In the thirty-sixth edition of our special features celebrating our favourite south coast based Instagram users, I catch up with Southsea Snapper (@southseasnapper).

Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I grew up and graduated in my home Country (Spain), then relocated to Denmark for a short period of time. After finishing my studies, I moved to Portsmouth ten years ago to pursue my career in engineering. I am not a photographer, I created the Southsea Snapper account as a hobby last year when Covid and lockdowns started. and I have to say it has been great fun!

Can you tell me more about your photographic experience; is this something that you’ve studied or maybe a hobby that you’ve developed?
Photography is one of my hobbies and I am purely self-taught. As a teenager, I learnt basic editing skills and started to carry an entry-level camera everywhere, always prepared for unexpected situations or interesting angles around me.

Do you have a favoured camera or device that you use for your Instagram photography?
I do: my two smartphones. I shoot and edit all my Southsea Snapper pictures on either an iPhone 11 or on a Huawei P30 pro.The gap on image quality between cameras and smartphones is very thin these days. and mobiles have become the most popular way of capturing photographs. Convenience and ease-of-use of smartphones is a deal breaker for me, as I want to capture daily life snaps, the best camera is the one you have with you. Workflow on a smartphone is fantastic and I usually capture, edit and upload within minutes.

Exploring the theme of local, the south coast has a wide variety of climatic conditions, buildings and landscapes. Are there any places or environments that are personal to you or that you love to photograph?
Southsea Snapper mainly focuses on urban life and Southsea lifestyle: street art, emerging independent businesses, architecture, candid photography, street food & drinks… these are the main motivations. It has helped a lot of new businesses that either struggled during Covid, or launched during recent lockdowns. Always happy to collaborate with local artists, shops, restaurants and events!

For you what makes a good photograph stand out?
The ability to capture a shot that tells an interesting story or brings up a certain feeling. Always trying to capture “the moment”, I find spontaneous photos more interesting than staged shoots. Also, I do my best to be consistent with the edition of my pictures, looking for pastel colours, low contrast and a lot of texture.

Would you say that you take photos more for yourself or for others?
It really works both ways. These photos will always bring me good memories, but certainly others are loving them as well. I think it is helping a lot of locals to rediscover the town they live in or where they grew up, which is fantastic.

Are there any other photographers who either influence you or that you would encourage our readers to also check out?
There are an insane amount of local amazing photographers. A few names that come to my mind are @davetbythesea, @fivearchitects, @photowalkshops, @jyronshots, @maxwilliamsphotography or @libertyphotographyuk but surely I am forgetting lots of other ones!