The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own.  I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before.  In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find.  Please DO NOT send me your work.  I do not take submissions.

 

Today’s featured artist:  Aldo Chacon

Correfocs

Correfocs are some of the most interesting and dangerous things I’ve photographed in my life. In the correfoc, a group of individuals will dress as devils and light up fireworks that are fixed on their devil’s pitchforks. Most of these dancing devils will move to the sound of a rhythmic drum group, as they set off their fireworks among crowds of spectators. As a spectator it is your choice to participate inside the ring of fire or watch from a distance. The spectators that participate dress to protect themselves against small burns and attempt to get as close as possible to the devils, running with the fire.

The first time I experienced this celebration, was while I was living in Barcelona. I saw it and thought it was the most insane thing, running around with blazing fireworks attached to your hands? Crazy! But truth is, it was also something very visual and exciting. Correfocs reminded me of an anarchist protest or a punk rock concert mosh pit. Observing all these people running around and pushing against each other in devil outfits with fire coming out of their hands was in a way a reflection of how they where not afraid of living on the edge.

Photographing this experience was a thrill. Everywhere I looked there where flares and little dots of light coming towards my camera. The energy was high, a frenzy. Everywhere I pointed a shadow or a highlight would create a beautiful abstract representation of what was happening. People where pushing against each other, running away from the fire, as of me I was trying to get as close as possible and I was trying to capture the atmosphere and the people, when it was time the fire came close and I just didn’t stop pressing the shutter.

 

To see more of this project, click here.

APE contributor Suzanne Sease currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration industry since the mid 80s.  After establishing the art-buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. She has a new Twitter feed with helpful marketing information because she believes that marketing should be driven by brand and not by specialty.  Follow her at @SuzanneSeaseInstagram

Success is more than a matter of your talent. It’s also a matter of doing a better job presenting it.  And that is what I do with decades of agency and in-house experience.

 

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