Very few photographers are capable of capturing raw human emotions within photos. Bernardo Montgomery, a Mexican photographer who has worked at New York Fashion Week and who has appeared in prestigious publications, including Vogue UK, is someone whose emotional intelligence transcends his photography.
His work truly captures the essence of intimacy and often the significance of love through the human subjects he captures.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Montgomery’s first encounter with photography was when his grandfather gifted him a camera when he was young. However, not having the best relationship with him, Montgomery did not pursue photography until much later in his life.
He describes his childhood as heavily influenced by a masculine culture in which it was looked down on for men to feel sentimental emotions. However, after undergoing an evolution spiritually and mentally, Montgomery discovered the significance of allowing himself to feel different emotions and the importance of love, citing it as a concept he sees in everything.
Wanting to truly spread a message of how important emotional intelligence and feeling love is, Montgomery found that he could not quite explain his thoughts through words. Instead, to express his perspective, Montgomery picked up a camera and started to capture things he loved and were within immediate reach, while also prioritizing his talent over his college academics.
Soon enough, he found a passion within portrait photography, an area he felt truly represents human sentiment. However, after an accident in which he broke his wrist from skating, he decided to take a semester off, a time in which Montgomery took full advantage of to explore how serious he was about his craft.
“The essence of Bernardo as such is manifesting the feminine sentiment within contemporary Mexican masculine macho society,” says Montgomery while describing his style. While gaining a deeper passion for photography, Montgomery recalls how his home life also helped him acquire a deeper understanding of the “magic of the feminine spirit,” which in turn also made him realize that emotional intelligence and strength are not mutually exclusive concepts.
Having grown up around strong and resilient women in his life, Montgomery noticed how in touch they were with their feelings and were very emotionally intelligent. “My mother is made out of iron. She will not bend; she will not break. And my sister blows my mind. She ended up devoting herself to children in special education.”
As Montgomery keeps on creating beautiful work, he hopes to one day become an iconic photographer. Within the next five years, he is working on exploring the fine art side of photography through projects that will express the struggles he went through in childhood, but also the insightful knowledge he obtained.
He still wants to stay true to his purpose, which is to spread love through his art. Whether it’s showcasing in galleries around the world, working in high fashion and editorials, or even through personal projects of photographing family and friends to create a collage, Montgomery hopes to maintain the common theme of humanity and love. “I am trying to make people understand human feelings. I believe that the most beautiful way to express those feelings is through humans.”
Stay updated on Bernardo Montgomery’s projects through his Instagram (@bermontgomery).
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