Jaime de Diego is known as one of Spain’s best action photographers, and once you see his work, you will understand why. His images are infused with the energy and passion that go alongside the sports he shoots. Whether it’s BMX, motor racing or a luxury car, the viewer feels as if they were there when the image was shot.

The brands Jaime shoots for are household names: Red Bull, BMW, and Nike, among others. However, you are just as likely to see him educating other photographers with his generous and humble attitude as you are to see him shooting the world’s biggest sports stars. Jaime took time out of his busy schedule to tell DIYP all about his photography.

DIYP: Can you tell us a little about you, your photography, and how you got started?

Jaime: I started shooting pictures around twenty-one years ago…when I think about those years, I feel so old! When I started studying at the School of Sound and Image, I’d never touched a camera before. In Spain, many photographers say that it was their vocation since childhood, but in my case I discovered this art by chance.

I was supposed to be focused on audio, but then I took some photography classes, and I was hooked from the start. It was like magic, the idea of developing a film or printing an image on paper. Since
that moment, I couldn’t be more than an hour away from my camera and in only five months, I had published my first picture in a local newspaper.

After I finished my studies, I worked in a big publishing company, so I had the opportunity to learn more about how to create impactful images for magazines.

My feelings about photography are indescribable. I think about photography every minute, all day. It’s my job, my passion, and my hobby.

DIYP: How do you keep things fresh and creative when you’re often photographing the same subject (e.g. motorsports on a track)?

Jaime: It’s a very interesting question, as sometimes, when you shoot the same topic for years, it’s difficult to create new stuff or to innovate, but this is something I must do. First, because of self-motivation, but also because of clients.

I need to keep constantly updated and get inspiration from many channels, as every input can feed creativity. I need to always be in the loop about trends, being aligned but also staying one step ahead. For sure, getting fresh and creative results is something that you don’t get by chance. Preproduction and scouting are key to getting the best results.

DIYP: You’re currently a Canon ambassador, have you always shot Canon? If so, why did you choose them?

Jaime: I’ve always shot on Canon throughout my career. My first film camera was the Canon EOS 3, and some months after getting that one, I bought the Canon EOS 1N.

Canon cameras offered me the opportunity to work with a high-level AF system and Tele-lenses, and the handling and operation were quite easy. Even nowadays, both topics are quite relevant to me in my daily work.

I have been a Canon Europe Ambassador for more than five years, and some of my main tasks are testing the new pre-production models, giving workshops, and being visible to Canon followers on social media.

DIYP: What inspired you to move to shoot more commercially with ad campaigns and brands? Is your approach to your work different to how you shot before?

Jaime: For more than fifteen years, I shot for a publishing company, but suddenly, one day, I felt that I had reached the maximum there. I felt discouraged, so I needed to look for a new challenge. I needed new motivation, something to continue my professional development that really inspired me, even if it meant getting out of my comfort zone.

Now, six years later, I feel happy, and I know it was the best decision for me. During this period, I’ve had the chance to work with some interesting brands and people, and I´m very grateful to be involved in some exciting projects.

DIYP: What do today’s mirrorless cameras allow you to do easily that was very difficult to do in the past?

Jaime: The main differences between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are the AF system, the stabilization systems, and the lenses. Those systems allow me to get almost impossible pictures, images that, with a DSLR it’s really difficult to get.

For instance, now you can move your focus point across the whole screen, you can shoot using a very slow shutter speed, or you can modify any parameters in your lens. Mirrorless opens up a wide range of possibilities to express your creativity.

DIYP: What makes a great action sports photo? 

Jaime: The most important thing is the audience’s reaction. Now we can see on social media platforms like Instagram, live comments of followers saying wow, great or amazing. This is, no doubt, a good indicator of impact as it means you are offering something interesting, new, or fresh.

And second (but no less relevant), it’s the kind of situation represented in the picture. Imagine a unique moment like an Olympics final or a crash in MotoGP, for example. Your picture should reflect all the tension, action, adrenaline, and atmosphere from that moment.

DIYP: Can you walk us through a typical behind-the-scenes of a car commercial shoot? Do you typically shoot on location? What considerations are there that most of us wouldn’t think of?

Jaime: Great question! Cars are possibly one of the most difficult subjects to shoot and to get great results. They are like jewels, shining, with well-defined shapes that you need to show. They produce lots of reflections – every shine of light can affect the real colour, and a small spot of dust will catch the eye, so there are many factors to consider.

I shoot in a studio as well as outdoors. The secret is that everything needs to be perfectly planned: location, team, drivers, cleaners, weather, backgrounds, talents, the colour of the cars, outfits… it’s a huge preproduction work that really helps. But even then, you will always find unexpected situations that you need to manage. It can be a real challenge, but when you get good results, you find that all the effort is worth it.

DIYP: Do you ever get nervous before big shoots, and do you have any pre-shoot rituals?

Jaime: Definitely, yes! Sometimes I get nervous before a shoot, especially when I´m shooting for a new client, when the schedule is too optimistic (and not realistic), or when I must shoot a well-known football player, etc.

I’m aware that I need to work more on my self-confidence, but I have a very strong inner critic that makes me feel very nervous, that’s the truth. I usually check all the materials and equipment around four or five times before the shoot starts.

DIYP: What is the one thing that all of us could do today to improve our photography?

Jaime: I think it’s very important to know how to include AI in our photography workflow. AI is a huge revolution and it can help us to get better results or to save time in our postproductions processes. Yes, we must focus on it and not fear it.

DIYP: If you could go back in time and give your younger self advice when you were starting out, what would you say?

Jaime: I would say, ‘Jaime, you should have left the publishing company 2 or 3 years earlier’! It’s true, it was a great place to start, to learn, and I’m very thankful for having that opportunity being so young, but I found limits there very quickly.

If I had left earlier, I would have grown more as a photographer. I strongly recommend to everybody the possibility of learning in a studio or working with a good photographer, as when you are self-taught
you will make many mistakes, and it’s possible that you continue to make them for the rest of your
career.

So find a good place and learn as much as you can (all your life). Be brave and know when it’s time to change and don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. There are many interesting opportunities you can explore.

DIYP: Each week, we ask a question from another photographer. This one is from Paco Farero:

Is talent born or made?

Jaime: Good question!!! I think that everybody has an inner talent, some ability you are born with, that makes you more oriented or more keen to develop a specific job or career. Although sometimes it may be a bit hidden, so they don’t have the opportunity to explore it.

Photography is a combination of talent, technique and good luck to be at the right place at the right moment. So talent is not all you need! It will help you for sure, and it will make it easier for you to get good pictures and projects, but you need to work hard and go on learning every day of your life to get great pictures.

As in any subject, people who count on natural talent will have it easier, but a photographer who works hard and analyzes what kind of things work can get great pictures too.

In my case, I think that experience has given me better quality. I learned how to take better pictures by working very hard day by day. It’s how I created my own style and how I could see the kind of pictures that worked better and what the audience liked.

You can see more of Jaime’s work on his website or follow him on Instagram.