Jon Cazenave (Donostia, 1978), photographer
In 2001, you graduated from the University of Deusto Bilbao having studied economics and business. Then you went to work in finance. Were you already taking pictures while at school? Why didn’t you enroll directly in a photography school like the IDEP in Barcelona, as you did five years later?
J. C : First, at the time, I wasn’t planning on devoting myself full-time to photography. I finished my studies in June 2001, and by September of that same year I was working 12-hour days. I worked for five years in finance and had little time for photography. In 2006 I discovered the medium and the sense of fulfillment a camera could offer me. That was when I decided to leave my job and take a year to study in Barcelona.
In 2008, you took part in the first Magnum workshop in Oslo. You must be a natural, since very little time passed between your two careers. How did you experience that transition from being an amateur to being a professional?
J. C : There’s nothing natural about photography. It’s just much easier to move forward if you know what your goals are. My years studying and working in finance play a large role in who I am today. They taught me about sacrifice, which I rely on now for the photography projects I undertake.
Read the full interview on the French version of Le Journal.
Interview by Lola Fabry, May 2013
