You'll never forget the first time you did something, and for me, the documentary essay I worked on back between 1999-2000 from which these images are from is one hard to forget but also, it's one I am the most proud and most nostalgic about, as I treasure it BIG time as an important part of my life, personally and photographically.
The images you see here were taken at Pantaleon's place, a neighborhood barbershop in Montevideo, Uruguay, not longer in existence, but that was my first ever photographic project in which I poured myself completely for a period of time.
This barbershop was to me like opening a time capsule, from which the contents spilled out in various ways. Some, I knew or could grab their meaning, others were windows into the past of the city and the country in a way that no text book could have taught me.
For many years Pantaleon operated this barbershop, which was not only a place to get a haircut, but like many barbershops around the world, it was also a social hub for the people in the neighborhood, and in the typical mindset of bygone times, it was a clientele that mainly was not only male, but also of an older generation, as if belonging non-officially to a special club that will use to gather at the shop, taking with them a sense of belonging but also of ownership.
I remember Pantaleon as a generous person that did not easily demonstrated his soft side. It took some convincing to let me spend so much time photographing there; the place was really tiny and sometimes I would not be able to photograph except from the door frame as 2 costumers and him will fill the place, but I will never forget his emotion at seeing his picture in in one of Uruguay's main newspapers when the work was exhibited in the city (my first ever exhibit). He felt like a small celebrity and I was witness to his 15 minutes of fame when people showed up at the shop, paper in hand to friendly tease him or congratulate him.
The images you see here were taken at Pantaleon's place, a neighborhood barbershop in Montevideo, Uruguay, not longer in existence, but that was my first ever photographic project in which I poured myself completely for a period of time.
This barbershop was to me like opening a time capsule, from which the contents spilled out in various ways. Some, I knew or could grab their meaning, others were windows into the past of the city and the country in a way that no text book could have taught me.
For many years Pantaleon operated this barbershop, which was not only a place to get a haircut, but like many barbershops around the world, it was also a social hub for the people in the neighborhood, and in the typical mindset of bygone times, it was a clientele that mainly was not only male, but also of an older generation, as if belonging non-officially to a special club that will use to gather at the shop, taking with them a sense of belonging but also of ownership.
I remember Pantaleon as a generous person that did not easily demonstrated his soft side. It took some convincing to let me spend so much time photographing there; the place was really tiny and sometimes I would not be able to photograph except from the door frame as 2 costumers and him will fill the place, but I will never forget his emotion at seeing his picture in in one of Uruguay's main newspapers when the work was exhibited in the city (my first ever exhibit). He felt like a small celebrity and I was witness to his 15 minutes of fame when people showed up at the shop, paper in hand to friendly tease him or congratulate him.
The barbershop was a cavern with not much for light. I remember it was my first time pushing film to 1600ISO, something that was... uhhhhh for my 23 years old newbie. I was using my beloved first Nikon camera, my FM10, completely manual. Let's say it was a nice learning curve.
Anyway, another character I don't want to forget was "Pajarito" (Little Bird), who is on the first photo of this post. He was Pantaleon's sidekick, in charge of running the registering for the local lottery and also there to make coffee runs to the bar next door, to which a tiny small door will communicate to.
As I write this I only think of how much a loved being there. It was as I said a window into the past, spending hours listening to people tell me stories from a city that seemed foreign to me because of their age and the times many of them have lived.
I hope I never forget this project, and as I was hesitant to include it or not on my upcoming new website because it was made ages ago, I decided to do so, because it's what I felt made me in some way; my first time truly believing in the power of narrative and story telling I hold on photography and I still do believe so many years later, every time I lift a camera to my face and see the world through that wonderful rectangle full of possibilities.
Anyway, another character I don't want to forget was "Pajarito" (Little Bird), who is on the first photo of this post. He was Pantaleon's sidekick, in charge of running the registering for the local lottery and also there to make coffee runs to the bar next door, to which a tiny small door will communicate to.
As I write this I only think of how much a loved being there. It was as I said a window into the past, spending hours listening to people tell me stories from a city that seemed foreign to me because of their age and the times many of them have lived.
I hope I never forget this project, and as I was hesitant to include it or not on my upcoming new website because it was made ages ago, I decided to do so, because it's what I felt made me in some way; my first time truly believing in the power of narrative and story telling I hold on photography and I still do believe so many years later, every time I lift a camera to my face and see the world through that wonderful rectangle full of possibilities.
