artist statement:

I see photography as an open-ended world, where styles and conventions command to be explored. I take ordinary objects and shapes and put them together in ways where something entirely different is born, and what is seen is more than what meets the eye.

I don’t see myself as just an ordinary portrait or landscape photographer, but rather an artist that discovers new ways of seeing and I delight in expressing myself through my work.

I began creating photographs at the age of ten years old, and have had a passion for photography ever since. While I have worked in various areas of photography throughout my 35-year career, including family portraiture, editorial, social, and event photography, I have always taken a particular interest in environmental portraiture, the human body, still life, and abstracts.

I strive to represent my feelings and emotions, using photography as the medium. My intention is to share whatever that vision may be! I look at subjects with an eye toward beauty, and I see the world as a place of possibilities and enchantment.

I find that historical (sometimes called “alternative”) processes lend themselves to my vision of the world. In addition, I prefer to work with large format cameras, including my Deardorff V8, Burke & James 5X7, and late 19th century lenses, due to the authentic qualities these tools bring to the final result. I select only the finest of materials to ensure the highest quality of my prints.

When doing portraits, my goal is to create wildly vivid representations, capturing the spirit of my clients in such a way that their very essence of who they are comes to life in what seemingly is a two dimensional piece of art, yet becomes a living heirloom.

-Gustavo Castilla