Talented Photographer and Gallery Owner Javier Aranburu Shares His Journey

If you have made up your mind to chase after your dream, you have to be ready for the challenges and criticisms that will come with it. If it gets too hard, don’t give up; look for the best way to overcome it. If people keep telling you that you won’t be able to go far in life by choosing your passion over something more practical, then prove to them that you can.

This was the case for Javier Aranburu. From someone who knew nothing about photography, he is now a renowned professional in the field with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram. All it took for Javier to realize his vocation was a radio show about a photographer who talked about how he travels around the world with his camera to share his journey through pictures.

This moment made Javier Aranburu realize what photography is. It’s more than just taking attractive pictures; it’s a form of communication and storytelling without words. Photography shows the beauty of the subject and the world in its most genuine form, and he wants to deliver that impact to the rest of the world through the photos he takes.

It only took what Javier Aranburu calls a “click” in his head to want to live like the photographer who shared his story on the radio and make the shift from an economist to a photographer. Within a week, Javier went to look for photography schools and learned how to use a camera. Although he didn’t have much confidence in his skills at first, he thought the best way to get better was not to wait but to build on his experiences.

It was then that he started contacting numerous press agencies and magazines, looking for job vacancies. His career gradually progressed when he was asked to be a photographer for the Madrid Fashion Week and then New York Fashion Week. There, he ended up collaborating with the Europa Press agency and the International Center of Photography.

After two years of staying in New York, Javier Aranburu had gained the experience he needed and trained with some of the best professionals in the field. He even got to work and assist numerous renowned photographers like Mary Ellen Mark. So he moved back to Spain and worked in fashion and advertising. He also became a photographer for an avant-garde line and renowned brands, such as Chanel, Johnnie Walker, and Nike.

Following his steady success, he took up the challenge of starting his own photography gallery in the center of Madrid on Calle Guzmán el Bueno 63 in 2011. This was later acclaimed amongst art enthusiasts as the Javier Aranburu Photography Gallery, where Javier exhibits and sells his work.

In the gallery’s early days, Javier Aranburu received criticism that it would fail. However, he believed he could make it work, and he was indeed able to. Over the years, he has received numerous awards and recognition for his expertise, and photography now plays an irreplaceable part in his life. Although the journey hasn’t been easy or smooth sailing, Javier can certainly attest that all the hard work he put in was worth it.