People, film, and stories

Photography By Rou Rodriguez

Skate and portrait photographer Rou Rodriguez opens up about skateboarding in Colombia, shooting analog photography, and creating stories within his images.

Bogotá, Colombia

How did you begin your journey as a photographer?

I've always had a passion for cinema, video, and photography. This art is a unique form of expression where I can capture static and moving images to tell a story through them. I believe that's what I love most about taking photos and shooting videos—being behind the camera and capturing a scene or a moment that allows you to show the world something you're feeling, like love, a unique moment, such as capturing someone doing a skateboarding trick, or imagining and creating scenes through portraits and situations that reveal people's essence and create moments that will forever be immortalized in art as unique as video and photography.

I studied audiovisual media and worked professionally in that field. My mom has been pivotal in my artistic journey; her unconditional support has brought me to where I am today. Thanks to her, I had cameras in my hands, with which I began to experiment, study, and gain the knowledge I now apply in my professional and personal projects. (I love you, Mom, thank you for that).

What have you learned along the way?

Every day, you learn something new in photography and video. It's an area that quickly advances and updates in this digital age. I am fortunate to interact with incredibly talented people who generously share their knowledge daily. It is precious to me because I acquired a wealth of technical and visual narrative skills from them.

I'm constantly amazed and deeply passionate about encountering references from communities, production teams, and individuals worldwide who create visually stunning pieces. I also learned from all these experiences, using them as inspiration to tell stories through my photographs and videos.

How would you describe your style? What makes your perspective unique and different?

Every time I photograph or create a video, I have one clear goal in my mind: to "transcend." I enjoy crafting visual pieces that inspire people, where the image, concept, and narrative combine to tell stories that make you smile, reminisce about something extraordinary in your life, or create stories with every photo you see.

In recent years, I've developed a strong liking for analog photography and videography, although it can be challenging. Shooting in analog formats is a unique experience, leading me to create a distinct aesthetic in my work. The fact that you have only a limited number of photos on a roll or a limited time on a video cartridge forces your eyes and mind to work meticulously to create precise content, depending on the situation or subject you're capturing. I've had occasions where film rolls get ruined, and there are no results, and it's difficult to accept when that happens. However, it's also magical to be in the exact moment of taking photos and videos, feeling through my eyes that I'm capturing something beautiful.

Sending them for development and seeing everything come out ideally is one of the most gratifying sensations that analog photography and videography personally offer me. It's so flawed yet so unique at the same time.

Most of your work focuses on portraits and skate photography. Why do these themes inspire you?

Skateboarding in Colombia has its roots in neighborhoods where you meet wonderful people from diverse cultural backgrounds. You start skateboarding with them, learning from their essence, and over the years, you develop beautiful friendships with these people. Apart from the people, you also explore and seek out many skateboarding spots, and the city becomes a skatepark where you can have fun with your skateboard and feel free. It's a perfect union between architectural spaces and people. I began to realize that I could capture these moments and tell stories through photography. Additionally, the physical features and diverse styles I saw in people started to capture my attention. These were my primary sources of inspiration to start taking portraits of people and skateboarders.

Another crucial source of inspiration for me is the energy and connection that I feel with a person when we go out to ride and take photos. It's not just about capturing a trick, a face, or a style; it's also gratifying to listen to life stories and understand how skateboarding changes their lives. Ultimately, they trust you to take their photos, and the energy you feel with them as they perform tricks in various spaces, while I, as a photographer, capture the perfect moment behind my camera, is truly unique.

You mainly use film when you take photographs. How does film allow you to express yourself? Is there a particular type of film you like to use?

Shooting analog photos, especially in skateboarding, is a challenge. The fact that you don't see the results until you send the film for development generates the most anxiety and curiosity for me. I don't know if this experience is unique to me, but when I'm taking photos, I can sense when a moment will turn out beautifully. It's a sixth sense that I feel through my hands and eyes. It amazes me because when I see the results from the rolls of film, the moments turn out just as I imagined them, and sometimes even better.

My favorite films for shooting in color are Kodak Portra 400 Color Negative Film, Kodak Ektar 100 Color Negative Film, and Ilford HP5 Plus 400 35mm Film for black and white photos.

Tell the story behind one of your images.

This photo is one of my favorites that I've taken this year. The skateboarder is El Gato, and this day was very special because we were with a group of friends exploring the city and its neighborhoods in Bogotá and searching for different, less-traveled skate spots to capture photos for a Los Angeles music collective called Alba Collective.

I remember that the weather in Bogotá on this day was truly unique. The sunlight was perfect at every spot we visited. When we arrived at this location in La Perseverancia, it visually struck me. The graffiti, the neighborhood, the surroundings, and the church in the background were all stunning. Through my camera, I saw a scene I hadn't witnessed in any other photographer's work in the city. The spot was quite challenging for skating because the pavement wasn't ideal, but despite that, El Gato and the energy we felt that day led us to create this moment.

The color in the photo is different, too. I was shooting with Cinestill 400D film for the first time, and it worked exceptionally well with this spot due to the many vibrant colors that enhance the photo and the moment.

You recently did a photography project with Alba Collective called “Feelings & Skate in the Streets with Friends.” What was this project about? How was your experience?

One random day in my apartment, while browsing LinkedIn, I began to search and follow everyone associated with or who had worked with a London-based radio station I admire, NTS. During this search, I came across Lorenzo Daniels' profile. I followed him, and to my surprise, he also took an interest in the professional work that I posted on that platform. He began to follow and like my Instagram posts through Alba Collective's account, which is based in Los Angeles. As I explored Alba Collective's Instagram, I fell in love with the visual aspects of their posts—the covers for NTS Radio sessions and the photos and videos associated with music and skateboarding on their account were all incredible. I started listening to NTS sessions and found a deep connection with the music they shared, spanning genres like House, Deep House, Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B. As a music lover with a penchant for these sounds. I was in love with everything the collective was doing within seconds. A few days later, Lorenzo contacted me via Instagram, and we began discussing our work. His energy was beautiful, and we found the perfect opportunity to collaborate with his collective. The idea was for me to capture the essence of skateboarding in Bogotá through analog photography.

Heading out to take photos with friends in the city for this project was incredible. During each outing, I'd communicate with Lorenzo, sending him videos of where I was, who I was with, our plans, and the challenges my friends and I were taking on to capture the perfect shots. My friends were equally excited because we knew that our love for skateboarding would be seen on the other side of the world through what we were passionate about. We were all deeply committed to ensuring that every scene and photo we captured was unique.

When I finished shooting the rolls of film and had them developed, it was amazing to see the results and relive the magic of hitting the streets of Bogotá and capturing our essence through skateboarding and analog photography. The project is "Feelings & Skate In The Streets With Friends." When Lorenzo saw the results, his feedback was incredible. He created some collages that were posted on Alba Collective's Instagram.

Thanks to this collaboration, I now have a new best friend in Los Angeles. I’ll forever be grateful to him, Alba, and all my friends who allowed me to capture them and show the world what we love through our shared passion that beats in our hearts—skateboarding.

You can see the photos and learn more about what they do on ALBA Collective's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alba.collective/

If you could travel and take photos of any skate scene worldwide, where would you like to go and why?

Europe would be the top destination where I'd love to capture the skate scene. Brands like Carhartt, Rassvet, and communities like Free Skateboard Magazine, among others, are my primary sources of inspiration, and I adore everything they create visually. I recently had the chance to travel to some parts of Europe for holidays, and in Berlin, I was truly impressed by the level of skateboarding. They skate very fast and execute tricks with incredible aggression. Their styles also appealed to me a lot. I had the opportunity to take photos of two nice people there, and it felt amazing. They were wonderful people, and we had great conversations, getting to know a bit about our skate cultures in Bogotá and Berlin.

What's next for you?

This year has been unique; I've faced many changes in my personal and professional life. At the moment, I'm in the pre-production phase of a short film that I'll be shooting soon and releasing in February 2024. In this visual piece, I want to express and show my feelings and some significant events that I've been experiencing, which have deeply impacted me personally. I've had to say goodbye forever to people that I love, and I've had to learn to live with good and bad news. Sometimes, I have to smile at the world, but deep down, I feel so broken. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with sadness and joy. I have many feelings that I want to out of my life, and the best way to heal is by creating this visual piece.

I'm facing various challenges because I want to shoot a Super 8 film, and I'll need to send the material to Mexico for scanning and digitization. But that makes it unique—my visuals will encompass analog and digital formats. I already have the entire creative ideas ready, and I'm eagerly awaiting the filming date to start editing the piece. I plan to launch it with a photo exhibition and a video screening in a unique space in the heart of Bogotá.