Jaime de Diego

Canon Ambassador Jaime de Diego is one of Spain's greatest action photographers, with over 17 years of experience working for some of the world's best-known brands and publishers.

Jaime's work is so valued that many prestigious companies now rely on his photographic talents to take their products to the next level. He has shot campaigns for high-end brands such as Adidas, Nike, BMW, Triumph, Under Armour, New Balance and Red Bull, and photographed athletes including sky runner Kílian Jornet Burgada, tennis ace Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco and champion motorcycle racer Marc Márquez.

To be a success in both disciplines still requires an understanding of light, whether it's natural or artificial, and Jaime is well known for the technical complexity of his flash work – so much so, his colleagues refer to him as 'flashman'.

Jaime believes in becoming a 'complete' photographer, exposing yourself to a wide visual culture so that you have the skills and reference points to draw upon when pre-visualising photographs. Jaime is known for his meticulous planning: he says one of the most important things to get right from the start is to know how and where the final image is going to be used, as the compositions and technical requirements of magazines, news and commercial clients are all different.

Jaime has published two books, Domina tu Cámara (Master your Camera, 2013) and Domina el Modo Vídeo de tu Cámara Reflex (Master your Reflex Camera's Video Mode, 2014). Together, they have sold almost 20,000 copies in Spain.

Jaime has also developed his own online academy, Tips4Pics, which has taught photography skills to more than 1,000 people since its launch. He is also a regular speaker at events and festivals, and has shared his passion for photography all over Spain.

How do you give your pictures their distinctive look?
"The framing and the light are two features that make my photographs recognisable. I always like to get images with high contrast, a lot of difference between light and shadow, and usually with extreme or striking action."

How important is location for your type of work?
"It's one of the most important things. Normally while I'm driving, or when I visit any place, I'm picking out potential spots, observing the light there, and working out possible camera shots. You never know what will you need for your next session."

Do you prefer shooting to a client brief or coming up with your own ideas?
"It's very important to work as a team – I'm a normal, humble photographer, not a rock star! So, if the client has a concept in mind, it's necessary to listen, advise about the shooting process and see if their idea will translate well. Sometimes the creative team hasn't developed a concept, and in this situation I'm free to try my ideas."

What has been your toughest assignment?
"I did a shoot for Fuel Magazine in collaboration with Red Bull. It consisted of a competition between a stunt plane and a motorcycle, and there was no room for error. In this kind of job you must decide the location, the time of day you need to shoot, the lenses you will use and take care of even the smallest detail. There are no second chances."

What advice would you offer budding sports photographers?
"From table tennis to freestyle BMXing, all sports have decisive moments, so the first thing to do is to know the sport's rules, its tricks and the best position to place yourself in. [The sports I shoot] all suit broadly similar photographic techniques, but having a deep knowledge of each sport will allow you to get the best image."

"The first step to blending artificial and natural light is really understanding how your Canon Speedlite camera flash works: what is its colour temperature and how will it look when mixed with the light at sunrise, noon or sunset? What synchronisation time do you need to use? How will you get the Speedlite off the camera? If you're fortunate to be using a radio-controlled Speedlite then the Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT will give you complete freedom when it comes to separating flash and camera."

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