JAIME IBARRA lets the rhythms of his life guide his creative vision

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With a background in music and graphic design, photographer Jaime Ibarra lets the rhythms of his life guide his creative vision. Working with equipment that, from a professional standpoint, could be considered simple, he does not simply snap pictures; he creates them. His delicate yet shameless take on the human form is signature to his body of work, and it’s easy to see where the musician meets the photographer- there’s a deep understanding of composition and environment silently pulsing through each shot.

Ibarra’s portraiture is, above all else, calculated. Setting and lighting is altered to conform to the subject’s sense of self, as are the costumes and poses. The focus is rarely placed on the face alone, instead embracing all the telling aspects of a figure- the bend of the limbs, the elongated neck, the submersion into a curtain of shadow. These portraits are made for the people, desires, and ways of being that they represent, as opposed to being strictly for their viewers and, inevitably, their critics. His “Imagine” series takes Ibarra’s surrealist tendencies further, playing with depth of field and emphasizing pure stillness just as much as movement. This movement is the highlight of his “Kinetic” series, which uses fabric, a material that simultaneously envelopes a figure and unclothes it, resulting in a mood of fervor and a certain awakening. The “Desire” series is yet another example of Jaime’s intentional subtlety, where the underlying yearning is portrayed delicately, like a fragile state of mind as opposed to blatant erotica.

Simple and inherently joyful, Ibarra’s personal shots are also noteworthy, as are his “Behind the Scenes” shots, which document the preparation that goes into planning a photograph, and make the process part of the story. In “Dine Out“, Jaime flirts with Americana on a summer evening, a testament to his ability to mesh the candid with the classic. Ibarra’s personal attachment to his art is evident in the way he lets his vision permeate each frame and surround the subject with a halo of his choosing. Musician by nature and “hunter” by choice, Jaime allows himself to trust his creative intuition and capture the defining moment, declaring it a work of art.

Jaime has a number of tutorial videos available for sale on his website, as well as a stock of limited edition prints. He has worked with, among others, MTV, Inked Girls Magazine, and Gibson Guitars, and on a global level, publications such as Australia’s Bizarre Beauty Magazine, China’s PRIME Magazine, and the international BLUR Magazine.