He started as director of photography for documentaries, but his passion for images led him to filmmaking about this favorite subject, the mountains that he also decided to capture their essence through photography.
Why this theme?
Ricardo Garden: What I do is not really an issue; I have a very particular relationship with the mountain and photograph it in an almost obsessive way for several decades. Some fifteen years ago I started working it more seriously. I learned photography, I studied a little of this art, began to learn how to make the frameworks and my work has been improving over the years, but is not really a theme, I do this alone.
So just photographed the mountainous areas of Madeira?
RJ: I work on other mountains in the world, but this exposure is associated with an event on the island, so I decided to show only the images that I picked up here. It photographed the Atlas, the Alps and the Pyrenees, but the bulk of the work is in fact of Madera.
Why this fascination with the island? What attracts you?
RJ: It draw me the peace, the silence, a break from the insanity of man, which is represented by the cities, although cities are taking things that I think are as harmonious as the mountain. In urban areas this is not a rule, but in the mountains, yes. Perhaps that is why spend more time on the mountain than in town.
This factor is related to radical sports?
RJ: I do not practice sports. I have activities that can be considered sports, but do not practice accordingly. The walk and the scale is not a sport, it's a way to get to the top of the mountain to photograph and film. I do it always as a contemplative side and not as a sport.
What is the mountain you would like to shoot next time?
RJ: The places that might be hankering to shoot in South America and then to New Zealand attracts me a lot and perhaps there are other mountainous areas that I will find out, but maybe one that fascinates me is Patagonia. Chile and Argentina are countries where I feel like shooting, but I do not know when I will do so.
So what is your profession? From what I understand the picture of mountains is a kind of hobby.
RJ: I make a documentary film also related to the environment, on the mountain. All I do is related to this issue. The film examines the relationship between man and mountain, the human factor, but I will not say how, because I want to be it as a surprise, since it will be presented at Madera Film Festival'12. It's all filmed on the island. I am nearing completion and would soon move on to other mountains. When I feel I've explored everything I wanted to do here, I will move on to another.
Qual é a montanha que gostarias de fotografar nestes momento?
RJ: Os lugares que mais ambiciono fotografar talvez estejam na América do Sul e depois a Nova Zelândia atraem-me imenso e se calhar há outras zonas montanhosas que ainda vou descobrir, mas se calhar aquela que mais me fascina é a Patagónia. O Chile e a Argentina são países onde mais me apetece fotografar, mas não sei quando é que irei.
Qual é então a tua profissão? Pelo que percebi a fotografia de montanhas é uma espécie de hobby.
RJ: Estou a realizar um filme documental também relacionado com o ambiente, sobre a montanha. Tudo o que faço está relacionado com esta temática. Neste filme abordo a relação do homem com a montanha, o factor humano, mas não vou dizer como, porque pretendo que seja uma surpresa, já que vai ser apresentado, no Madeira Film Festival’12. É todo filmado na ilha, estou em fase de conclusão e gostaria em breve passar para outras montanhas. Quando sentir que já explorei tudo o que queria fazer cá, irei passar para outra.
