One of the reasons this project stood out to me is because it’s technically documentary photography, but it feels like fashion imagery.Ībsolutely. For me, it’s been quite a learning experience-not just in terms of my technical approach to photography, but also in regards to my ability to conceptualize an entire project.

The guys started taking Spanish-speaking classes, workshops to develop skills to integrate into society, and this project we shot was also a way for them to integrate. At first it was just that-trying to make a connection with these guys and speak to them, and a real relationship formed.įrom there, I proposed the project and explained that I wanted to take photographs of them in this limbo state, documenting the years of waiting. I met these guys during a talk I was giving on my experience as a migrant, because I’m originally from Colombia. Because of very specific political bureaucracies in Spain, these migrants have to spend a long time-usually three years-waiting for papers, which will allow them to live and work here.

But I kept asking myself, “What is going on in these images?” So what, in your opinion, is this project about?ĭialect started in 2020 with this group of young migrants who crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco, to arrive here in Spain. When I saw pictures from your new book, Dialect (published by Loose Joints), months ago, I was immediately drawn to their bewitching nature. In this week’s edition, senior content editor Michael Beckert chats with the Colombian, Madrid-based photographer Felipe Romero Beltrán on his latest project. Welcome to Ways of Seeing, an interview series that highlights outstanding talent in photography and film-the people behind the camera whose work you should be watching.

The ways of seeing book