Today we’d like to introduce you to Giovanni Ceron.
Giovanni, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to Miami from Puerto Rico in 2006, when I was 15 years old. At the time, it was difficult to me to leave my island, my people, and culture behind, and it took some time before I could say I considered myself a “Miamian” as much as I was also “Boricua.” Starting over halfway through high school was a challenge, but I remember vividly having a meeting with one of the advisors where she asked me to pick a curriculum path: arts or sciences. Looking back, it almost feels like a life-long dilemma rather than just a high school formality. Having been creatively inclined since a young age, I ended up going with my instincts and chose arts.
Without me being aware of the fact, this was probably the most rewarding decision I had made at the time. Little did I know how much I would grow to love every minute of the orchestra and photography class. For all the challenges I might have faced during my last two and a half years of high school, I found a safe haven in my music rehearsals and the long hours I spent in the photography studio. I mastered the violin fairly quickly and it wasn’t long before I was playing 1st position for the school’s orchestra.
Photography, on the other hand, took some more time to grow on me. I had to first learn the very technical aspect of analog photography which I found fascinating, but it wasn’t exactly intuitive. However, once I learned the techniques of chemical ratios, darkroom equipment, camera settings, and everything else involved in shooting film, I could absolutely not wait to take a first glance at my images from the fully developed roll straight out of the final rinse. That excitement made me want to shoot more and improve my composition. I would spend countless of extracurricular hours in the darkroom bringing to life some my creations, and it wasn’t too long before I realized that I actually loved every minute of what I was doing. My teacher was also such an inspiration and motivator; she guided us through our weekly critiques, and every time I felt like I had something more to improve. In fact, I still do, as I am probably my most fervent critic.
I took a step back from photography once I graduated and enrolled in business school. I made some friends over in the art department and I would occasionally crash their darkroom to revisit some of my old shots or work on some that I never had a chance to before. For a long time, it certainly felt like something was missing. It was that almost immediate sense of gratification when you feel like you’ve captured the perfect shot. I knew what it was, but my life had sort of shifted priorities and my schedule suddenly got bogged down with academia. Time went on and before I knew it my graduation date was approaching. Once I got over my undergrad and began working, I started to realize that I had some of my leisure time back. So, I decided to head to my local Best Buy and buy a digital camera just for fun.
Digital photography just made it way easier for me to regain that sense of gratification I yearned for. I had learned all the technicalities of ISO, aperture, shutter speed, etc. using analog cameras, but now I could put all of that knowledge to practice using the immediacy that a digital camera provides. I fell in love with street photography; wandering the streets and shooting mundane subjects that somehow, I found interesting. I became fascinated with the beauty of everyday life: people, things, cities, architecture, the ran-down parts of town, and the overall sense of exploration and mystery of not knowing when the next great shot will reveal itself in front of me.
I’ve probably walked every street and corridor around the Downtown Miami area just shooting, to the point where I realized I wasn’t just taking pictures, I was absorbing and discovering what is to be there in the moment with everyone else without even realizing. As such I take the same approach with my travel photography. I use photography as a tool for exploration and discovery, meet new people, and of course, capture the memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.
I began displaying my work on Instagram, as many other amazing photographers also do, and eventually opened up my website as an online portfolio where I can also market my prints and network with clients and organizations. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to shoot live events, dancers, and performing artists, and my goal is to continue to venture into commercial work but with that special organic touch that I strive to imbue in my work. After all, I have always shied away from studio work but hey, never say never! Photography is a transformative experience that engages every aspect of visual aesthetics and I will forever be grateful to everyone that has influenced me towards it in one way or another.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road and it is certainly an on-going, likely never-ending, journey. Photography is an expensive endeavor, at least for a broke college student or someone just starting out. Once I lost the darkroom and all the equipment I had available during high school, I was basically left adrift not knowing if I would ever pick up a camera ever again. In fact, it wasn’t long before I was short of cash and had to sell off my original camera. Of course, things got better eventually, and I was able to get back to it.
There is also the challenge of getting over the occasional creative slump that I think almost all artists go through on from time to time. I have found that usually switching something up or changing my routine helps with this particular situation. Like just grabbing the camera and driving somewhere new, or maybe switching up my lenses or camera settings reinvigorates my creative spirit.
Noumena – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Noumena is a calling to look beyond what is apparent and to find inspiration in unexpected places. It is a very young company, but I see it reaching way beyond photography and into many other visual arts, literary works, and design. I am most proud of being able to display my vision and aesthetic to an audience, providing them with an opportunity to enjoy work that is hopefully unique and interesting.
I think what sets me apart is the combination of my artistic and intellectual affinities: separate from my art, I have a strong education and avid interest in business and accounting, statistical analysis, music, and philosophy. In addition, I’ve also done some architecture studies and I am a huge fan of the profession and architectural marvels. This mélange of interests gives me a different edge from which I can cut a differentiated product.
I’m definitely known for my street, travel, and architecture photography. I certainly strive to imbue a certain cinematic look to my photos; a sense of storytelling. Other shots emphasize on the tectonic aspects of certain structures or buildings. When I am shooting people, either on the streets or with clients, I love to show the natural beauty of the person in a mostly spontaneous moment; so I love to capture them when they are completely on their own, totally immersed in their own selves, and forgetting about the camera.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Well, I just graduated from my master’s degree which I consider a huge accomplishment. Last year was particularly busy for me with the launching of Noumena and the website. I see the culmination of my graduate studies as the symbolic end to that stressful, albeit highly rewarding period, which I am the proudest of.
Pricing:
- Prints as low as $2 in the website. Framed, metal, acrylic, canvas, and digital prints are available as well as phone cases.
- Photoshoots vary so please feel free to inquire. But packages can be arranged for as low as $150.
- Custom prints or projects available upon request.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anemuon.com
- Phone: 7863149328
- Email: noumenadesign@gmail.com
- Instagram: @noumena___
- Facebook: @noumenamiami
Image Credit:
Giovanni Ceron Caratini
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