We had a talk with Scotland based photographer Igor Termenón, read our interview below
How did you start photography ?
I started taking photos when I was 19 or 20 years old. I was studying my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and I guess I wanted to do something creative to balance the technical load of my degree. I remember being interested in fashion magazines when I was a teenager and I used to buy them just for the editorials but I never thought about taking photos myself.
Do you remember the first picture you ever took ?
My first ever photo was probably on a school trip with one of my parents’ 35mm cameras. In terms of my first photographs after I became interested in it, it was probably a shoot I did with two of my friends at their flat. We shot against a white background with lots of flash – all very Terry Richardson, who was very trend back then before all the scandals happened.
How would you describe your aesthetic ?
I like to think of my photos as simple and relaxed or at least that’s how I would like people to see them. I also want my personal and fashion or portrait work to be as similar as possible in terms of how the photos look and their mood.
Who are your favorite photographers ?
At the moment, probably fashion photographers Matteo Montanari and Angelo Pennetta. I also really like a lot the personal work of Tim Barber.
What inspires you ?
I can find inspiration in almost everything to be honest. When I’m walking on the street I can see some interesting light or texture and that can make me want to take a photo or create a story around it. Since I moved to the UK there have been two elements which have influenced greatly my work: suburbia and brutalist architecture.
What is your best « photographic memory » ?
Some summer trips I did with my friends when I was a student. I used to take one of my compact 35mm film cameras with me to document all those moments.
You have been the editor of Girls on Film, could you tell us about this experience, and why you stopped ?
I started Girls on Film because I was interested in selecting other people’s images and working with other photographers. I did it for 5 years and it was a great experience from which I learnt lots of things and new skills. It was also very rewarding in terms of the success the publications had in certain markets so, overall, I can only say good things about it. The reason for stopping the publication of Girls on Film was mainly due to my own taste and aesthetics changing over those 5 years. I could have decided to change the photography style of Girls on Film gradually but I thought it was better to end the project and maybe start something new in the future.
Aside of photography, what are your hobbies/passion?
I really enjoy reading and I wish I had some more time for it, my ‘books to read’ list on GoodReads keeps on growing every month.
What are your Favorite publications/websites ?
Continuing with books, I always buy The Happy Reader – I like its compact format and that there aren’t many similar publications. I don’t really spend much time on blogs but I like video platform M2M.tv , they have some really interesting video content and I’m curious to see how it keeps on growing.
On a typical saturday night, where can we find you ?
Either at a friend’s flat having dinner and drinks or at home watching reality TV.
What kind of camera do you use ?
I’m currently using a compact 35mm film camera mostly for my personal work and a medium format film camera for my fashion work. I’m interested in starting to use more digital though, so I hope to explore this a little more over the next few months.
One movie ? One track ? One book ?
Thumbsucker by Mike Mills. Malibu by Hole. Less than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis
A question we forgot to ask ?
My favourite food?
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Want to know more about Igor’s work, find him on Instagram or visit his website
