“Diversity is good for everything”: Mr Jose photographs Brighton Pride

Jose, a Venezuelan photographer who goes by Mr Jose for his creative endeavours, became interested in photography originally to pursue a girl. “In the beginning, I didn’t want to pursue a career in photography, it was an excuse to speak to a girl I was in love with at the time,” Jose explains. “But I got better and better at it and in the end, I was more in love with photography than anything.”

Now based in Amsterdam, Jose captures humanist stories through both a documentary photography lens and fine art. He uses the medium as a means of therapy which, in turn, allows the photographer to become more open, curious and thankful with every investigative story. Recently capturing the joy in Brighton’s Pride celebrations, Jose experienced “a creative relief” in realising the magical celebrations. First visiting Brighton’s Pride a few years ago with a couple of friends, Jose became enraptured by the beautiful light, and the beautiful people rejoicing in the day’s events.

He decided to make it a long-term photography project “as I felt it was really special and different,” says Jose on the festivities. “I’ve been to Pride in Madrid, London and Dublin but when I went to the Brighton one, it felt pure,” he adds on the matter. Titled Glitter In The Air, the series has fundamentally taught Jose that “you don’t need to overthink every photography project.” He tells It’s Nice That: "You can find beauty in the events that have been covered 100 times, you can find your own voice and vision within it.”

When capturing the street photography portraits, Jose would first look the person in the eye and give them an honest smile. Then, he would click the shutter and finish off the exchange by exclaiming “You are so beautiful!!!” Jose adds, “In between taking the photos, I was listening to their conversation to try and get some insights and clues to their experiences. These are things that help me make the project more true.”

The ongoing series of Glitter In The Air will be exhibited from 27 July – 30 August in The Hallen Amsterdam as part of this year’s Pride programme. “Diversity is good for everything,” says the photographer on the colourful array of personalities captured in the series. “Being human implies being different to one another, people are different by definition and being part of Pride means celebrating diversity. We make amazing things when there are different views on the table and Brighton Pride is ultimately a celebration of love.”