Toni Mateu: “The perfect photograph is the one that is full of imperfections”
This is how our conversation with Toni Mateu, a true poet of the image, member of the jury of the #MiraLaRotonda contest, begins. The photographer and portrait artist speaks of his profession with care, respect, and great humility. Statements like “What's important is the now, not so much what you've done” set a purpose of intentions: his origins and his past only partly define him.
Your first camera was…
When I was 15, my father bought me a second-hand Mamiya SLR. He saw that I liked photography and fostered what has become my profession.
Favorite lens?
Either a 40 or 35 millimeter. And the reason is because it's somewhat an extension of oneself. It's the lens that, more or less, matches what I see. I'm a person who likes to be close, you have to be near people with this lens. I prefer wide angles over telephoto lenses. For me, photography is a way to connect.
Necessary equipment to take a picture?
The most important thing is you, the gaze, your eye, your mind, your heart... What's important is to find a camera that's comfortable for you. It doesn't matter which one. Because ultimately, the camera should be an extension of ourselves, of what we want to capture. You should feel comfortable with it. It doesn't matter if you want to go with a large format camera, because if that's what you like, that's perfect! The same goes for a smartphone!
So, there are no two photographers alike?
No, that's the cool part. Being a photographer isn't just about taking pictures. Think of it this way, the best camera is you, your perspective. Then, when you need to capture something, the camera you choose should be the most comfortable for you. You need to know it, control it. Imagine you're about to take a picture and you say, damn, where's the shutter button!
This makes me think of a friend of mine, who bought 'the great camera', without having owned another one before...
That's very good, your job is to get to know it! In fact, that's also why the success of the mobile phone is understood. A camera that we all always carry with us, very easy to use and that takes good pictures, allows us to be quick... That's why Instagram is full of super good photos.
Can you be a good photographer using only a mobile phone?
Of course! Because what is a photographer? Is it the one who owns the camera or the one who knows how to see? Technique doesn't help you to convey; otherwise, just buying a camera would be synonymous with being a good photographer. And that's not the case!
And what about these echoes that are heard about intrusion in the world of photography?
I'm going to give you an example: cooking. We can all have the same stove, go to the same market, and one will make a spectacular fish dish while yours ends up burnt. Well, photography is identical. Faced with a situation, there will be people who will take an amazing photo with the same proposal and context, and we will see this in the contest... but, why? It's not because of the camera, but because they knew how to look, they were attentive, they dedicated themselves, they probably have a personal background, a quest...
What do you mean by looking?
Man, for me, seeing comes before feeling anything, you have to be a bit of a poet. A good photographer is a poet.
Is there no manual?
There is no manual, because if there were, it would be too easy. There are manuals for taking correct photos, but for taking winning photos, there is no manual. A photo, to win me over, has to speak to me, move me, bring me something new...
It sounds difficult and so intangible...
Of course, but that's the good part! Moreover, it's the law of the street. It's what a photographer will encounter when they go out and want their work to be special. That is, a photo has to speak about the photo itself, not the photographer, and it should be their photo that reaches others.
And how do you reach out to others?
Being you. This is like an actor. How can an actor convey to you? If you have never cried, if you have never suffered, how can you portray someone who has suffered?
But, in the case of the competition, how do you find this story? How can a building convey it?
Look, don't just think about the photo, think of a movie, because it's exactly the same. A photo is a short film of a single frame, and the photos we take are like little movies. Imagine we have an assignment and we want to make a wonderful photo, in the end, what you can't do is just stand there in front of the building and shoot. There has to be some prior work, thinking about what you want to do. What's clear is that in a building, light is very important, as is what happens inside the building...
What do you mean?
Man, a building isn't just a dead thing; it's full of people. I can show the building through its people, through feet entering, from its floor... A building is a place where people sit down, a dialogue is created between the building and the people, and that's cool! Think about those architectural models where they put miniature figures, that's when the building comes to life, right? Well, that's where the photographer needs to think, wow! The building with people is one thing. Without people, it's something else. One can make a proposal of an empty building that's amazing, where the light, the angles are very important, right?
Light, angles... This already sounds like physics to me...
Light is extremely important. It's very different to photograph at night with artificial light, than early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, taking into account the shadows... Each light tells a story. Often, to photograph the same building, you spend 4 or 5 days. First you go at dawn, and you take pictures of that light, but of course, you can't put a spotlight on a building, but you can on a person. Or the same, if you arrive and find fog when you wanted to take the photo with sunlight. Or the opposite. But there are no rules here, it's whatever you want. You are the one who decides.
And what do you think about photo captions? Do you think words are necessary to explain a picture?
I find it amusing because it's a vision. It helps you find your way, although it doesn't mean it's necessary. For me, the titles of a photo become an additional joke, an extra proposition. If the photo speaks and we also add a title, you're showing from where to look at it. The meaning I want to give to the photo. But of course, it's not essential. I consider that a good photo is one that has many interpretations, it's like poetry. Reading the same thing, two people will surely come to different conclusions.
Does that special vision get lost with Instagram?
Jules Verne was able to predict many things, but he could never have suspected something as brutal as us spending all day taking pictures of each other. That was not foreseen by anyone. This thing that has collided with photography as a language, has taken on brutal dimensions. Before, a photo was the testimony of something specific. Nowadays, it is the first thought in the morning, that is, I wake up, I have a vision, I photograph it and share it. Moreover, depending on how I photograph it and, sometimes, thanks to filters, I can reproduce the feeling I had at that moment and send it to people. Today, photography is a driving force.
Does the vast amount of images posted every second trivialize the world of photography?
The good thing about photography today is that you live with the photo. Before, it wasn't like that; you had one photo and it was the photo of your life. Nowadays, every morning, you have a thousand images and suggestions from people. And while you're making coffee, you can be looking at the photos and say, wow, this is cool, or that! The future is about adding, not subtracting.
You're not one to look back. But where does the magic of photography and old-fashioned development remain?
Magic is the same. The magic of the past is the communication of today. You take a photo with a table full of food and people are just as eager to see the photo as they were when you had to wait for the film to develop. Or you take a selfie, and everyone wants to see how it turned out. Look, it would be like books. In the past, only the wealthy had books, but as soon as the printing press was invented, everyone had a book at home, but that didn't make literature worse. The fact that everyone could read didn't turn it into worse literature. The only thing it does is that you have to be better. You have to be more discerning, you must educate yourself. And this is always positive.
