Jury 2010
Sergio Urday
PHOTO EDITOR, ETIQUETA NEGRA (PERU)
In 1989, Sergio began his career as a staff photographer at Caretas magazine before being appointed to photo editor at Peru’s most respected newspaper, El Comercio, in 1995. Photo-journalism has gripped him ever since.
He has traveled extensively in the Peruvian Andes, its coastal wilderness and also into the Amazon jungle. As his wanderlust crossed over with various political, social and environmental assignments, he discovered his main photographic themes: identity, modernity and nationhood.
How did he get involved in photography? "It all started when I was 15 years old, during a trip to Tarapoto city in the Peruvian Jungle. I used a Kowa camera with a 50mm fixed lens, given as a gift to me by my father. It was during this adventurous trip that I first experienced photography, landscapes and the natives that live in these places."
After studying architecture, he left his career for photography and joined Caretas magazine in 1989 after taking a photography course at Kodak Peru. In 1992 he was awarded in Spain the "Premio Rey de Espańa" for his work in journalistic photography. When he came back to Peru he developed his personal work and collaborated with Somos and Cosas magazines.
In 1993 he started working for Diario El Comercio as a photographer and became its graphic editor two years later. In 1995 he started teaching journalistic photography at the Instituto Gaudí and then at the Universidad de Lima between 1997 and 2001. Sergio held his first individual exhibition, “Mundo Real,” in 1998 with Lima city as its subject and has had his work frequently exhibited ever since in South America. For Sergio, "the road has been a constant learning curve and merging of technological, photographic and administrative skills."
What is a typical day like for him? "My day starts with a coffee, usually this stirs up new ideas! Also I keep informed with global news. Then I coordinate by phone with photographic staff in order to recap on progress of coverage and assign future tasks. Whether in Peru or abroad, I head out to the field to shoot photos. I also normally have to supervise the photographers, talk to the printers and meet with the editors to discuss chronograms and get feedback. At the end of the day, it's all about getting photos ready for the magazine or editorial project."
A career-defining moment was when Sergio formed his own photo-consultancy in 2003 which organizes photography assignments, exhibitions and books. His clients include El Comercio newspaper, Día 1 magazine, Poder Magazine, Toronja comunicaciones, Odebrecht company, ADN communications, EFE Agency and Etiqueta Negra magazine.
What does he love about photography? "It's the possibility of being in diverse places and situations, meeting all kinds of people and transmitting these experiences to the public through a photo."
How has the photography industry changed over the last decade in his opinion? "Firstly, it's speed. The capture and transmission of photos has decreased rapidly here as everywhere else in the world. Secondly, digital media means that you can manipulate saturation and color in photos, correct exposition and create sequences. Lastly, a massive change is being able to reflect on content selection on site rather than in the studio."
After being a judge at the first Red Bull Illume in 2007, why is he getting involved again? "Red Bull Illume gives photographers and photo editors the chance to connect from different parts of the world. Action and adventure sports photographers are unconventional. They prefer to capture nature, people and action, which is the type of photography I like to see."
