by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 25^th of March 2024

Daniel Viñe's body of work is stunning and amazing good.  He loves particularly wide field landscape photography enjoying and capturing the most magical moments.   He also likes drone photography making it possible to have completely different images of places often photographed with a camera. Daniel is eager to improve his skills on any level and doesn't ever stop learning. Travelling and sharing the beauty of our world are his passions.
Come along with me to discover more about the incredible artist he is.

'Naimbrand'

Dear Daniel, please tell us briefly about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs.

Hi !! First of all thank you very much, it is a great pride for me to be interviewed by 1x.
My name is Daniel Viñé, based in Valladolid – Spain, and specialized in landscapes. My camera and my drone are my adventure companions and I love to explore the world capturing unique moments in time. Travelling and exploring are my biggest sources of inspiration, I love sleeping in the mountains. I also love music and used to play the electric guitar but I traded my guitar for photography. Professionally, I work in a hospital. 

'Highlands of Iceland'

How has your history and life experiences affected your photography?

Many years ago I discovered that I really enjoyed taking photographs. Everyone of my trip influenced my photography and my way of seeing things.
Although travelling is ideal to create a good portfolio, I discovered that it is not essential. I also enjoyed one day trips to gather good photographic work.  However,  whenever I can, I travel :).

'Magic Waterfall II'

Which are your most important experiences that has influenced your art?

I love photographing night skies and Northern Lights. That was an incredible experience. Photographing a volcano was really really epic. However, I still have some great sceneries to photograph, like a good thunderstorm and lightnings or a heavy storm at sea. There's a whole world outside and so many things to discover.

'Deadvlei'

'The Gates'

What first attracted you to photography?

It's a good excuse to travel, and to have adventures while other people are having dinner, breakfast or are sleeping.  During travels and adventures, the best things happen.

'The last tree'

Describe your overall photographic vision.

I really enjoy wide field landscape photography. I love to shoot extreme panoramas or take pictures with my ultra wide angle (Laowa 12mm) - close-up and great landscape in the background. I also love drone photography, and here too, I love to shoot 360° angle panoramas with it.  And  last but not least, I like a lot abstract photography looking for elements and patterns.

'Secret Cave of Alien Throne'

'Badlands'

You seem to be passionate about aerial and landscape photography. Why are you so drawn by these two categories?

I love landscape photography for the little adventure it requires and for enjoying the landscapes in the most magical hours. Although drone photography is not new, I think there is still a lot to be done and discovered. With a drone, you can get very different pictures of places often photographed with a camera. I like it more and more and there is a lot to do.

'Genesis'

'American Southwest'

What is more important to you, the mood,/story behind your images or the technical perfection?

Technical perfection is excellent but not something to be obsessed about. For example, a small part of the image can be out of focus or the composition isn't absolutely perfect. The mood is very important. Photographing a landscape at the right moment (fall, spring, winter, etc,) or capturing the drama of a landscape (a storm, special light or a wonderful sunrise or sunset) is more important and better to me than technical perfection.

'Maelifell'

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?
Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?

I study all the possibilities concerning the subject: panorama, foreground etc.  When I travel I carefully prepare the spots, the direction of light at sunrise and sunset.  I also look for photographs of the place. I want to learn as much as I can on the forehand. And if there are places not so far away, I sometimes like to see them without and study or information. It than is an adventure!

'The Secret Cave'

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)?

I am very happy with my Sony A7riii Camera, I usually use my Laowa 12mm and my Sony 16-35 f4 (I love its sunstar), I also have Sony 24-105 and Sigma 100-400 and Sony 200-600. For night photography, I use a Sony 20mm f1.8 or a Sony 35mm f1.4. Very happy with all of them. I use a lightweight tripod for hiking and a heavy tripod for closer locations. Finally I use a Summit Creative backpack which also is very satisfying to me.

What software do you use to process your images?

I start in Adobe Camera Raw, after I use Photoshop working the image following my processing flow, I also use Tony Kuyper's plugin and Color Efex Pro plugin. I love the absolute control you have on your image with Photoshop.

'White Pocket'

Can you tell us something more about your work flow?

I make some basic adjustments in Photoshop, working on the light, dodging and burning etc. Then I enhance the colours I want and make them balancing afterwards. I also work on the mood  and at atmosphere of the image, Orton, Glow, etc. Finally I take a break, looking at the image later again to make basic adjustments.

What is your most important advice to a beginner in aerial and/or landscape photography and how do you get started?

It's a bad idea to learn too fast and to do things wrong. It is much better to go little by little but always trying to improve and being more demanding to yourself. Watch a lot of 1x photographs to be inspired by other artists working in that field.

'La Palma Volcano'

Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?

Yes, I would like to improve more drone photography. I guess right now I know everything about it but for sure, when time goes by,  I will notice I missed learning new things. I also want to advance in wide field astrophotography, especially in processing. I want to experiment with more ultra wide angle lenses than the 12mm I currently own.  Maybe 9 or 10mm.

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you?

'Smoking Skull'

Photographing an erupting volcano was a dream, I never thought I would get to do it. I took this picture of the Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland in August 2021. At that time the volcano was not erupting much lava and it was not the best of conditions. The volcano was on / off every 10-12 hours. The day I took this picture the volcano started to turn off, I thought it was bad, the party was over, but no, I was confused, the volcano was forming an amazing texture and had a perfect shape of a skull, this photo is the result of a zenithal drone photograph over the Fagradalsfjall Volcano.

Is there anything else you wish to add  and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?

Nowadays we publish our photos on social networks and all the comments are positive, but we don't really know if the image is good or not. I love 1X because the curators value your work objectively and not only that, you can see the valuation of your work from curators and expert curators, that gives you an idea of whether your work is going to like the general public or the specialized public.

I also love to upload photographs at 1x in disciplines where I'm less advanced like abstract photography. I also see the results when uploading photographs that I didn't edit thoroughly but that may have some potential. That way I discover that some of my photos are better than I thought they would be.

'Eystrahorn Mountains'

'White Pocket'

'Vestrahorn'

'Spanish Fjords'