June marked the start of the Spanish festival season, and now that events are well underway through to September, we wanted to highlight the brilliant work of news and events photographer Matthias Oesterle. A German native, Matthias is now based in Spain and makes the most of his location to capture visually arresting and atmospheric images of traditional local festivals.
Read on to find out how Matthias uses his own instincts to keep himself safe when shooting in potentially dangerous situations, where the best seat in the house is when capturing human towers, and why his favourite image in his 17吃瓜在线 collection might not be what you’d expect.
LG: What was your first job within the news sector?
MO: So far, I’ve never really had a typical job in news photography. Most of what I’ve done has been through assignments, usually self-initiated, but sometimes also for newspapers or agencies. How I got into news photography was actually pretty accidental. I had already worked nearly 20 years in visual arts, as an On-Air designer for German TV news, as an independent web designer, and also as an Art Director at a major Spanish advertising agency. But at age 42, purely out of curiosity, I stumbled into Barcelona鈥檚 protests during the 15-M Movement back in 2011. That was the first time I started photographing strangers and events, and it鈥檚 when I moved away from design work to focus more on news and editorial photography.
LG: Do you have a favourite story that you have covered or event that you always return to?
惭翱:听I prefer events that give me unique visual opportunities which feel real and authentic. Even though I go back to a lot of traditional Spanish festivals I’ve photographed before, sometimes I stop going if they become too big and “corporate,” losing their natural, spontaneous vibe. For me, smaller events often give better pictures, even if they aren’t always the most important news events. When I’m shooting just for myself, I always choose a strong image over something purely newsworthy.
If I had to pick a favourite event, I鈥檇 probably say the human towers competition in Tarragona (pictured below), which happens every two years. It鈥檚 really spectacular. I鈥檓 lucky enough to be one of an extremely few number of photographers allowed up into the special area hanging beneath the roof, giving me an almost vertical view. Once up there, taking the photo itself isn鈥檛 too complicated – the real challenge was actually gaining access to such an exclusive spot.
LG: Have you ever found yourself in a risky situation when out on a shoot? What do you think is the best way to deal with potentially dangerous situations?
MO: I’ve had a few minor close calls, especially during the Menorcan Jaleos horse festivals. The horses can be pretty unpredictable, and I’ve fallen around three times because of the crowds pushing and cheering. Actually it鈥檚 often the people, particularly tourists panicking and suddenly rushing out, who end up being more dangerous than the horses themselves.
The best way I handle these kinds of risky situations is to try to spot them early and avoid trouble if I can. For example, at the Jaleos, I always wait until three to five horses have passed before I step in. By that time, it’s clearer who鈥檚 experienced and who isn鈥檛, and things become much safer.
LG: Your images have a very distinctive aesthetic to them, why do you think you choose to produce images with this visual style and how did you develop it?
MO: I don’t specifically aim for a ‘distinctive style’ in the traditional sense. Instead, my priority is to create visually strong and interesting images, much like those found in longer-term documentary projects. I’m particularly drawn to the cinematic quality and mood-driven colour palettes that distinguish these images from the more immediate, less stylized but digital aesthetic of the majority of breaking-news photography.
This way of working likely comes from my background in art direction, and I always try to produce something that looks good as well as telling a story. If the pictures don’t look visually pleasing, I feel like my effort was wasted. Through my images, I aim to show the way I see each moment as it happens.
It’s hard to exactly describe my style, but here are a few key things I usually stick to:
- I prefer getting close to people, choosing lenses like 16mm or 24mm instead of standing far away with something like a 200mm or 300mm.
- I always expose for highlights.
- I try to avoid colours looking too obviously digital or unnatural.
- I always shoot in RAW format.
Also, during the pandemic I started using Nikkor lenses from the 1980s – a 50mm f/1.2 and a 35mm f/1.4. These vintage lenses, especially when used wide open, have a softer, more organic look compared to modern lenses, and instantly give photos a distinctive feel.
LG: Can you tell us the story behind your favourite and most memorable photo?
MO: I don’t really have an overall favourite photo. Honestly if I had to pick just one, it would be pretty difficult – and even unfair – to choose one from all the traditional events I love covering, because each has its own unique magic. So instead, I’ll go with a more unusual one from my portfolio. It was taken in London right before the 2019 British elections, at a time when everything was about Brexit, Brexit, Brexit.
Back then I was living at the Port of Mahon, surrounded mostly by British pensioners, many of whom were Brexit supporters, which often led to some lively discussions. So naturally I was eager to head into London and photograph the elections. The evening before voting day, I was wandering along the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, because it felt like the right place to be at the dawn of what was about to be a historic moment. Then suddenly, near The London Eye, I noticed a young seagull. Just as I got closer to photograph it, the bird took flight, positioning itself perfectly within the frame and giving the whole scene the feeling of a fantasy or even a horror film. The result was a picture that could have been taken out of a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie.
A seagull flies in front of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on the eve of Britain's third general elections since 2015. December 2019.
LG: You鈥檙e based in Spain and seem to mainly focus on Spanish news and events, is this a choice based purely on logistics, or do you feel more of a duty/passion to cover events in your home country?
MO: My focus on Spanish news and events is partly logistical and partly personal choice. It makes practical sense since I’m already here, especially for daily news, politics, or sports, which I try to move away from in order to concentrate on the ‘popular traditions’ so to say.
Spain has an incredible range of traditional events, some dating back over 500 years. There are so many festivals, celebrations, and unique traditions that I could never cover them all, and each one offers amazing visual possibilities. The passion of the people at these events is something really special.
As a German ex-pat perhaps I value these traditions more than some locals who grew up here and might be used to them. Occasionally I’ve photographed events abroad, like the Braemar Gathering in Scotland (pictured below, top left), but those trips are becoming each time harder to justify financially because license sales most likely don’t cover the travel expenses. So for now, I’m genuinely happy to be living and working in Spain, which has so much visual culture and so many stories to be covered.
LG: Why did you choose 17吃瓜在线 to supply your images to?
MO: When I first started taking photos of news events – those during the 15-M Movement – I actually had no idea about where I should send them. At that point, I was already submitting my landscape and holiday photos to 17吃瓜在线 and realized they also accepted editorial content. Back then it took a few days for editorial images to pass their evaluation, but it still felt like the easiest and most natural way to start sharing my work.
Not long after, I discovered a citizen journalism site that gave my photos direct exposure to media outlets. This led to my first international publications, and eventually I got access to the 17吃瓜在线 live news feed. I’ve stayed loyal to 17吃瓜在线 ever since.
LG: Any advice for fellow photographers who would like to work within the news sector?
MO: My main advice for photographers starting out in news is to just go out there and learn by doing, especially through self-assignments. Pretty much everything I know came from being on the streets, watching how other photographers worked, checking out their gear, and picking up tips by observation. For example, when the Catalan independence movement started growing, it gave me constant opportunities to improve my skills and build up a solid portfolio (pictured below).
You really should embrace self-assignment, it’s an incredibly valuable way to learn. Start by covering events close to home, even if they’re not big headline stories. Focus on building your own way of visually telling stories, and always aim for photos that genuinely speak to you.
Experiment with your gear and techniques, and don鈥檛 worry about making mistakes鈥攖hat鈥檚 part of developing your style.
Finally, spend time figuring out how to get your pictures noticed by media outlets, because having a strong portfolio won’t help if no one sees it.
We hope you found this journey through some of Spain’s thrilling traditional festivals and events with Matthias as our guide inspiring. We particularly loved hearing about how Matthias prefers smaller and more authentic events despite the fact they may be less newsworthy, as here at 17吃瓜在线 we strive to be reliable purveyors of the most real and authentic imagery that cannot be synthetically produced.聽
Follow Matthias on his Instagram account to keep up to date with more of this year’s upcoming Spanish festivals and news, and for more of his editorial content. Explore his website and check out the rest of his incredible collection on 17吃瓜在线 here.听听
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