Elena Diaz Rodriguez carried a camera long before formal photography training was financially possible for her. She photographed travel and the details that inspired her, moved from analogue to digital, and continued learning independently while raising her family. The path was not linear, but the desire to make images survived each interruption.
Her photographs centre on nature, people and ordinary surroundings seen from a less familiar angle. In our conversation, Elena repeatedly returns to originality, enjoyment and the feeling an image can carry. She is less interested in technical display than in building a real connection with the camera and the world on the other side of it.
Find Elena Diaz Rodriguez online
- elenadiazfotografa.wixsite.com/elenadiazphotography
- elenadiazfotografa@gmail.com
- @elenadiazfotografa
- @ElenaDiazFotos
- @elenadiazfotografa
- @elenadiazfotografa
The interview
Hi Elena, how long have you been working as a photographer now?
I’m working as a photographer since 2013.
What inspired you to become a photographer? What were your first steps?
Photography has been in me since childhood. I first studied as a secretary and started working. Photography courses back then were very expensive, and I couldn't afford to pay for them. But I always went with my analog camera, taking photos of everything that inspired me or when I traveled.
So, when I was about 25 years old, I was able to buy my first digital camera, a Kodak. With this camera, I discovered a new world that fascinated me until it was stolen.
Then I bought a Canon and stopped working because I had my first daughter. Since then, I have dedicated myself to investigating the world of photography on my own.
Are you a professional or an amateur photographer?
I consider myself a photographer in the middle. I'm not a professional because I do not have academic degrees, and I do not consider myself an amateur since I have been in photography for many years. I consider myself a good photographer because I put all my passion and determination into all the photographs I take.
What is your favorite subject to photograph?
I like photography as a whole, but what I like to photograph the most is nature in its essence, the places I visit, the people, and the day-to-day in everything that surrounds me.
What kit do you shoot with?
My current team is a Canon 60D with the following lenses:
- Canon 18-200mm
- Canon 100mm
- Canon 400mm
- Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 10-22mm
How would you define your photographic style?
My photographic style is based on nature and people, but especially in photography, I like to be original, creative, have fun, and enjoy my hobby to the fullest. I want to be able to show images full of sensations, feelings, and other points of view that normally people do not see.
Which editing software do you usually use?
I always use Photoshop.
John Wanamaker said: Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I do not know which half. Do you gain your clients by advertising or in another way?
I don't usually advertise; the clients I have come to me directly.
How does your typical working day look like? What do you do when you are not working? How many hours/days per week are you working? What do you do in your free time?
I work seven days a week, whenever my schedule allows it. I spend many hours in front of the computer editing the photos I take of different days and places visited, and little by little I share them on social networks.
In my free time, I like to be with my family and friends, visit nearby places of interest, and travel.
What would you do differently if you would start again?
The truth is that, as things have gone in my life, I would not change anything, even though I would have liked to have started earlier.
A professional photographer is also an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have many things in common. They read a lot. What about you? What are your favorite books?
I have never been or am not a great reader; always due to lack of time and habit, I have not read many books. What I usually read when time permits are photography magazines and related articles.
What was the best advice you have ever received as a photographer? Do you have any advice for other photographers?
The advice I have received and that I can share is that in order to take a good photograph, you first have to practice a lot and have patience.
I believe that in photography, having a good team and/or having taken courses is not a guarantee of being a good photographer. I think that good photographers are the ones who get to connect with their camera.
If you really want something, you have to go after it.
Top 3 mobile apps on your smartphone?
- WhasApp
- Google Maps
Top 3 websites?
- YouTube
- National Geographic
Your last vacation?
I went on a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea.
Photo gallery by Elena Diaz Rodriguez
What stayed with me
Elena’s story is a reminder that a photographic education can be assembled over time—from practice, mistakes, observation and persistence as much as from a classroom. Equipment and courses can help, but they do not guarantee attention or emotional connection.
The advice she offers is earned by that route: practise, be patient and pursue the work seriously if it matters to you. Her images make the same argument without words. They look for sensations and viewpoints that daily routines often teach us to overlook.