“Salvador Cueva” Starpics Photographer Interview

Can you tell us about yourself briefly?

I´m a mexican photographer born in Ensenada, Baja California in 1986. I work independently as a photographer for some advertising agencies in campaigns and restaurants for food photography.

Can you tell us about what you are currently working on?

Right now I´m writing ideas and making sketches for two series, one is a colaboration with a friend about a foods portraits, and the other series is a personal project about of colors of a mexican sodas. And I´m making a list of a places that i want to portrait it in Ensenada the next January.

What made you decide to be a professional photographer?

I started making videos before taking pictures. In 2011 a friend and I we decided to create and advertising agency to make commercial videos. I bought a Canon 5D MarkII to make the videos and in my free time I take the camera to taking pictures, typical cliches when you start: Flowers, landscapes, animals, people, etc. I uploaded my photos to Facebook and I saw that people liked them, suddenly they started asking for sessions but I did it all of that as a hobby.
I started working taking photos in 2013 in a advertising agency in Monterrey, called Menosunocerouno. My work ther began to document the activities and portfolio of the agency, later they gave me the opportunity to make some photgraphs for campaigns.

What’s your photographic style?

I think my photographic style is changing as I'm learning but if I had to define it, it would be colorful, clean and calm, focusing on these 3 topics: food, nature and minimalism.

How do you educate yourself to take better pictures?

Sinces I started to take pictures I have been a consumer of books and tutorials. In my first year that I started learning, every day I watched tutorials for many hours, if I liked a photo that I saw I was looking on the internet how to do it similar, and searches in specific topics like: How to take nature photos; how to take portraits, how to edit, what is composition, what is light, etc. I also downloaded more specific books and when I could buy one I bought it. I keep doing that, I buy books that are less technical but more theorical and I also like to buy books from other photographers to know how they think and know their work process.
The education of photography never ends, there are always new things to learn.

What kind of gear do you use?

I have a Canon 6D with 3 lenses: Tamron 24-70 2.8 G2, Sigma Art 18-35 1.8 and a Canon 50mm macro 2.5. And I have a Yongnuo Speedlite and a Alien Bees B800 Flash with a Beauty dish of 31”

When do you feel happy as a photographer?

When it began to merge with what I like to do most that is traveling.

When was the most difficult time as a photographer? How did you deal with it?

I think the most difficult moment as a photographer was when I became freelance, I moved to another city without having contacts and I did not know what was going to happen. I did not have a job for a few months. I sent emails to all the advertising agencies I found on the internet, I visited some of them, leaving my portfolio in a USB and only one of them answered me but they did not want to pay for the work, they only want to give me product for my pictures…
And how I deal with that? At that time I was doing a master in photography, I lived only from my savings, and I did not stop taking pictures even of personal projects, I think the best way to deal with that problem is not to give up and take advantage of the bad moments as learning.

What was your most memorable experience in this photography field?

I think the most memorable experience I´ve had with photography is traveling and owning my time.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Or What photographic ambitions would you like to achieve?

Wow, I'm not sure what's going to happen to me in a month haha. But I can say that in five years I would like to be a photographer recognized by his own style and specialist on food photography in the commercial part and travel photography in the personal part.

What would you say to people who would like to be professional photographers?

I would like to tell you to be patient, nobody is born learning or knowing everything, I bought the camera without knowing how to use it and I am still learning new things every day. I think anyone can take pictures, everything is practice and discipline. Also do not feel bad if someone tells you that you do not take good pictures, use those negative comments as fuel to continue learning and improving every day.
You also know that photography is made up of everything that surrounds us, investigate the topics that interest you, see photographers, visit galleries, consume movies, books, food. Walk a lot and travel whenever you can.

Do you own a website or social media account to share your artistic works? Would you like to tell us?

Of course, it will be a pleasure.

Page: www.salvadorcueva.com
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shava.cueva/
Work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salvador.cueva/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salvadorcuev/?pnref=lhc
Behance: https://www.behance.net/shcueva