We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Javier Villalobos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Javier below.

Hi Javier, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In street and documentary photography there are always small calculated risks, a lot of the time while you’re contemplating these risks the moment you’re envisioning passes. There really isn’t a, “I’ll circle back and get that photograph later,” kind of mentality. If you see it and you’re thinking about it then you should take the photograph. I’ve thought about specific photographs that I’ve missed days and maybe even weeks later. These calculated moments have to be decided on quickly, almost without thinking— instinctively. This is where the possible or potential risk or conflict comes into the play with acting on instincts, however, these moments are few and far between. What happens more than not is missing the shot because the photographer is calculating a risk versus reward scenario in their mind and then the moment passes or they get anxeity about engaging with the subject(s) and the shot passes. This specific story about risk and decisiveness happened last year in the summer. I was on my way home from work, and as always I have my camera on me. While taking the same way home that I usually do, I spotted a huge smoke cloud billowing into the sky from a neighborhood a mile or two up the road. I decide almost immediately that I’m going to at least drive by and check it out. Once I arrived, I quickly see that I’ve arrived just moments before the first responders had, and that the neighbors and spectators had gathered quite far away from the fire— a full street over. I quickly grabbed my camera that I had sitting in my passenger seat and headed towards the smoke. As I approached, I could feel the heat of the fire on my face and the smell of plastic and wood burning filled the air. The fire was loud, like a flag flapping in a wind tunnel and all you could hear was the crushing and crashing of the wood. All the while, I was snapping photographs of the firefighters battling the initial blaze, capturing small teams of firemen rotating out front line extinguishers for fresh teammates as they put out the inferno together. Images of firemen fresh out of the front lines of the fire escaping away from the burning home to recover after they had been rotated out, their masks and oxygen tanks tossed aside as they attempted to recover with ice-cold water bottles and breaths of fresh air. Months later several of these photographs were published in a documentary and street magazine called DOCU Magazine. While I appreciate them for the publication of these photographs, for me, not only was it worth the small risk— I loved capturing those rare insights.

Javier, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Javier Villalobos and I’m a documentary street photographer. I document my city— the people, the moments and the things that I find interesting. I have a skill for being observant and being able to capture people being themselves, and turning those moments into photographs. Something I’m looking forward to is heading to the State Fair of Texas this year now that Fall has started and, maybe, some of the hot Texas heat has subsided some. Should be a lot of fun as always and I’m excited to enjoying the people, food and ambiance that is The State Fair of Texas.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve been inspired by some of the greats like Vivian Maier, William Eggleston, and Joel Meyerowitz— a more contemporary photographer who has become my favorite is Trevor Wisecup. The most recent photobook I picked up was a reprinting of Joel Meyerowitz’s “Aftermath,” because of the recent anniversary of 9/11. I wanted to see some photographs from this historical event through the eyes of a New York photographer that lived these moments and perhaps see some photographs that I had never seen before.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Learning to take photographs for myself and not for others. Photos that I find interesting and enjoy and not taking photographs that I think other people will like on social media.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iavipavi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pavijavi
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/javipavi
• Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/lateatnight

Image Credits

Javier Villalobos