Wilmer Sanchez

I am a photographer specializing in Creative + Documentary photography. To paraphrase the description of one of my favorite photographers, Sam Abell, my style of photography is documentary in the sense that I record the world around me. However, I feel my best work has transcendent qualities, starting at the documentary level yet open to interpretation on an aesthetic level.

So what does it mean - for me - to be a Creative + Documentary photographer? Well, it always starts with the photo, where composition is the queen. 

The legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson made famous the idea of “The Decisive Moment”. In the preface to his book Images à la sauvette, Cartier-Bresson took his keynote text from the 17th century Cardinal de Retz: "Il n'y a rien dans ce monde qui n'ait un moment decisif" - "There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment". Cartier-Bresson applied this to his photographic style. He believed in composing his photographs in the viewfinder, not in the darkroom. Nearly all his photographs were completely free of any cropping or other darkroom manipulation.

In one of his interviews Cartier-Bresson said “I am after the one unique picture whose composition possesses such vigour and richness, and whose content so radiates outwards from it, that this single picture is a whole story in itself”

In that regard I always look to document the world around me and capture the decisive moment which holds the essence of the image. I never crop the image, change the perspective or move things around. 

But then, after I have the composition, the “Creative” aspect comes into play, and there we enter the world of another grand master - Ansel Adams. 

Ansel Adams is considered one of the great masters of landscape and nature photography. He was known for his darkroom craftsmanship and published several books on the subject. “Ansel Adams was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation. He is seen as an environmental folk hero and a symbol of the American West, especially of Yosemite National Park. Adams' dedication to wilderness preservation, his commitment to the Sierra Club, and of course, his signature black-and-white photographs inspire an appreciation for natural beauty and a strong conservation ethic.” [The Sierra Club]

So from Ansel Adams I took two things - love of nature and use of the darkroom. But in my case it’s a digital one. Once I have the photo (read my previous post) I load it into my Adobe Photoshop Express app (available for free in your local App Store or or Google Play). There I try to “carve” the final image from the original. Sam Abell, one of my favourite photographers, said of this “My best work is often almost unconscious and occurs ahead of my ability to understand it.”

I am inspired by many photographers but the following stand out (in no particular order):

Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson @henricartierbresson, Jim Brandenburg @jimbrandenburg, Micha Bar Am, Pete McBride @pedromcbride, Reza @rezaphotography, Sam Abell, Steve McCurry @stevemccurryofficial and William Albard Allard. 

Although my style and direction are somewhat different (especially in terms of my use of post processing) I still find extremely important to study the work of past masters and contemporary greats. I always find inspiration in their work and the drive to produce better work of my own.

I’ve always had a fascination with the ocean and the sea. I think it has to do with the feeling the the ocean is a direct link to the creation of our plant, that the ocean I look at and photograph today is the “same” ocean that existed billions of years ago. Then there’s the idea that someone, on the other side of the earth is in contact, sharing with me me this gigantic and majestic body of water. 

This time I would like to recommend the Instagram feed of Magnum Photos @magnumphotos. 

What is Magnum Photos? Wikipedia states: 

Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo. According to co-founder Henri Cartier-Bresson, “Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to transcribe it visually”

Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and William Vandivert (all photographers), Rita Vandivert and Maria Eisner were the founding members of Magnum in Paris in 1947, based on an idea of Capa's.

For me Magnum Photos is a place to find inspiration, be moved and see the work of some of the most talented photographers in the world.