Photographer Jota Reyes Transmutes the Magic of Fatherhood

“By moving away from rigid frameworks and embracing improvisation, we have enjoyed a continuous flow of discovery and surprise, making each session a unique and profound experience,” says photographer Jota Reyes about his project, called Beings. The project has allowed him to collaborate with his son, Elias in way that he describes as shared moments where ideas come to life and transform into images. “Moreover, it has allowed me to explore my creativity in a free and spontaneous way.” Specifically, this project is a documentation of Elias — and it’s a reference to magic in ways that we often ignore as adults. That sense and love of magic started in the darkroom when Jota took up his father’s Canon A1.

All images by Jota Reyes. Used with permission. For more, please follow him on Instagram @jotareyesphoto

I often like to say that science is magic that we can explain easily. And that makes lots of sense as there are things that we should be able to explain through logic and reasoning. But at the same time, I think that there is beauty in not having a clear explanation for things. These are what I label to be magic. We don’t find something beautiful because we understand it. Instead, we find it often beautiful and magical because we don’t understand it. To that end, magic is the science that we simply cannot explain.

Documenting the evolution of Elías’s childhood and our shared experiences has added a significant emotional dimension. Each image not only showcases new beings and moments but also captures the essence of our connection and the love we share. By treasuring these images as memories, we preserve valuable moments and create a visual archive of our life that reflects the evolution of our bond and the memories we have built together. This project not only celebrates our photographic play but also the deep family connection that brings our images to life.

Jota Reyes

That’s what we see in this series by Jota. After first viewing it at Photoville 2024, we were enthralled by the mysticism in Jota’s images. They made us think of lots of black and white cinema, fairy tales, video games, etc. But most importantly, the images whispered to us and forced us to get closer to try to understand them. Even months after first seeing them, I’m still spellbound.

Jota’s first experiences with photography were with the old Canon A1. He described taking it out of the leather case to be a sensor experience. “I loved its weight and texture contrasted with the aged leather that covered it, the sound of the shutter, and the shine of its lens,” he tells the Phoblographer. “To me, it was a remarkably precise device—not just in its mechanism but even more so in its ability to replicate reality.” At 16 years old, he embraced photography and enrolled in a black and white photography course at the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana. It’s here that he began to see photography as a language.

It was a prime time for him to experiment, which included delights, frustrations, and challenges. Eventually, he moved to digital photography.

Jota does both documentary and editorial work along with personal projects. For documentary and editorial work, he reaches for a Nikon D500 and a Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 G along with a Nikon 105mm f2.8. “The D500 stands out for its exceptional durability: it fell from a kayak and sank two meters to the seabed,” he recalls. “I retrieved it almost immediately and, after a cleaning, it continued to function as if it were brand new. It is also notable for its long-lasting battery, which exceeds the average performance, allowing me to capture a large number of images without frequently needing to recharge.” For his personal projects, Jota uses a Fujifilm X100T and likens it to a wise old sage that requires patience and dedication as it has to be worked with calmly.

In post-production, Jota converts to black and white and then modifies the levels and contrast.

Beings has taken a lot of planning between both Jota and Elias. In fact, Jota says that they’ve created a bunch of fantastic beings together that come alive in the images. They lead through imagination and improvisation after what he describes as rigorous planning.

“The entities in this project have been conceived from deep affections, shared experiences, and mutual care,” Jota states. “Magic and mysticism emerge when the results surprise us, transforming the photographic image into a catalyst for new sensations. We discover other entities that inhabit our inner worlds: beings formed by love, fear, shared time, and masculine sensitivities.” To give more life to the project, they’ve used various practices and elements to create the beings we see. At the same time, everyday family life and emotional bonds are mixed into the witch’s brew.

“I consider this project as a mark of my fatherhood and a vestige of Elías’s childhood. It represents our own form of magical realism, documenting the passage of time and the enduring presence of beings from the past, like my 10-year-old son. This project not only reflects our creative journey but also deepens our bond and offers a unique lens through which we explore and celebrate our shared experiences.”

Jota Reyes

Of course, these images are human-made. These photos couldn’t be made easily with AI through prompts — especially as folks have a broken-down communication system these days that lacking specifics and clarity. It’s the same reason why couples often need to be extra transparent with one another. As it is, Jota sees Generative AI as a completely different type of visual creation.

“What sets human photography apart from AI-generated imagery is the connection to reality and the photographer’s subjective experience,” he states. “In these images, I value that they capture authentic moments with Elías, a tangible and emotional reference. This index or connection to the real is what gives the photographs their unique and meaningful value.”

Authenticity Statement about Jota Reyes

As part of the Content Authenticity Initiative, The Phoblographer works with human photographers to verify that they’ve actually created their work through shoots. These are done by providing us assets such as BTS captures, screenshots of post-production, extra photos from the shoot, etc. We do this to help our readers realize that this is authentically human work. Here’s what this photographer provided for us.