by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 18th January 2021 

 
Roxana Labagnara  defines herself as a 'memory keeper' carrying a camera in her bag since ages.
She quotes Annie Leibovitz to describe her vision on photography:
“One doesn't stop seeing.  One doesn't stop framing.  It doesn't turn off and turn on.” 
Roxana always is in search of what happens around her to capture and eternalize, may it be street photography or architecture photography or black and white photography or creatively edited photography as long as she can create mood and emotions.

Let's wander through her work and listen to what she reveals about her personality behind her work.
Enjoy !

'Share the road' 

'Father and son'

I would like to start by thanking 1x for giving me this space to share my personal story with the rest of this wonderful community.  And special thanks to you, dear Yvette, for your hard, caring and loving work that makes this such a wonderful place for all of us.

I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I lived there until 2008, when I moved to California, the place I call home now.

Since I was very young, I became the "memory keeper" among friends and family.
I always was the one carrying a camera in my bag, taking pictures of everyone and everything spending fortunes developing photos and compiling albums…


To better describe my overall photographic vision, I would like to quote Annie Leibovitz when she says "One doesn't stop seeing.  One doesn't stop framing.  It doesn't turn off and turn on".
I am always observing what happens around me, and having a camera of cellphone by the hand to make those images eternal.

True, my work is very diversified and I can only think that this is because I never really was  interested in specializing only in one type of photography.
To me, diversifying my work is a way of growing as a photographer.
And it just happens naturally that I feel attracted to different kinds of images: Street photography is one of my favourites, but I also enjoy abstracts with textures and patterns, architecture, double exposure, black and white, creative edit.

'Noisy stranger'

'Manhattan way'

'Colombo'

'Solitude'

Sometimes inspiration shows up while watching something as it is, and you go for it.
Some other times, it comes from scenarios you had in mind and you wanted to create. In this case, I use my own images and then while editing I combine them to create a story that I want to share.
The final result might or might not be what I expected, and not suitable to pass through curation.
Nevertheless, I always have a great time during processing and whatever the result is, remains.

'Balconies on Wilshire Boulevard'

'Facing fears'

'lotus'

 

In all of my images, the mood, the story behind the image is way more important to me than the technical perfection.  Don' t get me wrong:  you need to know what you are doing, you need technical knowledge and I deeply respect photographers that spend hours talking about gear, lenses, filters, tripods.  I just don't feel the same way.  I prefer mood above technical perfection.

'Woods'

'The Blue City'

I'm never preparing carefully the locations where I'm intending to take photographs. Usually I just observe what is happening around me having my camera or only my cellphone ready to use.  Happily, I am lucky enough to travel a few times a year and that is also a very valuable source of inspiration.

'Daily scene in Centro Habana'

'Kashi'

I am using a Canon EOS 5D Mark III but also a Nikon Coolpix from time to time. When I don't have my cameras with me, i-Phone – you all know the saying “The best camera is the one you have with you".
I have two different tripods that I alternate, and a few very roomy and comfortable backpacks to carry everything and keep it organized.

I use some wonderful tools in Photoshop as well as in Topaz and Luminar.  
I am not an expert in editing so I can enjoy a lot playing and exploring different things within each of these programs.

Regarding my “work flow”, I see photography as my "safe and healthy" space.
The time I spend taking photographs, or working on them during processing, is the time I am really 'imbibed: here and now, feeling that everything else could and should wait.  I am totally "in the photographic zone" and it feels great.

What would I say to a beginner in photography?
Try to learn from the ones you admire.
Value the critiques when they come from a respectful and caring place. Don't rely too much on other's opinions: Art is very subjective and we all like different things.

I have many photographers I admire and from who I learned a lot.
Every time I look at Dorothea Lange's "Migrant mother" I feel the same emotion and admiration.

'Migrant mother' by Dorothe Lange

Vivian Maier is one of my favourites as well as Cartier Bresson, Sebastiao Salgado, Steve Mc Curry and many more talented artists… the list would go really long!

 
According to my own work, I really don' t have a favourite photograph which I could mark as "the one".  But some of my images including dogs are among my favourites.

'Nap time'

'Clotilde and Pancha'

'Centro Habana'

To end this interview, I would like to say that one of the things I value the most as a 1x member is the exceptional quality of the published images.
Being a member since 2013, , and having so many talented artists around on a daily basis showing their wonderful works, is the perfect platform to grow.