Interview with Tino Soriano: A life of storytelling

Thank you very much, Tino, for the opportunity to get to know the person behind the camera and to share with our audience the remarkable work you have produced over several decades. Could you begin by introducing yourself to our readers?
I still don’t know whether I am a photographer who writes, or a writer who takes photographs… I have been working as a professional reporter for 33 years, and I consider it almost a miracle that I am still alive — and active. Perhaps combining photography, writing, and teaching has helped me survive in this profession.

Todavía no sé si soy un fotógrafo que escribe, o un escritor que fotografía… Llevo 33 años trabajando como reportero profesional, y considero un milagro que todavía este vivo… y activo. Quizá mezclar fotografía, escritura y docencia me ha ayudado a sobrevivir en este oficio.

How old were you when your interest in photography first emerged?
I was 17 years old; however, my first commissioned professional reportage was done when I turned 37. Before that, I produced some stories and tried to sell them.

Tenía 17 años; pero mi primer reportaje profesional por encargo lo hice cuando cumplí 37 años. Antes, producía algunos temas y procuraba venderlos.

What led you to pursue photography as a career, and among the many areas in which you could have specialised, why did you choose photojournalism in particular?
W. Eugene Smith’s photograph “Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath” revealed to me that there was another dimension beyond simply reproducing beautiful landscapes or exotic faces. I realized that photography could suggest rather than merely describe.

La fotografía de W. Eugene Smith “El baño de Tomoko” me reveló que había otra dimensión, más allá que reproducir bellos paisajes o rostros exóticos. Percibí que se podía sugerir, más que describir.

Very early on, you embraced projects related to Health and Medicine. In your view, how can photography humanise medicine or support social causes?
The key is not to fall into the vulgarity of photographing subjects in a sensationalist or morbid way. We have all been ill at some point, and the world of medicine encompasses everything from birth to death. There are people who are suffering — sometimes greatly — and documenting their pain, or the effort of medical professionals, requires ethics, sensitivity, and a real understanding of what is happening.

Lo importante es no caer en la vulgaridad de fotografiar sujetos con morbo. Todos hemos estado enfermos y el mundo de la medicina abarca desde el nacimiento hasta la muerte. Existen personas que están sufriendo, a veces mucho, y documentar su dolor; o también el esfuerzo de los profesionales de la medicina, exige ética, saber estar y conocimiento de lo que sucede.

After decades of working as a photographer for National Geographic, how did that experience influence your way of photographing?
National Geographic sent me to many different countries around the world, which basically forces you to work on your own and to organize yourself in environments with different traditions and languages until you get what you need. The pressure, due to the very high level of demand, was intense; but the praise from the editors helped build confidence in my work.

National Geographic me ha enviado a diferentes países del mundo y eso te obliga básicamente a moverte solo, a organizarte en diferentes ambientes con tradiciones e idiomas diferentes, hasta conseguir lo que necesitas. La presión, por el alto grado de exigencia era muy alta; pero las felicitaciones de los editores aportaban confianza en mi trabajo.

Based on your extensive experience with publications, could you explain the difference between Travel Photography and true Travel Storytelling? In other words, the difference between simply making beautiful images and genuinely telling stories?
It is very simple — it is equivalent to defining a “tourist” versus a “traveler.” Everything depends on the level of involvement required to concentrate on a specific narrative (Travel Storytelling), as opposed to taking photographs that please you for very varied reasons, often aesthetic, simply because you are visiting a different country (Travel Photography). Both approaches can produce beautiful images, but when you focus on a specific story, the depth you achieve is far more effective.

Es muy sencillo, sería un equivalente entre definir “turista” o “viajero”. Todo está en función del grado de implicación que requiere concentrarte en un relato concreto (Travel Storytelling); o tomar fotos que te satisfacen de motivos muy variados, muchas veces estéticos porque sencillamente visitas un país diferente (Travel Photography). Ambas aproximaciones pueden dar pie a bellas fotografías; pero cuando te concentras en una historia determinada, tu grado de profundidad es más efectivo.

Among the many books you have authored, are there any you would like to highlight, either for their significance or for the particular challenge and satisfaction they brought you?
Without a doubt, “Help Me to See” is a book I wrote over twenty-five years, taking notes on discoveries that gave me new perspectives as a photographer, as well as on what many professionals I admired taught me or told me. It has gone through six editions, despite being a book with few illustrations and hundreds of pages of text. It is an essay that aims to resolve every possible doubt about photojournalism, based on hundreds of testimonies. “Anatomy of a Photograph” is the second part, more practical and with many more images. I am also very fond of “Colors and You”, because I spent many years studying how to convey the fundamentals of this subject.

Desde luego, “Ayúdame a mirar” es un libro que escribí durante veinticinco años, tomando nota de los descubrimientos que me aportaban nuevos puntos de vista como fotógrafo, y también de lo que me enseñaban y me decían muchos profesionales que admiraba. Lleva seis ediciones, a pesar de que es un libro con pocas ilustraciones y cientos de páginas de texto. Es un ensayo que pretende resolver todas las dudas posibles sobre fotoperiodismo, basado en cientos de testimonios. “Anatomía de una foto” es la segunda parte, más práctica, y con muchas más imágenes. “Los colores y tú” también me gusta porque pasé muchos años estudiando cómo transmitir los rudimentos de esta materia.

If you allow us, we would now like to talk briefly about equipment. We understand that you favour small, lightweight cameras and a minimalist setup with one or two prime lenses. Was this the reason why, instead of SLRs and DSLRs, you used the Leica M system for many years?
Yes, I worked with Leica until I tried Olympus. For someone who travels constantly and likes working with prime lenses, as I do, the stabilization system, the always-clean sensor, the tilting rear screen, the light weight and discretion of the equipment, the quality of the optics, and the sharp focus provided by the Micro Four Thirds system easily outperformed my conventional Leica. Besides, I am not one of those who believe that a larger sensor automatically provides more quality. Ninety-nine percent of the photographs we take are viewed on phones or digital screens. And I rarely print larger than 50 × 60 cm; but when I have, I have never had any problems.

Si, trabajaba con Leica hasta que probé Olympus. Para alguien que viaja constantemente y le gusta trabajar con ópticas fijas, como es mi caso, el sistema de estabilización, el sensor siempre limpio, la pantalla posterior ajustable, el poco peso y discreción del equipo, la calidad de las ópticas, o el foco nítido que proporciona el sistema Micro 4/3, ganaban por goleada a mi Leica convencional. Aparte, no soy de los que creen que un sensor más grande aporta más calidad… el 99% de las fotos que tomamos, la gente las ve desde su teléfono, o desde una pantalla digital. Y raras veces amplío más de 50×60 cm; pero cuando lo he hecho, tampoco he tenido ningún problema.

When you later changed camera systems, you continued to follow that same philosophy. Was this why you chose Olympus and OM System? And in particular, do you feel that the PEN-F embodies the same minimalist approach you developed during your years with Leica M?
Usually, when travelling around the world with these cameras, people do not pay much attention to me. Not so many years ago, when the OM-D E-M1 appeared, some photographers with bulky equipment — which generally attracts all the attention — looked at me with a certain sense of superiority. However, the small size allowed me to remain unnoticed; and when you photograph someone, they feel less threatened if you do it with what looks like a “toy camera.”

Normalmente, viajando por el mundo con esas cámaras, la gente no me hace demasiado caso. No hace muchos años, cuando apareció la OM-D EM1, algunos fotógrafos con equipos voluminosos -que en general acaparan toda la atención-, me miraban con un poco de superioridad. Pero en cambio, el reducido tamaño me permitía pasar desapercibido; aparte de que cuando fotografías a alguien se siente menos agredido si lo haces con una “cámara de juguete”.

In full frame, your preferred focal length was 35mm, complemented by 24mm and 90mm, is that correct? When you moved to the Micro Four Thirds system, how did that translate into your choice of lenses?
Exactly the same: I work with three lenses — a 12 mm, a 17 mm, and a 45 mm. Occasionally, I use the 12–40mm f/2.8 zoom, which is fantastic. And if I am doing a photographic safari or I am interested in spectacular landscape shots, I have the 40–150mm f/2.8 zoom. I also like the 45 f/1.2 for portraits, but I use it very little. I am not a good portrait photographer, and, in addition, I usually like to work only with the 12, 17, and 45 mm.

Exactamente igual: trabajo con tres ópticas: un 12 mm, un 17 mm y un 45 mm Eventualmente uso el zoom 12-40mm f/2,8 es fantástico. Y si he de hacer algún safari fotográfico o me interesa tomas de paisaje espectaculares, dispongo del zoom 40-150mm f/2,8. También me gusta el 45mm f/1,2 para retrato, pero lo uso muy poco. No soy un buen retratista y, aparte, normalmente me gusta trabajar solo con el 12, el 17 y el 45 mm

In an interview some years ago, we learned that you like to remain discreet on the street, using a small and unassuming Zara bag. What do you currently use, and which equipment and accessories do you always carry with you?
I have a larger and more solid case to transport the equipment during major journeys (plane, train, bus), because it can hold chargers (I carry them in duplicate), batteries, cards, cables, hard drives, a second camera body, a spare lens, a laptop, etc. Once at the destination, I use a €15 bag that does not look like a photographic case; or I disguise the camera in a waist pouch and, as for the other two lenses, I keep one in each pocket, or sometimes in a small case barely a handspan wide that I wear attached to my belt.

Tengo un estuche más grande y más sólido para transportar el equipo durante los trayectos importantes (avión, tren, autobús) porque dentro caben cargadores (los llevo por duplicado), baterías, tarjetas, cables, discos duros, un segundo cuerpo de cámara, una lente de recambio, un ordenador portátil… etc. Una vez en destino, utilizo una bolsa de 15 € que no aparenta ser un estuche de fotografía; o bien disimulo la cámara en una riñonera y, con respecto a los otros dos objetivos, guardo uno en cada bolsillo, o a veces en un pequeño estuche que mide apenas un palmo y lo llevo ligado al cinturón.

Once again, thank you very much for this opportunity. To conclude, we learned that some time ago your backpack was stolen and inside it, among other valuable items, was your PEN-F. Beyond the obvious financial loss, this was the camera with which you produced much of your recent work. Were you able to recover it? Being a camera that, ten years after its release, is now considered obsolete by many, do you still regard the PEN-F as relevant to your workflow?
Indeed, my PEN-F was stolen. I reported it on social media, and a follower informed me, a few days later, that a PEN-F had recently been listed for sale on Wallapop. It looked like mine, but I could not prove it — and the police do not act just because I have a hunch. So I asked the seller, before paying, to send me a photo taken with the camera, to check that the sensor was in good condition. He did so, and the EXIF metadata confirmed the camera number, which matched the one I had reported stolen. Truly, online sales platforms should be required to display the serial number of cameras or lenses offered for sale — the same applies to laptops and other valuable items. It is a pity that no politician lifts a finger to force platforms to include this information, which would be extremely useful in preventing the resale of stolen goods. There you have it… 

Efectivamente, me robaron la PEN-F. Avisé en las redes, y un seguidor me indicó, al cabo de pocos días, que una PEN-F estaba colgada recientemente para su venta en Wallapop. Parecía la mía, pero no podía probarlo; y la policía no actúa solo porque yo tengo un presentimiento. Entonces le pedí al vendedor que, antes de pagarla, me enviara una foto tomada con la cámara, para comprobar que el sensor estaba en buen estado. Lo hizo y el archivo de metadatos EXIF confirmó el número de cámara, que coincidía con el que yo había denunciado. Verdaderamente, en las plataformas de venta online, debería ser obligatorio indicar el número de la cámara o de los objetivos que se ponen a la venta. Lo mismo para los ordenadores portátiles y otros objetos de valor. Es una lástima que ningún político mueva el dedo para que obliguen a las plataformas a indicar estos datos, lo que sería muy útil para evitar la postventa de objetos robados. Ahí lo dejo…