Edra Galzeran works with light, shadow and mystery

I was instantly captivated by Edra's work. The moody feel and obscured subjects gripped me. Edra's work focuses on shadows and has a raw quality that is reminiscent of a bygone time.

See more of Edra's work on instagram at @edra_galzeran

Edra's website is edragalzeran.com

A/A: What processes do you use in your alternative photography?

EG: The truth is that I am quite new to this type of process. I've dabbled a little in a few different techniques (cyanotypes, lumen print, collodion, tea or coffee toning...). But lately, due to time constraints, I've just been experimenting with the push/pull process, as well as with different developers and timings. In the near future, I would like to try many more techniques and immerse myself more thoroughly in lab work.

A/A: What made you choose film over digital?

EG: The reflection, the mystery, the surprise. And, of course, the aesthetics.

Analog photography eliminates the compulsiveness that occasionally characterizes digital photography. The analog camera forces you to be more precise and to decide whether the shot is worthwhile. Like everything else related to film photography, it is a slower process that is more artisanal and more personal.

The initial phase is capture. Then comes the mystery, the latency, the prospective images that are hidden away in the shadows, in limbo, and that you will undoubtedly forget, with the exception of those that "you saw very clearly," in which the light winks at you definitely. Next comes the modeling, as if the light were mud, which sometimes begins during the capture. There are countless ways to alter what you saw, to add intention, whether with the camera, during the development or later in the laboratory.

Surprise is also intrinsic since you have to wait to see the pictures and because analog photography often involves risks, which is not always a bad thing. Chance frequently plays a significant role, and occasionally it is a gift. In that sense, it is more in line with conventional artistic practices. The entire project might be wrecked with just one wrong move, or it could unexpectedly transform into something great. It is precisely this "not having everything under control" that fascinates me.

A/A: What other photographers have been an inspiration to you?

EG: What really motivates me is the light. Without any official training, I learned photography via experimentation and intuition. In my images, light determines what will happen later by 70%. Experimentation will be the remaining 30%. I enjoy messing around with what I observe and distorting it in order to see where it leads me.

I don't restrict myself to a certain type of photography or subject matter; instead, I take photographs that correspond with my current interests. It is true that lately my photography has become very dark, and that I’ve enjoyed seeing light break through the shadows; perhaps as a consequence, as an inner reflection of that increasingly terrifying world out there.

Some of the photographers whose work I admire are: Man Ray, Nan Goldin, Anselm Adams, Cindy Sherman, Antoine d’Agata, Joel Peter-Witkin, Cristina García Rodero, Shirin Neshat, Alberto García Alix, Martin Parr, Daido Moriyama…