Pétalos & Colores marks the return of Colección Inicia to the celebration of our natural heritage. The book shows us the impressive floral diversity that exists on the island of Hispaniola, through beautiful and detailed images, captured by two important Dominican photographers whose eyes coincide in a particular passion. Eladio Fernández, a naturalist who finds his artistic side, and Pedro José Borrell Bentz, an artist who discovers his interest in science, share with us the stories that flowers tell.

Flowers, with their shapes, colors and textures, are an effective entry point to the natural world, their beauty inspires us to appreciate nature and to begin to understand the importance of its conservation. Pétalos & Colores weaves a conversation between two portfolios that convey the same message, how important it is to understand and value our natural resources in order to preserve them.

PéTALOS Y COLORES

The attraction we feel towards flowers is indisputable. These fragile structures amaze us with their diverse shapes, colors, and scents. Their undeniable beauty draws us in and brings us closer to the rest of the natural world, leading us to understand its value and the importance of its conservation.

Pétalos & Colores presents two distinct perspectives focused on the same subject, offering two ways to approach the world of flowers, and showing us the stunning floral diversity on the island of Hispaniola.

This book, with its incredible imagery created by Dominican photographers Eladio Fernández and Pedro José Borrell Bentz, will be an awakening for many, helping us preserve this resource for ourselves and future generations, not only for its exceptional beauty, but also for the betterment of our environment and our own existence.

Eladio Fernández

 

A naturalist who finds his artistic side. He has adopted photography as a tool for science and to tell stories of conservation. He has an extensive collection of documentation on the endemic and native flora of the island, especially Palms, Magnolias, Aristolochias, and Orchids.

For Eladio, flowers have a story to tell, and the only way to access those stories is by carefully observing the flower and what surrounds it. Conservation photography has become the language Eladio uses to show flowers in their different life stages, aiming to awaken a sense of empathy in the observer.

PEDRO JOSÉ BORRELL BENTZ
An architect by profession, artist, and adventurer. A founding member of the photographic group Jueves 68, who has decades worth of important photographic documentation, from the peaks of the Antilles to the depths of the Caribbean Sea. Don Pedro says, “I walk to photograph and photograph to walk,” and it was precisely during his daily walks in the National Botanical Garden during the COVID-19 pandemic that his passion for flowers began.

Don Pedro captures in detail intricate floral structures, showing us tiny flowers and flowers we’ve never seen before on familiar trees.

He delves into the world of flowers to discover, through his artistic vision, a scientific interest. Through his photographs, Don Pedro leaves us a great legacy, the ability to observe, to see what others do not see.
Floral Composition: A dialogue between the photographs
of Eladio Fernández and Pedro José Borrell Bentz

Video

THE TEAM

editorial

Inicia

Publisher

Lucas C. Majure

Sorayda Peguero Isaac

Massiel Mejía

Texts

Eladio Fernández

Pedro José Borrell Bentz

Photographs

Nathalie Ramírez

Illustrations

Pardo Agency

Concept & Production

Pardo Agency

Art direction & Design

Christina Gilleland

Translation

Gema Imbert

Proofreading

Imprenta Amigo del Hogar

Printed and bound

audiovisual

Joana Colomar

Director

Claudia Moncada

Producer

INICIA / Pardo Agency

 Executive Production

Maurice Sánchez

Project Creative Director

Iñaki Pereira

Editor

ERREGEBE Post Boutique

Color Grading

José E. Durán (Chuba-K!)

Colorist

Oscar Chabebe / Ernesto Paredano

With music from 

Diana Barrera

Project Manager

Khalil Fersobe

Director of Photography

Napoleón Núñez

Camera Assistant

Daniel de Jesús Rodríguez

Grip

Rodolfo Espaillat

Direct Sound and Sound Design

Pardo Agency

Graphic design

Art Institute of Chicago

Art Resource

From the New York Public Library

The Fitzwilliam Museum

Some images courtesy

Mare films

Production