Oscar García Ortega (@oscar_bcn): “I want my photographs to add value to the city, to showcase the beauty of Barcelona”
In 2010, American entrepreneur and programmer Kevin Systrom, along with Brazilian engineer Mike Krieger, launched a mobile photography project they called Instagram. Since then, the social network has not stopped growing and has gained millions of users who showcase their photographic skills to the world every day. However, without being a professional network, a few users have managed to stand out, true virtuosos of the image, who share their creations on their profiles for everyone's enjoyment.
Beyond the number of followers, when it comes to quality and beauty, the account of @oscar_bcn stands out among the crowd. A carefully curated profile where one can easily become captivated by a distinct and subtle view of Barcelona. Oscar García Ortega is a creative photographer, a perfectionist with a very personal style that surprises with its freshness and exquisite execution. His images exude an unusual beauty that directly transports the observer to the place where they were taken. Because Oscar is a wizard of perspective and framing, a scholar of color, and above all, a person with a pure heart, generous and willing to help, who infuses each photograph with his essence.
He was born in Santiago, Chile, although it was the coasts of the Mar de Plata, southeast of the province of Buenos Aires, that truly saw him grow up with his family and sparked his passion for photography. Years later, Barcelona became his home and the perfect backdrop that offers him the opportunity every day to find inspiration and unleash his creativity.
For 15 years, they have been working as the head of the Preproduction department at one of the most important Spanish-language language teaching publishers, where, together with their team, they ensure that all the study manuals published are perfectly printed. Occasionally, they also develop the creative part of art direction for some projects and the production of photographic reports that illustrate the various lessons contained in the books.
For Oscar, photography is "what fulfills me the most, what gives me the most satisfaction because, even though I don't live exclusively from photography, there are many things in my life related to it. It has allowed me to travel, meet people, win contests; it's very important. Photography lets me disconnect, it makes me feel free and be more creative. I believe that everyone should have a creative side, no matter what you do, whatever it is that you dedicate yourself to, something with which you truly feel yourself, and I fulfill that with photography".
Against all odds, photography unexpectedly came face to face in his life, without him anticipating it, since as a child he dreamed of becoming a veterinarian: “I ended up in Fine Arts somewhat by chance. I wanted to study veterinary medicine, so I was studying at an agricultural school where I stayed from Monday to Friday in the countryside, waking up very early and going to bed very late. It was a very demanding job that I did for 3 years. But I got tired and decided to go study in the city, to have part-time studies and be able to do other things. So I changed schools and was able to participate in a graffiti mural contest that was organized. I won and created my 3x3 meter mural with a team of assistants. At that time, one of the project coordinators who was a Fine Arts teacher invited me to go to her school to see what it was all about. And I was amazed. I loved it and stayed there to study graphic design. At first, I combined design and photography, but by the third year, I had to choose one of the two to be able to balance studies and work. My tutor recommended choosing graphic design because of the more stable job opportunities it offered. Although I never stopped taking photographs, because they complement each other. Photography is about shooting, shooting, shooting, training the eye, and that's what I continued to do every day”.
Although he was not aware at that time that this was his true professional calling, Oscar cherishes and keeps alive in his memory the recollection of the first time he came into contact with a camera: "my parents always took photos when we were little, we have many pictures from vacations, trips, etc. But when I was 15, my dad bought a camera and told me 'you can use this one', I don't remember the brand or the model, but I do remember it was a Russian reflex camera with a film roll. At that moment, I was amazed by the camera because I thought 'I can take pictures'. And that's where I started, although it was for a short time because soon my parents decided to return to Chile and I stayed in Argentina and, of course, they took the camera with them. So that's when I lost touch with photography."
A merely temporary separation, because when she started her Fine Arts degree, she was able to buy her first CANON, a camera with which she began to take photographs and which ignited her deepest passion, one she has never since strayed from.
The story of how Oscar ended up living and deeply loving the city of Barcelona is full of coincidences and synchronicities that made it clear to him that he had to firmly pursue his purpose: “I lived with my family in Argentina and when I was 19 years old my parents decided to return to Chile, our hometown, but I told them that I wanted to stay because I had a steady job, I wanted to study Fine Arts and in Chile it would be more difficult for me to do so. My parents supported me at that time and it's something I will thank them for all my life. They left with a heavy heart because they were leaving their son in another country, but they supported my decision. At that time, I was working in a hotel and with that I paid for my studies and my rent. I made a lot of effort and sacrifice during all those years. So, in my early thirties, there came a time when I saw that with graphic design I was starting to get jobs and that I participated in photography contests and won. That was one of those moments in life when you ask yourself what you really want to do: did I want to continue with the life I had and be able to have my own house, get married, etc., or did I aspire to something else? And I told myself that I would never be left wondering. I made so much sacrifice to study graphic design and photography, also with very good grades, that I thought not risking to try was to waste something I had achieved with so much effort and affection.”
Once his goal was clear, situations began to naturally occur for the photographer to embark on fulfilling his dream: "A professor who was a member of the jury at one of the biennial contests I had won told me, 'look, given the type of photography you do, you could try going to Europe where there are many more people who make a living from art than in South America. And we see that you have talent, that you can do something, you have what it takes to start.' And then many things started happening that allowed me to leave: I had just separated from my partner; I also discovered that I had an old trunk that had been given to me and I didn't know it was an antique from Louis Vuitton, so I contacted the museum in Paris and they bought it from me, which gave me extra income; it also happened that the company I was working for announced it was privatizing and offered voluntary retirement to everyone who wanted to sign up. At that moment I thought: I'm leaving."
And so he did. In 1999, he went on a trip around Europe, first to Paris, as he had always dreamed of visiting the city of arts, and then to Germany. The last stop, and the definitive one, was Barcelona:
“En ese viaje yo estaba en contacto con un profesor que me dijo que era muy amigo de America Sánchez, que era el top de diseño gráfico en Barcelona y me dijo que me podía contactar con él para presentarle mi porfolio y que él me ofrecería su visión de mi trabajo y me prestaría orientación. Al llegar a Barcelona me encantó su clima y todo me parecía bonito. Nunca olvidaré el día que quedé con un amigo que me tenía que mostrar dónde me iba a alojar y, sin saber dónde iba, al bajar del metro, a medida que subía por la calle noté como una presión detrás de mí y me di la vuelta y me encontré de frente con la Sagrada Familia y aluciné. Y de ahí ya un día fui a visitarla, otro día fui a La Pedrera, etc. Así llegué a Barcelona, y así me enamoré de ella y acabé viniéndome a vivir”.
The style of Oscar García Ortega's photography has changed over the years, and he himself asserts that it is a reflection of the different stages of his life:
“Los primeros años, mientras estudiaba fotografía, mi pasión era la imagen en blanco y negro. Me encantaba la fotografía rusa. Me gustaba el contraste, las formas, la geometría, los acentos visuales, pero no con el color, sino con elementos de la fotografía en blanco y negro. Me encantaba la arquitectura y como en Argentina, en la ciudad en la que vivía no había mucha construcción moderna, cuando me escapaba a Buenos Aires aprovechaba para hacer perspectivas de los edificios.
And he adds:
“At the beginning of my career in black and white photography, I had the chance to work with a well-known choreographer of classical dances from the city of Mar del Plata who allowed me to photograph classes, rehearsals, and performances, as well as dancers from the American Ballet and the Juilliard School of New York who came to Argentina to teach. This allowed me to delve deeper into black and white photography, the study of the human body, and above all, the movement of dance. I remember she was very demanding with me regarding the selection of photographs and taught me that there is an exact moment when you must photograph a dancer, and depending on the angle you take, the photograph will either flatter the dancer or not. This period of my life was very important for my learning and very rewarding.”
“Then I started to do more black and white photojournalism and it was during this stage that I won the two biennial contests and thought, I could start researching the human body more, because my photographs were of nudes etc. but that remained just an attempt because I then moved to Barcelona and began to work very focused initially on graphic design.” And he states: “However, although I have never stopped taking photographs, with the arrival of social networks like Flickr, Pinterest, and especially when Instagram came along, I fully returned to photography. And this also coincided with the shift from analog to digital which allowed taking many photographs, showing them immediately and for me, that changed everything a lot”.
His images reveal a very personal view of everything he photographs: innovative and different approaches, angles, and perspectives that make them unique. Because Oscar has the rare and natural gift of offering a different view of any place he visits: “Often when I take pictures and later look at them at home, my partner, for example, is surprised because he sees that I have captured things he didn't notice. And this happens to me frequently. Or, for instance, when I participate in a contest and see the different photographs taken of the same place, sometimes I realize that I did something different”.
The secret? Probably the combination of that personal talent with their curious and perfectionist nature: “When I'm going to take a picture, and also in my current work, I want everything to be perfect, there can be no mistakes. That's why before going to take photographs I really like to research the place. The first thing I do is go on IG, I look up what has been posted about that place using hashtags and I observe to avoid repeating a shot. I also check on Google Maps where it is located exactly and what's around it, I research what I will be able to photograph, what I might see. I also look up information and the history of the place, or about its architects, etc. And I plan. I always prepare everything in advance: I check the lighting according to the time of day, where the light will fall, I consult the weather forecast. And I never post photographs right away because I want to see everything first, calmly.”
Post-production for Oscar also plays an important role: “After a photo session comes the “hardest” part, which is selecting the ones to keep, editing them... I first go over everything and delete the images I don't like, keeping what interests me. Then I make a second selection and that's when I edit them and I group them by themes, but I only edit them in terms of quality control of light, color, editing of light and shadow, etc.”.
And for him, photography transcends far beyond a profession or hobby, it is a vocational passion that has become his way of life. His gaze, boldly trained over the years, is capable of detecting the perfect focus in any setting and moment: “My backpack weighs a ton, but I carry my camera every day and always find something. I leave the house, see the light, and I'm already happy because I think that on my way I might find something to photograph. There are many places I have photographed extensively, but for me the key is to keep revisiting each location to look for new perspectives. Also, the weather greatly influences my photography. Often nature surprises me with clouds, skies, a rainbow... elements that occur at a specific moment and make the image unique”.
Her sensitivity is so refined that she has even come to perfectly understand the different shades and the color palette that the sky offers in each season: “There are times of the year when the sunset is of a certain color. For example, from February to March, it is typical to find red skies. There are times when, without a doubt, if there are a few clouds, there will surely be incredible skies. The same happens at the end of November, when you also encounter spectacular skies. I don't know if it's due to the change in temperature or season, but that's how it is”. And she adds “I love clouds, they give a different personality to the picture”.
Beyond photography, Oscar also works with video format through which he gives us amazing pieces, full of effects and imbued with his distinctive gaze: “Lately I've been really enjoying making videos. I've always been keen on exploring video because back when I was studying photography I was very attracted to the field of film direction of photography. The director of photography in a film is somewhat playing between the two formats, framing and researching, working closely with the director, so I really liked that. And it's something that I've always wanted to delve into, but haven't stopped exploring. That's why when I go to take a photo I also like to make a video, and I usually go with both a camera and a mobile phone. 90% of my videos are made with my mobile phone.”
When asked about Instagram, Oscar states that "currently for me it's a platform that allows me to promote my work. Instagram makes it easy to share something that before was often kept in a box and only if you were lucky you could show it in an exhibition. Nowadays, Instagram also allows you to reach incredible places around the world and to interact with people who comment from any country. I love it when they ask me about my photographs or when someone tells me 'that place is so beautiful, I was there, but I didn't see it.'"
And regarding the disadvantages of the social network, it tells us about a certain lack of protection in copyright issues, since "sometimes there are people who steal your photographs, alter something and publish them as their own." However, he tells us that "in none of my published photos is 100% of the negative. I always keep a part for myself, so in the event of any expert appraisal or problem, I have a photo that contains more information than what they are publishing."
Recently, in collaboration with Núñez i Navarro, a photographic project was initiated that allows capturing unprecedented views of Barcelona from the iconic buildings of the Group: “I am very happy to be able to access places not everyone can, as this allows me to capture views that many people are unaware of. For example, the views from the Núñez i Navarro building at Plaça Catalunya. I found it incredible to be able to photograph the square from that height and perspective, and with daylight, dusk, and night light. Or the Junqueras building, which is a building I pass by every day since it's right next to my job, and I also knew it because the ending of the movie 'The Last Days' was filmed there. It's a type of construction that amazes me, and being able to access its interior was fascinating. Or the Casa Lleó i Morera which is truly incredible. Moreover, in these places, I always have the advantage of being surprised, as it is the first time I visit them.”
In this project, they have aimed to preserve their unique and personal perspective of Barcelona and, as they tell us, "I try to show an overall view of the city, its contrasts. I like that you can see that we have mountains, that we have the sea, the great diversity of architecture. And I work a lot with the telephoto lens which is a plus, because accessing an exclusive place with a telephoto lens is the perfect combination. Because with the telephoto lens you shorten distances and then you can achieve images that are not commonly seen".
For Oscar, Barcelona is a city full of beauty, which is why he states: “I like to show a Barcelona that makes you want to visit, to get to know it and take pictures. I want my photographs to add value to the city, to showcase the beauty of Barcelona. That's why I look for the aesthetic aspect in the framing and editing, although I'm not one to retouch much, just saturate the colors a bit, but I don't remove elements, for example”. “Moreover”, he adds “I love photographing architecture. And Barcelona is a city very rich in architecture. We have here the best architects, we have rationalist architecture, modernist which is a landmark in Barcelona… there's a lot of material to photograph in the city”.
Among her favorite spots in the city are the Maremagnum, “because I find it incredible that it's a place that has been reclaimed from the sea, and I really enjoy seeing its transformation through old photographs”, also Passeig de Gràcia, the entire modernist route, “Barcelona is full of beauty”.
Undoubtedly, Oscar García, known as @oscar_bcn or in his more personal day-to-day life, is an artist who lives and thinks for and about photography, a passion he enjoys in an honest and committed way. An artist who finds it impossible to choose just one of his photographs, as each one is a unique creation tied to an unrepeatable moment, and to observe them means to relive that precise instant in time, to taste each sensation again, and to reignite its memory in the mind. And in the heart.
