Biography
Enrique Valdepeñas Alonso has been working in the audiovisual sector for more than 30 years. During all this time he has combined technical work with other exclusively creative work. Like many of his colleagues, he has turned his hobby into his profession, working as a freelance photographer and director of photography since 1999.
With his own studio in Madrid, he specialises in portraiture and product photography, combining it with travel photography, his other passion.
"In the studio you have everything under control, you can prepare the photos in advance, you have your tools. Travel photography is different, you don't know what you're going to find, you have to be very attentive".
He has lived through the transition from chemical to digital photography, something he has taken on quite naturally, although it has forced him to train constantly.
"I don't feel any nostalgia for the enlarger. Now we photographers have complete control over the photo during the whole process. Cameras, lenses and flashes are much better. On top of that, this has allowed a lot of talent to emerge, people who, with a mobile phone, little knowledge and very good taste, take impressive photos. On the other hand, I think that these facilities, both for taking photos and for exhibiting them, have created a shortcut culture and some people are missing out on a lot of things. A thorough knowledge of the medium allows you to get much more out of your photographs".
He also has the opportunity to develop his teaching facet; after the birth of his daughters, a change of address and the desire to escape from the maelstrom of 24/7 freelancing, he gave several master classes at the prestigious CEV school in Madrid and founded the School of Photography in Paracuellos de Jarama, his current place of residence, which he directed and where he taught for 9 years.
"Sharing what you know, it´s wonderful. Of the more than 400 students who passed through the school, I was undoubtedly the one who learned the most".
Obsessed with quality, in his photos he always strives for maximum detail and a faithful reproduction of colour, textures and volumes. He has worked with Nikon, Canon and Hasselblad equipment, although for years he has only used Fuji cameras and lenses.
"I like to photograph ordinary people and make them feel special. When I take product photos, I want the end customer to feel that they have it in front of them, that they can touch it".
