Edited by Odeta Catana, Photo Editor
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I’m Daniel Santalla a photography lover. Something that I’d like to be my way of life, since it’s becoming my obsession, although a sweet obsession after all.
How would you describe yourself and your personality?
I’m a pretty simple person and I try to do all this things with passion, Not only on the photography , but in my life I care every detail. Naturalness defines me.
What inspires you? Who were the first artists that inspired you?
Calm and serenity in beaches, landscapes, woods or nature itself inspire me. As well the tiny things surrounding my life.
Beach winter walks by the seashore with my dog and my partner was the thing that inspire me to enquire in this area that I wasn´t entirely develop on my own, and it was slowly piqued my interest.
Many artists inspire me since I started whit this new love. A good friend of mine, one of my favorites photographers, showed me how to express my feelings through photography. As well other artist I heard, songs by Bon Iver, or Beirut, among many others. This kind of music never will be missed in the soundtrack of my pictures. Also some Flickr artist, people who are beginning like me, are my inspiration, too.
How did you start taking photos?
I started taking pictures in a professional way a year ago more or less, walking along the seashore. I started to see the tiny things that nature brings to us and capture the things that made me feel good.
What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?
I would like people see my work the way I do. I think with my photos I transmit serenity, calm and a mixture of feelings. I’d really like this things I see and feel when I take my pictures could be reflected in work, so people will understand the way I feel when I take them.
Do you take portraits? And if so, in a portrait, what is important for you?
I never use to take portraits but in recent times I’m working in any one. And the most important to me, like the rest of my works, is to capture the naturalness, simplicity in people… If there is one thing I like the most is to capture naked people. I think it’s the most beautiful way to show and express the feeling, just like when I shoot to a beach or a forest, any kind of landscape.
The best way to be on tune and in connection with the landscape is with no clothes, liberate ourselves from the attachments that tie us down.
Do you think it’s important to follow a school to learn how to shoot?
Anyway I think the most important thing in this special world is to have good taste and sensibility but obviously having studies on this area and resources is indispensable. I would say I am a self-taught person, but I’m also looking for some kind of photography schools and courses for a good training, thing that might be important to become a good photographer and gets technical skills.
Is there a personal project that you’ve had in your mind that you haven’t done, and that you probably will never do?
I would love to do an exhibition of my photos with any of my favorite photographers or a collaboration in an International Art Gallery -hahahaha-, but I guess It’s just an impossible dream that it will never come true. Even so, I’m very proud of what have been achieved ever since I started with this. Of course, it’s a pleasure for me to respond to this interview, I never thought I will reach to this point, so I’m so happy.
Do you think you have your own style?
I don’t know if I could say I have my own style, anyway nowadays there are so many people that inspire me and I try to bring the best out of them in my pictures. Probably my work is similar to others, but if I’m sure about something is that I do my job with passion, and I put a lot into this, and I don’t know if the others make this job with the same care.
Where’s one place you dream of taking photographs?
I would like to travel to many different places, shoot a lot of parts of the world, local people, their landscapes, their culture, traditions…
I would love learning about the things I don’t know and have for sure so much to show me.
Why do you take photos?
I make photography because I love it, I’m person with more obsessions than passions, and nowadays my facet as a photographer obsesses me. It’s been a good way to evade the small problems, routine and get some relax. I enjoy it so much I cannot think of anything else; it releases me from the burdens and problems around me.
What keeps you going?
The passion I feel for the photography and keep trying to show everybody my vision of life through my work keeps me active, and I really hope to continue this way. My desire is to move in this direction and improve in this career that I have just started. In February next year I have my next photo exhibition and I’m working on it to come out best. I am very excited about this project.
