FUTURE LEADERS OF EL POBLADO: STUDENT SERIES

Thomas Arango - The Power of Photography

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For Thomas Arango, his passion for photography came through a spark of curiosity. Sitting in the Casablanca airport waiting to board his flight, Arango became captivated by the people moving around him. From children running around their parents’ legs to seeing couples share intimate moments in the busyness of the crowd, Arango was captured by the various lives, stories, and memories being created in those moments. Then, following a recent trip to Tunisia last year, his passion for photography has only continued to grow. Today, Arango is dedicated to telling stories from across the globe one photo at a time. 

“Photography, one of my main interests, has captivated me even more since last year when I traveled to Tunisia in North Africa. This experience has led me to focus more intensely on photography,” Arango said. “What interests me the most about living in the city is capturing the essence of different places.”  

A current student at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Arango is pursuing a degree in journalism and mass communication with an interest in utilizing podcasting and photography as mediums to tell stories. After his revelation in the Casablanca airport, the student has been pursuing his passion for photography ever since. The passion then led him to El Poblado MDE where he discovered the photo contest for Live In MDE 2

A long-time supporter of El Poblado MDE and the Live In MDE series, Arango viewed the Live In MDE 2 photo contest as not only a way to showcase his photography skills but saw it as an opportunity to explore the neighborhood and see the life blooming in El Poblado and beyond. Intrigued by capturing daily life in the neighborhood, Arango outlined a plan to spend three days in various Medellín communities to see what stories he could tell through his photography.

“This will be an opportunity to explore again the neighborhood,” Arango said about the photo contest. “I revised my schedule to explore different areas on separate days. In Manila, I wandered the streets, explored cafes, and watched the people, I immersed myself in the neighborhood, aiming to capture its real-life essence."

Though what started with capturing dozens of photos of buildings and structures within the neighborhood, Arango felt as though his photos were falling short and not telling a story like he wanted. For him, stories were being told in the photographs that captured residents going about their day and featuring the vibrant human aspect of the neighborhood. Whether it was a couple walking around the neighborhood enjoying the blooming greenery, friends playing music together or strangers just sitting in a cafe, the human aspect of the photos provided a deeper layer into the stories that were occurring around and within the neighborhood. 

“What I enjoy the most in photography, is getting lost in a neighborhood and capturing the essence of people laughing, playing, or talking,” Arango said. “One of the tools you can have when you’re telling a story is photography.” 

Since winning the Live In MDE 2 contest with his photo, Arango has continued with photography and has embarked on various projects that combine his passion for travel, experiences, and culture. Some of those projects include his podcast, Vita Bohemia, a bilingual program where Arango interviews his friends and more as they share their own stories and experiences. Additionally, he has big plans for the future starting with another expedition to capture local life in and around Latin America. In December, the university student will be traveling to Rio De Janeiro, Chile, and Argentina, to continue his mission of telling the budding stories of the local communities around the world. 

“At least every weekend I give myself a challenge to do something in the city and capture it. This coming December I’m traveling to Rio De Janeiro, Argentina, and Chile, and one of my expectations is to capture life there too.”

Dedicated to the art of storytelling, Arango continues to be an outstanding resident of the  Medellín and shines a light on the myriad of stories, communities, and more happening within El Poblado and beyond. 

Thomas Arango’s Contact Information: 

Instagram: @thomasandtrips 

Podcast Instagram: @vita.bohemia

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FUTURE LEADERS OF EL POBLADO: STUDENT SERIES - Carolina Tirado

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Ana: An Introduction