Photo Chronicles: Ginés Díaz
The Special Chronicles
Ginés Díaz
A new edition of the Chronicles is here, and this time it isn’t fully about training, nutrition, or running crews. No, we wanted to explore the experience of sports from a different perspective—the photographer. At VAERT, we’ve worked with some amazing photographers who capture sports in a beautiful and authentic way. The artists behind the lens have their own unique perception of the sport, and we as runners can learn a lot from their insights.
This time, we connected with Ginés Días, a lifestyle and action sports photographer from the Canary Islands, now based between Lanzarote and Madrid. Ginés is a man of many interests, including surfing, running, and a variety of other activities. You’ll often find him behind the lens—but just as often, you’ll spot him on the starting line or riding a wave. Ginés's work is known for portraying an intimate and realistic feel in the world of endurance sports. We wanted to learn about his experience capturing the true magic of sports and what it has brought to his life.
Could you introduce yourself and your connection to sports?
My name is Ginés Díaz. I was born and raised on an island called La Graciosa, in the Canary Islands, in the middle of the Atlantic, with a population of about 500 people. I grew up fishing, surfing, and doing all kinds of outdoor activities.
How did you get started with photography, and what drew you specifically to sports photography?
I started photographing all of that just for fun. My cousins were into sport fishing, and I would photograph them. I ended up writing fishing articles for industry magazines when I was 14 years old. Thinking back now, it’s pretty funny. At that time, my friends started surfing, and during sessions, I’d also photograph them. Little by little, I got more into surf photography. I spent about 10 more years in that industry, starting at 16 when I began traveling the world, Hawaii, Indonesia, South America, while working for brands like Quiksilver, Volcom, Hurley...
That’s where I learned everything about action photography. It’s possibly the most challenging sport I’ve ever photographed in my life. Imagine trying to focus, frame, and find the right moment while a giant wave might crash on top of you—haha, it was fun.
I used to go to the pool to prepare myself physically for those surf sessions, and in Lanzarote, the best triathletes in the world train every winter. That’s where I discovered the sport, and little by little, I started swimming more, cycling, running—more and more until I got completely hooked on the sport. I also began photographing it.
I think photography has always been a way for me to get closer to and spend more time doing the sports I love.
A friend once told me that surf photographers were frustrated pro surfers. To this day, I think that’s still true, haha. I do sports photography because I’m passionate about photography, but above all, because I’m passionate about being part of that fascinating world connected to the sports I enjoy.
Sports photography is all about capturing movement and emotion—how do you approach this challenge? Finding the right shot when everything and everyone is moving, also sports can be chaotic, how do you manage?
For me, the most important thing is knowing the sport. If you don’t know the sport, you’re completely lost. Throughout my life, this has always been and continues to be my guiding principle when approaching sports photography.
It’s true that sometimes a fashion photographer might approach sports and create really interesting work, but generally speaking, I’m more drawn to the side that focuses on high performance and things that are technically correct in terms of the sport.
So, I usually take photos of the sports I know best. The brands and athletes who hire me typically do so for that reason too—they know I have an understanding of their world.
From that shared understanding of the athlete and the sport, I’m able to manage things better, feel comfortable, and build my creativity from there.
Are there specific sports or events you love photographing the most? What makes them special to you?
Surfing is possibly the sport I love the most and will love for the rest of my life. Even though I photograph it less and less, every time I do, it’s what I enjoy the most. Whenever I see surf photography, it always stirs something in me.
I also love cycling and running photography. Right now, those are the sports I enjoy practicing the most as an athlete, and photographing them fascinates me. It’s also what I do for a living.
As for events, the one that has probably impacted me the most throughout my career is the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii—one of the most demanding endurance events in the world due to the heat and the level of the competitors. I’ve been there several times to photograph it, and along with my partner Adrian Rodd, we created a book about our experiences on the island.
Do you have favorite photo's you’ve taken? Could you share the story behind it?
There’s a photo I took of the triathlon world champion a few years ago that isn’t my favorite, but it has a story behind it that I’ll always remember.
The photo ended up being the main image for the brand for many years, displayed in stores and at trade shows around the world. It’s a picture of the athlete Sebastian Kienle. To take it, we went out on a boat in the middle of the ocean at sunrise. It was freezing cold, and the situation wasn’t very comfortable—or necessary, haha, but the creative agency insisted.
We didn’t spend much time there, but he felt very uncomfortable and started yelling at me to hurry up. It was an awkward situation for me because I admired him, and he had just won the world championship. We managed to take an incredible photo, and the brand was thrilled with the result.
The next day, he came to apologize for the situation and explained that he felt useless doing that in the middle of the ocean while the rest of his rivals were training.
For me, it was a learning experience in many ways.
Who or what inspires your style of photography? Are there any photographers or artists you look up to?
I believe the inspiration for my photographs is a mix of what I’ve known my whole life, the aesthetics I truly enjoy, and the influence of trends. I try to let myself be guided more by the things that interest me in the moment rather than by current trends, but sometimes it’s just impossible.
For example, right now I’m not interested in taking blurry photos with a flash just because everyone else is doing it. If, at a specific moment, I want to do that because I want to convey a certain feeling with that photo, I’ll do it. But all my photos aren’t going to have a red-and-blue filter and be out of focus just because that’s the current trend—it simply does not interest me.
So, I try to let that inspiration from trends come from somewhere else. Like it or not, we’re always going to be influenced—we’re glued to our phones. It’s a balance between consuming what genuinely connects with you and not completely disconnecting from trends, because in the end, your clients are going to ask for that.
How has your perspective on sports or athletes changed through your lens?
Ginés running with his girlfriend
Getting to know and work with athletes, especially high-performance ones, has definitely changed my life. Their discipline, commitment, and passion have been absolutely inspiring for me. It’s very rare to meet someone with as much dedication to their work and lifestyle as high-performance athletes, and that, in itself, is purely inspiring.
This has completely changed my overall lifestyle, and it has also carried over to my photography. From the simplest things, like how I take care of my gear, to the way I seek inspiration, the high-performance mindset is something you can apply to any aspect of your life—as long as it doesn’t become obsessive, haha.
This has also greatly motivated me to take on personal challenges. I love doing several races a year, including half marathons and long-distance triathlons. Training daily keeps my mind fresh and helps me release the stress of day-to-day life in the marketing industry.
What do you hope people feel or take away when they see your photographs?
Well, I would like that when someone sees one of my photos, it conveys the values I’ve mentioned earlier. I’m passionate about sports, I have a lot of respect for them, for the athletes, for their commitment, and the excellence with which they practice their sport. If my photographs can transmit even a fraction of the emotion that athletes feel, I’ll feel satisfied.
