As a camera bag manufacturer, we spend a lot of time wandering about on the internet, looking at all of your amazing work! Today we're spending five minutes sharing the amazing landscape photography of José Ramos!
Find more about José here: Website Instagram Facebook Page
1. Who are you, what do you do and how long have you been doing it?
My name is José Ramos, I'm a landscape photographer from Portugal and I have been photographing for 15 years.
2. When you started out in the field you’re in, how did you get your first “break” / was there a defining moment you just knew “This is what I want to do!”
There was definitely a defining moment when I decided that "this is what I want to do". It happened long ago, when I shared my first images on a once-incredible photo/art online community called "Deviantart". The site was huge back then, and most top landscape photographers were there (and many became famous by posting there). I was still a novice photographer, and to me photography was nothing more than an excuse to run away to Nature, where I always felt so much more comfortable. I have always been extremely passionate about Nature, and during my childhood and adolescence I used to frequently escape from my city to the outdoors with my mountain bike. Then I went to Lisbon to study Medicine, with no means of transportation, with logistics becoming more complex. and contact with Nature became too scarce. Purchasing my first digital camera was the perfect excuse to make me rediscover the power of natural places, and trying to capture them the best I could. Those images stayed silent inside my computer, until a friend encouraged me to share them on an online community. I got surprisingly supportive comments, and I found this whole new world of contemplation and storytelling through images, which has been an integral part of me since then.
3. When people like me ask you that question “What’s your favourite photograph you’ve ever taken” which one do you think of first?
Well, after a first image instinctively came to my mind after reading your question, my cognitive brain immediately intercepted that image and said in loud words "there is no favourite photograph!". But let's return to that first instinctive image that appeared in my mind, and it was the "Colossus" image (below) I made in Madeira Island in 2012. I had the luck of having a good number of incredible moments, where all elements perfectly combined to allow me to capture a captivating image, but the moment when I captured "Colossus" was extremely special. This was an unknown place at the time, but I felt there was something special about it.
4. Do you have a photographic inspiration?
My biggest photographic inspiration is the astounding power and mystery of life, and the way it exists in every atom, pulsating, connecting everything. The most visible and stunning element that shows this pulsating energy is materialized in Nature, our home, a part of ourselves, the most perfect and admirable work of cosmic art.
5. What gear do you mostly use and what bags do you use mainly?
I'm using Sony cameras with Laowa and Tamron lenses, Nisi filters and FLM tripods. There is a reason why I am answering this interview on the ThinkTank/Mindshift blog, and that is the fact that I have a huge crush for the Mindshift rotation backpacks. As an avid seascape photographer, the Rotation concept was a dream come true in terms of ergonomics. With the Rotation, my backpack is now an integrated extension of me, and not a cumbersome thing I carry on my back that I need to take off every time I want to pick up a different lens or other gear.
5a. Any advice for someone wanting to do what you do?
Being addicted to landscape photography should be born from something which is extremely simple, yet unfortunately not that frequent: unconditional love and reverence for Nature. If you have this inside you, and if you also have a love for creating compelling art, then it will all come together with time, discipline and dedication.
Great words and stunning images from José, please make sure you follow his work on the socials linked back up the top! You can find the MindShiftGear Rotation backpacks that were mentioned just here.
Who shall we chat with next? Suggestions in the comments!