Xavi Duran, aerial photographer based out of the Balearic Islands of Spain and latest Latitude Image partner, aims to emote tranquility through his work. He seeks this even when his plane loses gasoline and he finds himself plummeting through the air. He admits “this can be complicated.”
With an interest in photography cultivated through childhood, Xavi Duran pursued his love of art at the School of Applied Arts in Barcelona, Spain, his birthplace. Later, he moved to Ibiza where, he says, “it wasn’t until I started working at a newspaper that I thought about photography as a profession.” And even then, the specialty in aerial photography was by chance. “I discovered it by accident, really, when a client requested photos from the air.” The rest, as they say, is history. He racked up experience at national media brands like Marca and El Periodico, and eventually, he saw his work showcased in National Geographic, Geo Altair, and Lonely Planet Magazine, to name a few.
Xavi admits his favorite place to photograph is the Balearic Islands, “You know,” he says, “because I know them best.” But he recognizes that there’s nothing quite as emotional as discovering new locations from the air: “Remote places that you know you’re never going to see from the air again, that this is a unique opportunity...this is extremely motivating.” Xavi is never short of motivation, however. “I am inspired by the grand paintings that can only be seen from above -- these abstract formations that we can’t imagine from the ground.” As in most artistic endeavors, capturing these grand moments is hard-won. “There are many complications in aerial photography: from legal issues in no-fly zones to physical issues like mountainous zones.”
The key, Xavi says, is patience. “More and more as I shoot, I try to transmit tranquility in my photos, and this means contemplating and analyzing the scene thoroughly.” It also means staying calm when a plane starts to lose gas, “I was in a Piper once and the gasoline wasn’t fueling the airplane correctly and we lost altitude quickly.” Xavi and his pilot walked away from the incident unscathed but, he admits, “That was definitely scary.” Luckily for Latitude Image, Xavi has pushed on past that frightening moment in his career and has become the consummate photographer of private and commercial aerial photography. He joins Latitude Image with an extensive portfolio of the Balearic Islands.