“The way you capture people’s eyes always makes me feel like I’m looking directly at their soul and this is one of the many reasons why your photographs touch me so deeply.” This someone writes in her testimonial for Cristina Hoch, a 20 something beautiful photographer from Spain… and we accord. Her photos please you very different and unusual ways. The high-contrast dark green-blue shade evident in her photos bring to the surface the beauty of all those persons she photographs in a very appealing and enchanting way. We are very happy to showcase her representative photos along with her interview. Let’s know more from the artist herself:

Hi Cristina! Welcome and tell us about yourself:

I’m from southern Spain and I’m studying Biology in the University of Granada.

When did you start taking photography seriously?

I’ve been taking photographs since 2009, and with some time I started improving. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and when I have time, I try to go out to take photos. When I have a photo-shoot, I may take around 500/600 photos, but there are some months or weeks in which I have no time to take photos or I don’t plan any photo-shoot. Also, I take photos not only in photo-shoots, but in beautiful days or special occasions, I usually carry my camera.

What type of images do you like shooting most?

Well, I love portraits, definitively my area of photography is portrait photography. I do love landscape photography too, but I’m not specially good in this. Beautiful light totally makes me click! And the green tone in any place, either moss in the street or trees in a forest.

Tell us about any achievements you have had:

My achievements in photography? Well, last week I opened up my first exhibition. And clients, I don’t have clients and I don’t want, this is my hobby, my escape, not my job. I use a Nikon d3000 normally, and shot with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, it’s a great choice for portraits, I think.

I use Photoshop CS5 to process my photographs; Photo manipulation is a very important step in my photography. I love to change colours, I love green and blue tones and I use a layer of color balance to get them. I use curves a lot, I try to illuminate and sharpen determined zones like cheekbones or eyes in portraits. Love high contrasts and low saturation, that is all!

Tell us more about your method of taking wonderful portraits:

Oh thank you! Well, this is the result of free time! now that I’m at college, I don’t have so much time for spend taking self-portraits, I have exactly the time to photograph members of my family or friends.

You seem to be living amidst nature. How does that help in shooting?

Well, any region can be wonderful if you find its magic places. I love nature, so any place with trees or water, either gardens of forests, are for me the best places to shoot. My ambitions in life are to love my man, be a great biologist and enjoy little things as nature, photography, films or video games (I love video games!)

Tell us about your inspirations and motivation:

Normally, films, music, and places or views inspires me. I love the work of a lot of photographers; Julia Trotti, Claire Alice Young or Nirrimi Firebrace are some of my favorites! I think I don’t have to keep me motivated, there are great days, and days slightly less great, so I live them as they come.

I try to be friend of anyone I photograph, and if it’s a stranger, I’d try to make them comfortable talking with them, trying to know them and being a friend for them.

Say something to new photographers:

Just enjoy the little things and do what makes you happy.

Cristina Hoch links: Flickr * Twitter * Tumblr

Note: All images appearing in this post are the exclusive property of Cristina Hoch and protected under the International Copyright laws. Their copying and reproduction in any manner is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the owner.