“Landscapes, travel, and people are my favorite styles of photography. In a constant search to improve my skills to bring my audience quality work that reflects my passion for the beauty of our world.”
Roberto Destarac was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He went to college in New Mexico, U.S. and obtained a BSC in Geological Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
After school, he worked in the mineral exploration industry for many years and visited numerous remote locations throughout Latin America. It was during those journeys that he discovered his passion for beautiful landscapes and cultures.
Roberto spent many years as a self-taught photographer with decent results until 2012, when he started investing time and money in professional photography gear. He also attended a local photography school and online courses with expert photographers and teachers. With that, his technique improved considerably.
His travels now had a vital photography component as he included visits to famous historical sites and spent lots more time shooting. As a result, he started producing high-quality photos that helped him gain more exposure and attention from local news media, photography competitions, and social media.
Roberto joins us on a Q&A session, as he tells us more about his journey and gives us some photography tips.
Here are some of the Q&As that he went through with our very own Nour Chamoun.
Q: How did you personally develop your own unique style that is different from others?
A: “I started focusing on what I like most, which is sunsets, and sunsets photography at the golden hour. It’s the best light for landscape photography.”
Q: How were you able to create your own technique and brand?
A: “My technique is practice; the more you practice, the better you become at shooting what you are seeing, or at least as close as possible as what you are seeing out there.”
“Practice also makes you start shooting almost naturally and you stop thinking about the process or the technicalities.”
“So practice is one thing, and the other aspect is trying to find a specific niche or time or subject that you want to shoot and focus on becoming good at that.”
Q: Do you have any tips around landscape photography or photography in general that you would like to let people know?
A: “Landscape photographers must stay safe. We all get carried away, that we wander around in dangerous places, to get that perfect shot.”
“Be conscious of your surroundings, and never wander around alone, always bring someone with you, and it is better if it’s a local person.”
- Check the weather
- Bring a bottle of water
- Bring a flashlight
- Bring just enough lenses
- Get yourself a good, light tripod
- Don’t forget your memory cards and batteries!!
Roberto didn’t let us go before sharing his final most precious tip:
Always look behind you. If you’re taking a picture of a sunset for example, look behind you and see the sun’s reflection on the scenery. “I’ve taken very beautiful pictures by just turning around and looking at what’s happening behind me.”
If you want to know about how to create a brand for yourself, where to get inspiration to continue with your work, and the challenges Roberto has faced, listen to the podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tlEDXVmbDqA7rciLyqAo4
Written by Angela Zoghbi
Content Creator
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