MADRID, SPAIN — Award-winning Madrid-based photographer Ale Burset may be stuck at home, but it does not stop him from photographing people all over the world. In his latest series, “Us by Us,” Burset captures his subjects as they are seen on a computer screen through a video conference platform.
“I have confirmed, not learned, that emotions can be captured anyway despite the distance,” Burset said. “And that if the photographer and the subject are connected, emotions can be captured.”
Having worked with big brands like Nike, Volkswagen, Renault, Save the Children, and Sky Vodka, Burset has won more than 90 international awards, including 36 Cannes awards. But Burset also has a portfolio of personal work, having published four books.
Interacting with a subject through a screen is “not too different,” Burset said. Although in some instances he has chosen to direct his subjects, he claims there is still a flow that the photographer can tap into. He also tries to keep his subjects comfortable by talking through the process with them and opening with conversations.
“That distance does not exist in kilometers. It is a personal decision to be far away or very close to someone. Incredibly, I have felt very close to some people that I have never met before.”
“I do not think that things will change much after lockdown. I believe that we will return to work as before. But it will take some time. A positive result of this pandemic is that it has obliged us to be creative in order to do our work in very difficult conditions. But I believe that the photographer’s work will return to normality when this pandemic situation ends.”
Burset has already taken over a hundred portraits of friends and family from various countries, including the Philippines. He also currently working on a personal project about his family and their everyday lives.
Check out the rest of the series on http://aleburset.com/us-by-us
