April 13, 1973. A man named Martín J. Louis arrived at Manises Airport in a brand new automatic BMW 2800 to greet Nino Bravo, the singer whose image Louis had helped solidify a year earlier. The portrait session would later appear on the Valencian artist’s fourth LP Mi tierra, which aimed to present Bravo as a serious, formal, and widely appealing star on the national music scene.
The encounter carried a practical purpose. Bravo had flown in from his Barcelona studio to Valencia to provide photographs for a feature about him in Popular 1, a magazine directed by Jordi Serra i Fabra. The plan was to use some of these images, taken in Aielo de Malferit, to accompany América, America, Bravo’s forthcoming single. The track had already been released posthumously, and this shoot would become the final film session Bravo ever did, just three days before his untimely death in a car accident.
exposure allergy
Darío Ledesma notes in his book Nino Bravo, voz y corazón that Bravo and Martín J. Louis, the Segovian photographer whose real name was José Luis Martín Frías, met in 1972. Louis was building recognition by shooting album covers for various artists and groups, gradually shaping a distinctive visual identity for performers across the scene.
In an interview with Ledesma in 2008, Louis described Bravo as a shy figure who did not relish being photographed because he felt he did not look his best. He could perform brilliantly on stage, yet posed images sometimes unsettled him and he carried a certain apprehension before the lens.
According to Bravo’s official biography, the Mi tierra portraits were taken at two rooms in Bravo’s home: a colorful autumn-themed mural near the entrance and a decorated living area with yellow wallpaper. Louis recalls Bravo’s reluctance to pose and explains that it wasn’t an issue of appearance but rather a sense of discomfort with the act of posing. He believed that people around him did not always love their own image during that period.
indoor Photos
Faced with the singer’s usual preference for outdoor shots, Louis opted for indoor settings and controlled lighting. The sessions often happened in Valencia because Louis did not want to shoot in Barcelona, so the photographer moved his studio to Bravo’s home. Most of the sessions took place there, producing composed, intimate portraits.
Bravo was so pleased with the early results that he asked the record company to make Luis the photographer for all future shoots. The artist’s contentment with the portraits showed in his easy demeanor in front of the camera, turning what could have been a tense process into a collaborative and professional experience. Louis recalls Bravo’s commitment to the work; unlike many artists who seldom took photography seriously, Bravo approached these sessions with focus and seriousness.
A Polynesian restaurant in Valencia
Reflecting on that April day, Louis told Ramiro Ledesma that after Bravo picked him up from Manises airport they headed straight to Brani, the offices where Bravo managed his career. The photographer wanted to seize the moment and captured early images of the Humo duo, two young men Bravo planned to involve in his future record label.
Louis photographed Bravo signing a contract with Smoke, Miguel, and Fernando, two teenage assistants who accompanied the singer in the car during the fateful drive. Afterward, Bravo and Louis visited Krakatoa, a Polynesian restaurant in the Plaza Colegio del Patriarca, where Bravo posed for the camera wearing a brown suit with a more somber expression than in earlier shots. Ledesma emphasizes the depth of Bravo’s mood at that moment.
Leaving the restaurant, the two searched for other places to continue the photo session and eventually reached a field on Valencia’s outskirts. Louis remembers the session as long and exploratory, with stops at several attractive locations as they moved the shoot from place to place.
chat with the shepherd
Ledesma notes that the field photos could be among the last ever taken of Bravo. The singer, described as brave, simple, humble, and sincere, carried no trace of the flamboyance often associated with stars. During the shoot, a small flock of sheep, led by a shepherd, drew Bravo’s attention and sparked a memorable interaction that Louis captured on film.
Louis recalls being surprised by the shepherd and the sheep. The conversation between Bravo and the pastor intrigued him, highlighting Bravo’s ability to connect with people from all walks of life. The photographer focused on capturing these genuine, spontaneous moments as Bravo shared thoughts with the elder, well-known figure in Valencia. The result was a set of images that felt intimate and human, rather than posed and distant.
A car not for racing
When the session ended, Bravo and Louis shared a meal of paella and discussed Bravo’s future as the photographer prepared to fly back to Barcelona. The singer expressed a sense of fulfillment regarding a recent purchase, a brand-new automatic BMW 2800. Louis photographed Bravo with his new car, emphasizing that it was a family vehicle, not a performance machine. Bravo seemed happier than ever at the height of his success, though there was a sense of impending separation as Bravo faced a period with limited time in Spain beginning in 1974 and anticipated time abroad in America for multiple contracts that would pull him away from family once more.