in time, freezing them for eternity in a single frame. But how does it evolve from a beginner armed with a limited camera to a true creator with a unique vision? To leanr more on it, I reached out to the talented photographer Yago Ruiz. We delved into his journey that transformed a novice photographer into a master of his visual medium. Yago’s story is one of curiosity leading into a true passion. To visit Yago Ruiz’s work : www.yagoruizphotography.com
Here is some of the best from our conversation:
For me personally, my interest came from seeing my brother love photography and my curiousity slowly developed. I experimented from time to time before I truly got hooked onphotography. For yourself, do you remember it as a growing interest or was there a big defining moment that pushed you to becoming a photographer?
Yago: In my case the interest in Photography suddenly appeared after a trip to India in 2008. I went to such incredible travel with a 3MPx Olympus compact camera and I did not know anything about Photography, either technique or composition rules. I shot everything in JPG format and lowest resolution because of “saving room for next pictures in the trip”. You can imagine it was a mess. Then I decided if I was going to travel to those kind of countries I definitely needed a good camera. And it was, I bought a Nikon D60 (entry level, but good enough in my understanding) and then my love for Photography started.
Photography can be a solitary pursuit, but it can also be highly collaborative. You have recently started to work more with specific subjects such as the HASIDIM community in London. How has networking and working with other communities influenced your work & growth as an artist?
Yago: Initially my photography was fully focused on landscape, street (not well understood) and portraits to unknown people during my trips. It was like that for some years until I went to Ethiopia in 2013 for some months as a volunteer. That moment was important for me because I started to portray specific communities, it means, the same people almost every day or week.
Then I understood how important is from a photo project point of view to have a main character to work around.
In 2015 I came back to Ethiopia for almost a year and then I concluded a book about Ethiopia and its people, as a main character.
After that I moved to London in 2017 and I’ve lived there since. London was very exciting at the beginning, but I lost interest in my surroundings quickly and then focused again on traveling and people to get my passion back. During travel photpgraphy, I did not have a main characters, but my photography narrative and technique was improving.
Then, the pandemic arrived and changed everything. It was a coincidence, but I also had my first kid in 2021. I could not travel at all, and apparently it wasn’t going to be possible for some years. I looked to London for something that allowed me feeling like traveling, and I found Stamford Hill, a neighborhood where the biggest community of Hasidic Jews in Europe lived.
My main characters were there, absolutely impressive from the photo point of view, interesting from the anthropologic side, mysterious for most of the west countries…
I’ve been working with them for two years now and I have to say I have grown as a photographer much more than previous the thirteen years taking pictures around the world.
Networking has been critical for this project, and it took me almost five months to find and reach the proper person to be introduced in the community. Even now I do not have free access to some events and situations. I need to plan events and access with strong diplomacy months in advance, because the way they think and live is like that. For example, I’m already thinking about Chanukkah, taking place in December, and starting now conversations with my contacts in order to get access to synagogues or even private houses.
But thanks to this change on my mindset, I mean, working on long term projects with the same main character, my photography has improved and I also have grown as a Human Being. Establishing this kind of relationship with different cultures and people makes you grow and understand the world in a much broad point of view.
Going back to 2008 when you first picked up photography, what is one thing that you would do differently that you reflect on now 15 years later?
Yago: I would probably read more about how to make a complete photo project and its steps. Such as looking for the subject, research about it, planning, taking pictures, editing them and then produce a book or an exhibition, for example.
At the beginning I was focused on technique and composition rules, but I totally forgot about narrative and telling a story, editing and sequencing, projects or learning through academies or universities. I am totally self-taught, but turn to photo experts and professionals will make you save a lot of time if you are planning to make photography your job.
What do you do when you feel burnt out creatively or stuck with your work?
Yago: This one is simple. I keep shooting. Everyday if possible. And also reading world class photographers to get inspired.
You may feel you don’t have ideas to develop or you don’t find an interesting subject, but it is a matter of time. You’ll find it, and when it happens, you’ll need skills to execute your idea. Technique is there because you have taken care of it shooting daily, and new ways of looking and framing are there because you have read other photographers. Maybe the subjects and stories they were telling were not interesting for you, but you learn from their way of looking at the subject, and you always can extract new ideas from them.
Keep shooting.
One thing that really stuck out to me is your unique approach to both portraits and street photography. Your photographs capture both the essence of individuals and the vibrant energy of street life. Could you share some insights into your approach when you’re out shooting on the streets, especially when capturing spontaneous portraits?
Yago: I think it is a matter of experience and self-confidence. I am a really shy person. I even would say I use the camera as a shield.
When I’m on the streets I feel more comfortable depending on the country, because regulations there could be quite strict and sometimes you could have problems.
Regarding portraits, I got use to asking for them. I don’t like to approach people and take a picture not asking for it. I think it is invasive of the person, and he/she will not show his real face if he is uncomfortable. I approach with a smile, show the camera and then ask, either with my eyes or speaking (if I speak the language, and usually I don’t). If I get the approval then I proceed, otherwise I continue walking for another subject.
In the case the person is inmerse in his own business, I don’t hide myself or try to hide my camera. I basically move up my camera to my eye and take the picture. If the person is not happy I delete the picture and I show the person that Im doing it.
About street photography, I think it is critical to know your camera, it’s possible configurations and also have good skills using it, because most of the times street photography is a matter of 1–2 seconds. You cannot waste time thinking about what aperture and shooter speed you need. Your camera should be ready to point-and-shoot in order to see possible scenes in advance.
My last insight is reading. Read books of known and recognized street photographers and portrait photographers. Having a model to follow is important to grow.
Your style appears to be a reflection of your unique vision as a photographer. Can you share any advice for aspiring photographers looking to develop their own distinctive styles, even if it means merging genres in unconventional ways?
Yago: Style is something fictitious in my opinion. Let me explain this. Of course, you can build your own style, but if you research enough, you will find someone who made the same style you wanted to achieve but twenty or thirty years before.
For me the key is to focus in what is interesting for you and, after researching about photographers who worked on the same subjects, try to take different pictures, maybe having other photographers who never approached such subject, as a reference to follow. Combining these two ideas I think you can get strong images never taken before by others.
To visit Yago Ruiz’s work : www.yagoruizphotography.com
