Violeta Arriaga discovered photography while studying fine arts and chose to continue with specialist training in image-making. That foundation remains visible in her interest in artistic portraiture, film stills and the relationship between a photograph and a larger visual idea. Travel photography gives her another space to test the same eye against unplanned places.
Our conversation is concise and practical. Violeta talks about education, portraiture, film work and the decision to continue project by project. Her answers return to a durable principle: progress comes from working day by day and refusing to give up when development feels slow.
Find Violeta Arriaga online
- violetaarriaga.com
- behance.net/violetarriaga
- violeta.arriaga.sanchez@gmail.com
- @violeta.arriaga.sanchez
- @Violeta.Arriaga.Photo
- @violeta-arriaga-sánchez
The interview
Hi Violeta, how long have you been working as a photographer now?
I have been working as a photographer since 2015.
What inspired you to become a photographer? What were your first steps?
I studied fine arts, and I discovered photography in the second year of my degree. I liked it a lot, and I decided to do the specialization in image and photography when I finished my degree. I studied a master of photography, and since then I have been working on different projects.
Are you a professional or an amateur photographer?
I am a professional photographer, but I am always learning new things about lighting or editing photos.
What is your favorite subject to photograph?
My favorite subjects are artistic photography, to be more concrete portraits, but I also like travel photography, and I like a lot of photography of films. I have participated in a little film in Ciudad Real as a still photographer and director of photography.
What kit do you shoot with?
I have a Canon 5D Mark II. I have two lenses: a 24-105mm lens and a 50mm lens.
How would you define your photographic style?
Artistic photography.
Which editing software do you usually use?
Lightroom and 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?
No, I don’t have clients at this moment. I do personal projects or collaborate with other people on projects, but I show my projects on Instagram and my website so people know my job.
How does your typical working day look like?
When I have a photography session, I take the photos with the model. I have a previous shoot in mind and a plan to follow, but I like to improvise on any shoot too. I take the photos, make a selection, and then, in the same week, I start editing the photos.
What do you do when you are not working?
When I don´t work, I learn new things about photography, like editing or lighting, by following other photographers. Now I am learning at an online school named DR Escuela.
How many hours/days per week are you working?
2 days per week.
What do you do in your free time?
I like watching films, I like traveling, I usually go to the cinema, and I pass time with my family and friends.
What would you do differently if you would start again?
If I started again, I´d probably study photography from the beginning or audiovisual communication.
What was the best advice you have ever received as a photographer? Do you have any advice for other photographers?
I guess the best advice I`ve ever received is that you have to work day by day and not give up. I think my advice is the same.
Top 3 mobile apps on your smartphone
- Canvas
Top 3 websites?
- erwinolaf.com
- eugeniorecuenco.com
- behance.net/anka_zhuravleva
Your last vacation?
My last vacation was in Barcelona one year ago.
Violeta's Work
What stayed with me
Violeta’s path shows the value of moving between still photography, fine art and cinema. Each discipline asks different questions about light, sequence and the role of a subject, and those questions can strengthen the others.
The closing advice is deliberately uncomplicated: keep working. A personal style rarely arrives fully formed after a course or one successful project. It becomes visible through repetition, revision and the willingness to begin again the next day.