Fotógrafo Fede Guendel

—¿Es usted fotogénico(a)?

—Good one! Ana and I often get asked by other photographers from all over the world to pose for them for their portfolios in Paris. Not sure if that means that we are photogenic, we are just different and that is always fun to photograph.

—¿Cómo empezó a trabajar en la industria de fotografía?

—My wife has had a wedding photography business in Austria before we even met and I was working in fashion photography. Once we tied the knot and moved to Paris it was just a natural thing for me to join forces with her and now we work as a tandem. Every single photo we deliver gets shot by either of us, color corrected by Ana and then skin retouched by me to the fashion photography standard.

—¿En su opinión, cuáles son los elementos más importantes de una buena fotografía?

—As an avid cinema lover I'm fascinated with capturing emotion in a cinematographic way. The true connection read in the photograph in one frozen in time moment for me is what makes a good photograph. It has to tell a story and reflect the character of people in it. If it we up to me I wouldn't care for the backdrop, but working in Paris it's a fine line between architecture vs the couple in it. Still discovering my way to tell the best narrative while also focussing on the backdrop to it.

—¿Le gusta viajar?

—Yes! Being from Costa Rica I have lived in Sweden, Canada, the US, Austria and now France, my wife is Russian and she lived in Italy, Germany and Austria before we met. In between the two of us we speak 6 languages, so traveling is a way of live for us and we enjoy it immensely.

—¿Qué le gusta más de su profesión?

—That's an easy one – making people happy!

—¿Qué le gusta menos de su profesión?

—Time! The reality of the fact that time is a finite resource and catering mostly to travellers we often have to say no to a couple who otherwise would be a perfect fit because another perfect fit has already booked their date. I think saying no in general is the hardest thing for me as a wedding professional!

—¿Cuál será el futuro de la fotografía?

—In the past wedding photography has been a narrow field but now with the advancement of technology and wider variety of choices there are so many paths to develop. Film photography has made a big and luxurious comeback. Social media and search engine optimisation have made it more difficult to shine with just the photos and make us work that much harder on being great marketers too. What my hope is that in the sea of voices and choices it would still be possible for each bride to connect with her perfect storyteller of a photographer, but how only future will show.

—¿Qué tiene de especial el género fotográfico en que trabaja?

—A wedding is a special moment for me when a couple come together in a celebration of what makes them different, defines their choices as individuals and shows all the points two people connect and blend in their unique way. Capturing all the little details and emotions of what makes that couple different from any other couple is what makes wedding photography as epitome of a lovestory magical for me.

—¿Cómo gestiona las críticas?

—To quote a comedian "I was raised up to be an insult navy seal" – nothing gets under my skin. I don't mind any opinion and I will always try to get constructive criticism from it.

—¿Existe alguna tendencia en la fotografía?

—My favorite two are the return of film photography and the return of the vintage film looks driven by the creations of VSCO and MastinLabs.

—¿Qué criterios debería tener en cuenta una persona a la hora de elegir a un fotógrafo?

—The very first one – can they see themselves as the people in the photos in the portfolio of this photographer. Second, when they talk to the photographer can they see him/her as potentially being one of their group of friends. This defines whether they like what the photographer has to offer skill-wise and whether the chemistry to capture that is present.

—¿Qué no está permitido de ningún modo cuando realiza una fotografía?

—It's a totally situational question – as a wedding photographer I pretty much need to be there and capture what unfolds and not be too intrusive. Not allowed is probably just asking me to hold my camera and play with it LOL.

—¿Qué detalles que normalmente no tenemos en cuenta puede un fotógrafo captar?

—Details! Hands holding during the ceremony, mom crying during the vows, the flower girl staring at the bride with an open mouth – those kind of details. During the wedding the guests are so focused on the couple, that what unfolds around them often goes unnoticed to their eyes.

—¿Qué influye en el valor de una fotografía? ¿Cuáles son sus elementos?

—The emotion, the composition, the location – in that order! Yes, the location doesn't matter as much as catching a cinematic and real emotion.

—En su opinión, ¿qué persona podría ser un símbolo del siglo XXI?

—In a society as diverse as ours I can't name one particular person because that would be too restrictive. I would rather point out a modern day nomad, a boho bride, a Kinkfolk reader – that's the symbol of going back to our roots, appreciating simple and healthy way of life and of love.

—¿A quién le gustaría fotografiar?

—My client. The couple who choose me for my style and my personality and who I feel like they fit well with me.

—¿Tiene tabúes profesionales?

—Yes, client poaching. There are plenty of clients for all of us.

—¿Con quién le gustaría fotografiar?

—I'm a happy man, as I'm already shooting with my perfect partner.

—¿Qué le preocupa y por qué?

—The answer is always – time. There is too little of it and always too much to do.

—¿Cuál ha sido el momento más impactante de su vida?

—Getting a callback for a job interview in the team of Rankin, who is one of my fashion photography idols.

—Si fuera un personaje de animación, literario o cinematográfico, ¿quién le gustaría ser y por qué?

—Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is a metaphorical letter from him to his daughter. In the movie, McConaughey's character Cooper goes through time and space to save his daughter as well as keeping the promise he made to her.
I'd like to believe that I would be Cooper – go through time and space for my family and keep my promise.

—¿Quién le inspira en su vida y por qué?

—Bruce Lee, because he had a really inspirational world view.

—¿Cómo definiría el éxito? ¿Cómo lo mide?

—Success for me is not having unhappy clients. As long as it's down I now that I'm doing something right.

—¿Qué prefiere, gustar o sentirse respetado?

—Respected.

—¿Cuál es el mayor error que ha cometido en su trabajo?

—Forgetting the name of the bride's mom. Embarrassing!

—Cuando va de viaje, ¿qué lleva consigo y por qué?

—Passport, medicine kit, camera gear, change of clothes. I'm simple this way.

—¿Se arrepiente de alguno de los gadgets que ha comprado? ¿Por qué?

—Nope.

—¿Cómo se forma para tomar las mejores imágenes?

—Look, look, and look. Wedding blogs and favorite photographers help me to identify what I gravitate towards the most.

—¿A quién pertenece el trabajo que le ha influenciado más como fotógrafo?

—My wife and Ivan Troyanovsky. As they are friends it's really – being a part of that creative group that puts cinematography first.

—¿Cuál es la única cosa que desearía haber sabido cuando comenzó a tomar fotografías?

—That answering emails and managing business is taking up more time than the actual picture taking. Having been prepared for that I would have an easier road.

—¿Qué desea decir con sus fotografías?

—For me it's not what I want to say but what I want the captured moment to say – I want my photo to end up on the wall in my couple's house and for them to tell their grandchildren all the stories about their wedding day when they ask.

—¿Qué le motiva a continuar tomando imágenes?

—My wife – seeing her passion for it and being able to be alongside her in our life and our work. There is no other thing I'd rather be doing.

—¿Cree que sus padres deberían haber sido más o menos estrictos?

—I wasn't really raised by a full family, rather my life has taught me and I wouldn't change a thing.

—¿Si pudiera volver atrás en el tiempo, qué haría de forma diferente?

—So far so good.

—¿Qué piensa de la vida en otros planetas?

—Sure :)

—¿Quiénes son sus héroes?

—Bruce Lee, Valentino Rossi, my wife.