The first topic discussed was the equipment: Marcela listed all the different devices she has and how she uses them on each occasion.

Marcela is a professional member of Canon, so almost all the equipment she uses is from Canon.

Her camera is a Canon Pro 5D MARK IV, a full-frame camera. She uses different types of lenses:

Canon Tilt Shift:

• A 17mm TS (tilt-shift), suitable for exteriors and when the photo requires a certain height. She also uses a Vanguard tripod (190 cm) and a specific Benro polarizer for this lens.
• A second 24mm TS lens, appropriate for interiors, more precise, and with sharp focus.

Marcela also has different types of zoom lenses:

• 17-40mm, used for exteriors and when she doesn’t use a tripod. It’s also suitable for details that aren’t very close.
• For exteriors, Marcela also has a polarizer, which helps improve the image quality.
• 24-105mm, with a wide range, suitable for portraying people. It allows for frequent and quick changes in perspective. However, this lens is not precise enough for architectural photography.
• 70-300mm by Tamron, good for capturing details of facades, and also for capturing the context around the building from a distance.
• Canon 50mm 2.8, good for focusing on details.

Marcela uses two Canon flashes when photographing indoors.

After reviewing her equipment, she was asked about funny anecdotes during her years as a photographer, and she mentioned that she has many after 13 years of work!

In fact, just two days before the live session, she had returned to photography after the long lockdown and explained that she had been stung by a bee.

She was also asked about her approach to potential new clients. Marcela explained her background in architecture, which gave her many contacts within the industry, such as former classmates who opened their own architecture studios, ex-professors from the university, and they became her first clients.

To approach potential new clients, Marcela advised always trying to meet them in person, to explain her way of working and her personal point of view, as well as the opportunity to photograph the client.

Trade fairs and commercial events are also good moments to start a conversation with a future client. It’s always recommended to contact the person beforehand by email, introduce yourself, and try to arrange a brief informal meeting during the event.

Additionally, architects are often invited to give conferences, so those are other opportunities to meet them, attend the conference, introduce yourself, show your work, and try to arrange a visit to their studio.

External references from third parties, such as existing clients or other well-known people within the industry, can be very helpful as a business card.

There’s also the option, if you like an architect and want to contact them, to photograph one of their works on your own initiative to show them your personal point of view about their projects. This can also serve when approaching a design brand to show them your perspective and interpretation of their objects and furniture.

After that, Marcela talked about her point of view on photography, a topic asked by several participants. Marcela explained that she was born in Argentina and moved to Italy when she was 8 years old. In addition to her studies in architecture, she also studied fine arts. Before permanently moving to Barcelona, Marcela had spent a year in the city thanks to the Erasmus program. The architectural point of view and way of thinking has always been present in her life, and it helps her structure her mind, so when she enters a new space, she immediately begins to break it down into elevations and sections, like all architects do.

Marcela often dreams of architecture and builds imaginary constructions in her mind.

Due to the time she spent in Argentina, she always remembers the blue skies and the heavy use of vibrant colors throughout Latin America. This is one of the reasons why creating high color contrasts is part of her style.

The fact that she studied fine arts in high school and lived in a country like Italy, where art can be seen and experienced at every corner, also contributed to stimulating a special sensitivity to beauty: Marcela is always looking to extract it from spaces and show it to her audience.

Marcela mentioned Gabriele Basilico, a photographer who has been a valuable reference for many professionals and who captured the context in a very personal way when photographing cities.

Jordi Bernadó, with whom she had the chance to meet in person, is another reference photographer for her, and from the very beginning, he encouraged her to professionally dedicate herself to architectural photography.

As for more anecdotes, Marcela remembered one while photographing the Universo School in Barcelona by ONL Architects. When photographing a building, Marcela usually spends the entire day to explore the best lighting moment for each space. So she was there at night, during the so-called “blue hour” (a magical moment that allows for controlling what to show and what to hide, or even highlighting certain elements), with a member of the architectural studio, Matthieu, who was there to help her. To turn the lights on and off, they had to access the kitchen, unaware that an alarm was connected, which started sounding loudly. Within minutes, the police arrived at the school, even by helicopter!

With great embarrassment, Marcela and Matthieu explained that they were there to photograph the school with the permission of the management.

Then, the audience asked what kind of contract she uses. She explained that she is a member of AFPE (the Association of Professional Photographers of Spain) and admitted that there is not much definition regarding the terms of architectural photography, unlike for weddings or advertising. She recommended at least obtaining written confirmation from the client and, if possible, signing a document with the rates. For example, copyright clauses are hard to explain, especially in the age of the Internet.

Next, a question arose about the possibilities of having her work published in the media. Once again, Marcela explained that since the arrival of the Internet, the sector has undergone many changes, and editorial budgets are shrinking. Unless a project is really interesting, the chances are low; however, having good contacts in the industry is crucial. It is also helpful to follow journalists who work in different publications and contact them personally via email or phone call.

Marcela expressed how much she misses traveling and shared her planned destinations for upcoming sessions once travel is allowed: London, Ibiza, Italy, and France.

She also shared her love and admiration for Switzerland, highlighting its remarkable architecture and way of building, and pointed out Basel as a city where she wouldn’t mind living at all.

The photographer concluded by explaining how much she enjoys being involved in the session process. For example, if a building is under construction, she immediately climbs any scaffolding to get the best shot or even moves things where necessary.

She also talked about two options when doing a photo shoot: one can be solo, where you get the chance to meditate, converse with the building, and listen to what it says; the other is to do the session with the client, where you can interact and plan together the vision you want for the spaces.

During photo sessions, situations often arise that require quick reactions. Marcela remembered one that was particularly complicated and fun: when she was photographing the new collections of BD Barcelona Design, she faced an issue with excessive light coming from the courtyard, which she solved by placing various packing fabrics on a structure with the client to filter the light.

Due to the difficult moment we were all going through, Marcela strongly advised fostering connections of all kinds, both professional and personal, to share concerns but also motivations, in order to avoid feeling alone during such tough times.