"Three years ago, Jorge Perez Ortiz was on a small wooden boat travelling from Cartagena in Colombia to a group of nearby islands when the sea became unexpectedly rough. As a strong wave hit, Ortiz, sitting at the bow, felt his body lift and come down sharply on his seat. The sudden impact fractured a vertebra. He was taken to hospital and underwent emergency surgery."
"When he was back home in Barcelona, the accident and recovery inspired a new photographic series, The Swimmers, now a book (Alep Publishing). What happened sparked a newfound appreciation for life and for the resilience of the body, he says. With the support of a coach, I began swimming, and I felt compelled to document this world with my camera."
"Ortiz shot the series on medium format film, but would occasionally use his iPhone 16 Pro Max to assist him in setting up. This image was shot on his phone at a pool used in Barcelona's 1992 Olympic Games; the city's cathedral and the Torre Glories skyscraper are visible in the background. The swimmers are from two of the city's teams, Sabadell and Mediterranean."
Three years ago Jorge Perez Ortiz fractured a vertebra when a strong wave lifted him on a small wooden boat, requiring emergency surgery. Recovery in Barcelona prompted a photographic series titled The Swimmers and a book published by Alep Publishing. The experience sparked a newfound appreciation for life and bodily resilience and led Ortiz to take up swimming with a coach. Ortiz photographed swimmers mainly on medium-format film, occasionally using an iPhone 16 Pro Max to set up shots. One phone image captures a Barcelona 1992 Olympic pool with the cathedral and Torre Glories visible. The subjects come from Sabadell and Mediterranean teams, were positioned but not directed, and convey confidence and powerful energy. The project serves as a tribute to hard work and unwavering dedication.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]