‘Hidden GEMS’
For photographer who shoots close to home, ‘the mundane can come alive’
Bringing together three artists can be a challenge.
For the latest group exhibition, featuring Jon Vigil, it was an easy choice for the photographer.
He was approached by the owner of Studio 104 in Santa Fe.
“(I was) asked if I would like to showcase some of my work along side some other artists she hoped to highlight as well,” he says. “The other artists, of course, being Carlos Glass and Rod Martin. I have not worked with either of the two artists in the past and have only seen limited amounts of their work.” Vigil is a photographer and videographer who was born and raised in Las Trampas and enjoys shooting locally.
“Strangely enough, I enjoy shooting right in my hometown of Las Trampas,” he says. “I like capturing the people I am around constantly. Sometimes what seems mundane can come alive in whole new ways once viewed through my camera lens. That and it gives insight to others that might overlook this place as a small blip on the high road to Taos. The hidden gems are always a little nicer to find.”
Vigil is humble in his work and also shooting portraits, landscapes and all the details that are unique to New Mexico.
He says what he shoots varies daily and that what captures his eye one day may fade away on another.
“While I may not have captured images in New York, London or Paris, I have based my photography right here in New Mexico, where our people, stories and culture can be just as vibrant and exotic as any other location on earth,” he says. “While I do not have many accolades for my work, I do not wake up each day in search of those. My rewards come from the untold stories I get to capture and the stories my imagery is allowed to retell.”
Vigil doesn’t shoot daily, though he has some projects in mind that could get him out to shoot more frequently.
And when it comes to color versus black-andwhite photography, he enjoys both.
“I find that again with varying subjects and emotions, I can go either way,” he says. “I don’t buy into the whole debate that color is inferior to blackand-white or vice versa. I shoot and edit what I am feeling at the time. Its nice to experiment and see what works and feels best for any given moment or subject. That being said, all the imagery I will be showcasing at Studio 104 will be in black-andwhite.“