Elena Merce

Portrait | Last Updated: May 17, 2021

My name is Elena Mercé, and I live in Barcelona with my husband and three kids. Photography has always been my passion but I didn’t start my photography business until four years ago. Until then, I was working as a French translator and enjoying photography as a personal hobby.

When I was a kid, I loved taking my camera to every trip I did with my family and friends, and when my first child was born, I started to document our family life. I really loved taking pictures of my children. At some point, I realised I wanted to improve my photography skills and decided to take online courses.

My work is a mix of new-borns, families, and some children clothes brands. Children are really my greatest inspirations and I really love taking portraits to my kids.

I’m a natural light photographer and as the weather in Spain is quite sunny I don’t really need to go into studio light, but I would like to start working with artificial light to continue improving my skills.

Because I’m photographing kids, I keep my kit minimal. I prefer to move and shoot from all angles.

My main camera body is a Canon 5D Mark III that I bought two years ago. I wanted a camera with two card slots, just in case, and I always shoot using both.

My main lenses are my Canon 50mm f/1.4 and my Sigma 35mm f/1.4. An additional lens I love to use when shooting kids mainly outdoors is the Canon 24-105mm f/4.

My favourite focal length is the Canon 50mm that I mainly use for baby photoshoots (guide) and outdoor family sessions. It allows me to work with wide apertures and get details. In addition, it allows me to work indoors with low light conditions. It is the lens I use for everyday shooting with my kids.

I learned photography on this lens and I’ve shot some of my favourite images on it, like the portrait, which was shortlisted in the 2019 Open Competition of the Sony World Photography Organisation of my son Bruno. I love taking portraits with that lens.

When I’m shooting families, I prefer the 35mm as it allows me to get everybody in the frame in tight indoor spaces. It is a fast and sharp lens, and I like the wide view for storytelling images.

Lastly, I have a 5-in-1 reflector that I bring to every session, just in case. It’s great for bouncing extra light. And sometimes I also bring with me some blankets for baby sessions.

As you can see, I use lenses that allow me to be close to my subjects so that I can direct them and catch the attention of little ones. Nonetheless, I would like to try the 85mm f/1.8 for portraits.

www.jelenmercephotography.es | @jelenmerce