From Model to Star Photographer: Gabo, Her Finca, and a Surprising Costner Moment

How a Runway Beginner Became a Portrait Artist

I met Gabo on a windy morning on the MA-19 road, somewhere between almond trees and a cafe that at 9 in the morning has no rush. She laughs a lot, speaks directly, and has that calm, slightly sly tone that you find in people who have seen a lot. She used to stand in front of the camera herself. Today she searches for the face behind the gaze.

The Island as Workspace and Retreat

“Mallorca was never just a vacation for me,” she says. At first she came as a model, then more and more with a camera. Since 1999 she has lived permanently on a finca in the southeast, which she lovingly calls Rancho Felice. There live her two dogs and she long kept a horse with which she rode daily. Small details: at noon a siesta, in winter a wood stove burns, and the walk to the church takes five minutes on foot.

Light, Technology and the Mix of Analog and Digital

Gabo gushes about the Mediterranean light: “It’s clean, but not soulless.” Still she values studio work and digital workflows, especially when deadlines are tight. Analog remains her heart – grain, tactile sensation, the small unpredictability of film. She regards AI with skepticism: automatic generation without respect for copyrights goes against the grain. “Optimize yes, replace no,” she puts it.

Anecdote on Set: Kevin Costner and the Hay Bale

Sometimes not everything goes as planned. In a brief shoot, a hay bale stood as a backdrop. Its manager found the idea… suboptimal. Costner himself responded with dry humor: instead of drama, there was a line that made Gabo turn red and finished the team with a laugh. Such moments – improvised, human, real – she particularly likes.

Ethics, Refusal and One's Own Conscience

Gabo has also turned down jobs: fur, dubious PR or projects that did not align with her values. Money is seductive, she says, but in the end you must still be able to look at yourself in the mirror. That sounds like a simple rule – and one she strictly follows.

Teaching, Exhibitions and Life on the Island

She passes on her knowledge, spent time as a visiting lecturer, and welcomes the renewed interest in analog cameras. If you want to see current works: in a gallery on the mainland there are numerous portraits hanging until mid-October, including icons and private faces. In Palma you’ll often find her at the weekly market or with an espresso in front of a small photo lab.

In short: Gabo combines empathy with craft. Her images should hit, not just please. And Mallorca? For her the island is a rhythm of life, a workspace and a home – with stone walls, good light, and room for a horse, dogs, and sometimes surprising stories on set.