Today we are going to try to know a little more about this photographer from Valladolid, a tireless traveller, and connoisseur of the Galician and Castilian lands. President of the Valladolid Photographic Association and lover of landscape and macro photography, he dedicates his time to finding the right moment of light and the perfect sky in his photographs.

 Hello Ángel, the first and inevitable question is always the same, how did you start with photography?

 My beginnings go back to 1983, I was living at that time in Dueñas (Palencia) for family reasons and the local library organised a photography course given by Javier Marín, a professional photographer from Palencia; I signed up and that course got me hooked; I wanted to give free rein to my landscape vision that I always had when I went out into nature, but now behind the camera.

Why did you choose landscape photography and macro photography?

 Because of the freedom that this type of photography gives you, it's you, your camera, and what surrounds you without rushing, always looking for that frame or that small detail that goes unnoticed by others.

Is the sky important for you in a landscape photo?

 It is very important to include a sky where the clouds play a leading role, it is an essential part of a landscape photo; I would dare to say that it is 80% of the image, look for the right moment, the volume, and shapes of the clouds as in most of the photos they will be unrepeatable moments.

In your photos, do you enjoy the poppies or the Galician coasts more?

 I think they complement each other, seeing the green barley meadows swaying in spring dotted with poppies in the wind where the waves come and go transports you to the coast and at times even caresses you with that Castilian breeze that reminds you of the sea.

When you dream that you are taking photos, are you in Dueñas or in A Guarda?

 All places are good for dreaming, Dueñas is very close to my heart because of the family ties I have with it and because it was the place of my photographic beginnings, but I have also learned to love the Galician land, so I would choose both places to recreate my dreams.

What have you missed in Galicia, which in one way or another you constantly photograph?

 My contact with the Galician land began in 2011 thanks to the social networks I uploaded images of my Castilian landscapes throughout the four seasons to the social network for photographers called Flickr, my immense fields full of poppies, the fields of green barley, the stubble that remain once I'm in Galicia, the stubble that is left once I'm in Galicia, the stubble that is left once I'm in Galicia, the stubble that is left once I'm in Galicia, the stubble that remains once the cereal is mowed and those sub-zero ashes that we have in the harsh Castilian winter and people from Galicia today friends were interested in the photographic work that I was doing and wanted to meet me, they came from Pontevedra and Ferrol to Dueñas, in spring they wanted to see those fields of poppies that I photographed and that I showed them when they came, it was a meeting where at first sight a friendship arose and they invited me to get to know their land; Today I can say that this friendship has grown and that thanks to them I know Galicia, both the coast and the interior, showing me incredible places and corners where my photographic vision has been enriched, they have made me love Galicia.

What is the job of the president of a photographic association?

 First of all, to ensure the good health of the association, to make it known in all areas at the national and media level through many meetings, to encourage and teach your knowledge to all those who belong to it and to make them feel all the passion for photography.

In your last exhibition "The human factor" I saw that you left paper and pen on a table for those who come to see your photos to leave their comments. What do people say to you?

 It's always important to collect comments from others, they are enriching and in many cases help you to continue growing as a photographer. My photography is approachable, fresh, and unadorned, and people generally identify with the work I do.

I'm left with a comment that I've received from people who said that when they saw my images, they helped them to shed light on a difficult moment in their lives. If my images help people to be happy and transmit good feelings, then my goal is achieved.

Which photographers inspire you and/or have influenced your photographic work?

 Above all, Ansel Adams with his landscapes in black and white or colour or Yann Marie Arthus-Bertrand great photographer with his aerial landscapes.

What camera, and what equipment do you use?

 My camera is a Nikon D750 Full Frame and as lenses, I use a wide angle Irix 15mm and a Nikon 16-35 mm in most of my photographic shots as the landscape is my field of work to give as much amplitude as possible to the images. Also a Nikon 105mm lens. Macro for the approaches to the tiny world.

What tools or applications do you use to process your photos?

 My photographs are hardly processed at all, just a little light enhancement and some contrast. And Photoshop.

What do you think of Artificial Intelligence programs for photography?

 I think that the essence and the fieldwork of the photographer are lost and in many cases, they transport us to unreal images, but I am also open to new trends, there are no barriers.

Which of your photographs has taken you the most work, the most effort to take?

 Those related to macro photography, butterflies, and dragonflies, are beings that you have to plan their capture because of the great mobility they develop, you need to have a great knowledge of their movements, and their habitat, and a lot of patience, and ingredients to be able to take good images.

Landscape photography requires spending many hours looking for that unrepeatable moment where the light is the main protagonist.

If you had to choose one of your photographs, which one would you choose?

 Possibly a very close one taken on the night of August 12, 2021, during the passage of the Perseids. I went out to take a photograph of the Milky Way and to include the Perseids, tripod, wide-angle lens, and remote shutter and let the passage of time draw the always attractive Milky Way, Suddenly a huge multicoloured Perseid passed following the Milky Way from the top to bottom leaving a trail of cosmic dust in its path. I have to say that it left me paralysed and I only asked for my camera to be working at the moment of the passage, I checked it out, everything was recorded and I sent it to NASA, who published it as one of the images of the day.

What advice would you give to those who are starting out in photography?

 First of all, to learn to look, to understand what is of interest in the image we are going to take, and to tell them that it is not the camera that is important, but the person behind it, to be constant, to be patient and not to despair, because the results will come.

What is your next project?

 I am working on a book where I will show how I work in the field and what methods I use.