Interviews
Andrea Nieto
Andrea is a photographer and creative director from Girona, currently based between Barcelona and the Costa Brava. She is deeply connected to color, composition, and visual storytelling—elements that define her creative approach. She primarily works with analog photography, drawn to the texture and painterly quality that emerge in her images.
Her work often features flowers, nature, and everyday objects, which act as emotional triggers and sources of inspiration. Through still life, Andrea creates calm and poetic scenes that explore memory, emotion, simplicity, and the beauty of the everyday, revealing an intimate connection between aesthetics and feeling.
Can you tell us about the very first time you picked up a camera with intention—what were you feeling, and what did you want to capture?
Yes, I remember it was during high school, in an analog lab class. We had to complete different projects to learn how photography worked. I felt like I could create images with my own visual language, that I could tell stories in my own way. That summer, my family gave me my first analog camera as a birthday present.
How did photography first become a part of your life—not just as an art form, but as a language for expressing emotion, identity, or memory?
Looking back, I remember the collection of photography books we had at home and my father’s Olympus Pen camera, which I treasure—it was the first camera he bought. My mother also keeps lots of family photos that I never get tired of looking at. So from a young age, I was surrounded by the beautiful idea of capturing images as a way of treasuring special moments. Over the years, I’ve always wanted to stay connected to photography, both professionally and as a personal learning process. A few years ago, I realized I wanted to express myself in a more artistic and personal way.
Each image is a pause—a moment to connect with feelings and the present moment. Photography becomes not only a visual practice but also a reflective one: an emotional and intuitive translation of the inner world.
Your work often feels deeply nostalgic and cinematic—what personal emotions or inner worlds do you channel into your imagery?
The search for beauty in color, nature, and everyday objects helps me channel my emotions. Memories from the past are always present in what I photograph: family, summers, traditions—these are the things that spark my creativity. It’s sometimes harder for me to identify specific emotions, but I’m sure that photography helps me feel better in some way. And creating images that might bring a sense of calm or joy to someone else already feels like an honor to me.
Was there a moment or a project that felt like a turning point—where you realized this was more than just a creative outlet, but something you were meant to pursue?
Yes. My interest in photography has always been there, but the truth is, my mind tends to be scattered, and photography has helped me focus on the present, to connect with what I feel and with what I’m doing. Creating images allows me to express myself in my own way, at my own pace, and without outside pressure. It’s like keeping a diary—I can say what I want how I want. Sometimes I don’t even think about it too much; I just let myself flow and use creativity as a way to create.
Many of your photos evoke a dreamlike tenderness. Where does that softness come from in your life or past?
Well, I think dreams connect us with our most intimate selves, and I think it’s the mind’s way of processing emotions or experiences that are difficult to place in our everyday life. I think it’s beautiful to be able to share an intimate part of yourself in a creative way.
Do you see your photography as a way to heal, reconnect, or preserve something—whether personal or collective?
Without a doubt. Photography is a way to pause moments that make us feel something meaningful—something we don’t want to forget. In this way, they stay alive in our memory and bring us back to experiences or emotions that shape who we are.
How do you stay emotionally connected to your vision when working on commercial or collaborative projects?
Honestly, I’ve been really lucky with the collaborations and commercial projects I’ve worked on so far. People have always trusted me, and I’ve been able to create in a very easy and natural way. We’ve developed the creative ideas together in a collaborative way, and I’ve had complete freedom in the art direction, which has allowed me to express the client’s vision through my own lens.
What would you say to your younger self, the version of you just beginning to explore photography, if you could go back and whisper one truth into her ear?
I’d tell her that it’s important to follow what you feel in order to feel fulfilled.
