DAVID QUINTAS, PHOTOGRAPHER
As a well-known person in your field in Alava, what would you highlight in your career?
What I would highlight most is that I have always looked for new challenges and have always had the best team working with me. We have adapted to changes in technology and have become specialized in different areas such as nature photography, different kinds of promotional and informative video productions as well as 360-degree videos and VR photography. My father was a photographer and although he died when I was small, a lot of my family have worked in the profession.
Could you recommend some particularly attractive places to photograph in Vitoria and Alava?
The Green Belt is my favourite spot in Vitoria, particularly Salburua Park and Wetlands. In Alava, for me the Ullibarri Gamboa reservoir is a very special place. I go there over twice a week to enjoy the sunrise from my kayak and I can assure you that every single day is different, depending on the time of year, the weather or the birds that you find there. It is amazing.
What advice would you give to visitors who want to take some good pictures in Vitoria-Alava this Holy Week?
I would tell him to wrap up warm because it can get very cold and to get out and about and enjoy the little things the region has to offer when there aren’t many people around.
Could you give us a few tips on how to take better holiday snaps with a mobile phone?
The most important thing is to think twice before taking the shot. Use the camera-levelling software feature that comes with a lot of phones to make sure the horizon is level and don’t use the digital zoom, if possible it is better to move closer to the subject. The composition is better is the subject is framed off-centre. Also try to do without the flash as much as possible. Study where the light is coming from and move accordingly. And editing, cutting and touching up the colour with a simple app like Snapseed is just as important as taking the photo.
Do tourists run the risk of taking too many photographs without bothering too much whether they’re good or reflect any emotion?
Obviously this is true when a lot of shots are taken, but the good thing is that most of the photos are taken to share on social networks and with groups of friends etc. That’s where the selection is normally made. No matter how many photos we take, we tend to share the ones we are really proud of. Sharing exciting photos and getting a few likes makes us try harder.
Nowadays with growing numbers of mobile phones with cameras, are the photos we take getting better or worse?
The quality is worse if we compare it with that of reflex cameras but having a camera with us all day is better because it makes it possible to get good spontaneous or unintended shots which are often the best.
