Hasselblad Masters

Volume 7: Enlighten

“Along this colourful experience lies so much more than just mourning; it is a unique celebration of life and death combined - one that honours those no longer here while enriching us all through its beauty and meaning.”

For his Enlighten themed series, Fuentes ventured off to Oaxaca, Mexico – a vibrant state in the southwest of the country to explore the beauty of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This iconic celebration is an emotionally charged experience that pays tribute to loved ones who have passed away. “Based on the theme of Enlightenment, I wanted to capture a deeper and more meaningful representation of light and, at the same time, honour my Mexican roots.”

Many traditions surrounding Día de los Muertos involve items of significance. For a product photographer like Fuentes, this is perfect. Special altars, known as 'ofrendas', are lovingly created by families - adorned with picturesque candles lighting up beloved memories, objects, favourite food, drinks, photos, music and everything those no longer alive enjoyed and loved. “The items help us gain perspective and purpose on where we are today while still creating meaningful memories. These stories will one day serve as treasured mementoes that will become a part of each one's personal Ofrenda someday.”

The items on the Ofrenda do not just hold personal significance for loved ones but broader cultural symbolism. Flowers illustrate life and its fragility, while skulls serve as reminders of mortality. Light and candles represent the time and memories with loved ones and their own path. But in contrast to the sentimentality and symbolism of the objects, capturing them as a product photographer is a very technical process. Paul balances lighting, colour, composition, and editing.

Lighting

For Fuentes a collage and proper lighting are needed to achieve his playful style and highlight the objects captured. “In this series, I wanted to capture a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere through a combination of soft and hard lighting techniques. My work tends to merge multiple photos and exposures, creating a unique visual experience.”

Colour

With a holiday filled with bright and striking colours and Fuente’s signature pop art palate, capturing this vibrancy is essential. He constantly tweaks light and colour to get the perfect vibrancy and balance. “The contrast is essential, and this camera gives me a ton of room and ranges to manipulate the shadows, highlights and colour range that help all the elements pop naturally.”

“This celebration allows us to embrace life with less fear and enjoy it to the fullest.”

Composition

Composition is also delicately balanced in Paul’s work, and this involves a lot of creativity. Balancing the composition of items and their colour, texture, and size. However, it is a key factor for Fuentes to make the image visually appealing and to draw the viewer's attention to the desired item and its attributes. “I find myself constantly searching for captivating stories, moments that are visually compelling and easily understandable. When I compose, I focus on finding the perfect balance between different elements. I believe in keeping things minimalistic and removing anything that doesn't contribute to the narrative.”

Editing

And finally, editing: “I'm constantly striving for a higher level of resolution in every shot to ensure I can use the quality and detail in my photos. This gives me endless creative freedom when editing and post-production.”

But out of all the factors he balances, the keys to photography for Fuentes is creativity and imagination. He views these as qualities that are essential to develop in order to create photos with emotional connection and impact. “Creativity takes patience; experimenting with new ideas only comes with time. But it is necessary to try out and mix concepts to create something that has that ‘wow’ factor and brings the photos to an entirely new level.”

“Product photography requires both technical know-how and storytelling elements to stand out. Good product photography doesn't just hit the right light, composition, and editing notes - it ties in a personal story that adds mystery or humour while simultaneously reflecting brand values and its world. With each shot I take, I aim to captivate viewers through these dual forces of creativity.”

About Paul Fuentes

London-based Hasselblad Master Paul Fuentes was born in Mexico City. He injects fun and colour into all his works, creating pop collages of objects, animals, and various textural elements, reinterpreting everyday objects into new contexts and perspectives. He has won the Emerging Talent Award from The Independent Photographer and has been shortlisted for the Sony World Photography in the still life category.