The Bathers
In Maracaibo, my home town is always summer. Similar to Toronto, it has a lake where the sun rises every day.
Tropical Daydream
Sadly, The Lake of Maracaibo was already contaminated long before I was born. Of its crystal clear waters and the exuberant lifestyle around it, only nostalgia and old fashioned photos survive.
Dragon's Breath
Therefore, when I moved to Toronto and had the fortune to settle close by the lakeshore Ontario, I assumed it was fate, my second chance to have the lifestyle my hometown had denied me.
Decisions
However, I did not anticipate the stress and challenges of being an immigrant brought. Neither the uprooting and mourning feelings that cultural and language barriers stressed.
Passangers
In the vertigo of my crisis, I started to portrait my "second chance" my ideal life by the lake during the summertime only.
Family Chat
I opted for infrared black and white because it allowed me to catch the essence of the stories.
Summer Folk Tale
It also increased the brightness of the sunlight and added a timeless dreamlike aspect that I was aiming to achieve for the images.
The Circle Game
This photo series is the outcome of my process of overcoming cultural grief while I learned to embrace my new life.
The Comet
They are my nostalgic approach to the spaces I love to and where the sun rises every day.
The Shelter
A Familiar Gesture
Day Dog Afternoon
