"Family Portrait: an intimate homage to everyday love."

The photographer Diana Catalina Patiño, third place in the contest, invites us to look with different eyes at what makes our home unique.

In a world where visual perfection seems to reign, Colombian photographer Diana Catalina Patiño reminds us of the power of the authentic. Her project Family Portrait, winner of third place in the Domestika contest, is a declaration of love for the everyday: her partner, her cats and the intimate space they have built together. Through digital photography, art direction and 3D, Diana achieves a narrative full of symbolism, sensitivity and honesty, demonstrating that the imperfect can also be deeply moving.

We share with you the full interview:

What inspired you to create the winning project?

Honestly, the inspiration came from something I saw on networks a long time ago, among so much information that sometimes passes without leaving a trace. At that moment in my life I wasn't very emotionally present, I felt disconnected, and I didn't pay much attention to it. But something was hanging around. Some time later, I saw it again and it was like a call. I felt I wanted to create something more personal, more intimate, more honest. Something that came from the love for the real and the everyday, but also from what moves me, from what moves me inside.
For some years I have worked doing photography and video production for brands and companies. We have created visually very beautiful things, well produced projects, with talented teams. But there came a point where I didn't feel inspired anymore. Then I understood that I needed to come back to myself, to reconnect with what excited me at the beginning: to observe, to imagine, to play with the senses, to explore the symbolic and to tell something that really spoke to me.

This project was a way to return to that place. It was my way of reminding myself why I started creating images in the first place, and to open up a space to express what doesn't usually fit into commercial commissions: the vulnerable, the invisible, the intuitive. I wanted to make something with more soul than formula, with more skin than perfection.

What story or emotion did you want to convey?

I wanted to tell that story: that families come in many forms, that everyday love also deserves to be portrayed, and that photography can be a bridge to embrace who we are, just as we are.
I wanted to capture the love I have for my cats, who for me are part of my family. For a long time I dreamed of having a family portrait, but not a traditional one, but one that represented what home is for me today: my partner, my cats, and that intimate space we have built together.

What is your process for developing original ideas from scratch?

Since I started in photography I have been surrounded by creative people who constantly inspire me. Each one, from their specialty, has shown me different ways of seeing the world, and transforming the everyday into something powerful. That creative energy has always pushed me to always want to think that the best way to create is from feelings, from what you think and from being a very good observer.

An idea can start in many ways, but with this project, it all started when I saw something that inspired me - a painting, a story, an image on networks, even a person. In my situation something of that stuck in my mind, and without realizing it, I began to imagine an aesthetic, to give it soul, to make it something more mine, more organic.
For me, creating is like putting together an emotional collage. I start to ask myself: what if we make a narrative where the subject is in the center, as the protagonist? Where is that subject? Is he in his living room, in a flat color background, in a natural location? Does that place exist or am I going to build it from the art, from the art direction?

Then come more sensitive decisions: what color palette do I want to use? What kind of wardrobe best tells that story? What objects accompany it: a plant, a painting, a chair? Those elements are not there just for aesthetics, but because they are symbolic. They give emotional weight to the portrait, they make it unique. That's where it all makes sense to me: when every decision has intention and every image begins to tell something that feels real, even if it's constructed.

Do you start with a sketch, moodboard or something else?

It depends on the project but I always start with an idea, maybe not something as structured as a sketch. Sometimes the first thing is an emotion, a loose image in my head, or a feeling that I want to translate. When that idea starts to take shape I use tools like a moodboard to ground what I have in mind: the visual references, the colors, the textures, the type of light, the atmosphere.

I ask myself: what story do I want this image to tell, how is it going to feel, what do I need to achieve it? From that I build a visual narrative and then I start to make more concrete decisions about location, wardrobe, objects, color palette.

The important thing for me is that from that emotion or idea, everything has a connection.

How would you define your style and how has it evolved over time?

I feel it started like many improving my technique, light, composition and color. I worked mainly in commercial photography, creating images for brands and products, taking care of aesthetics, detail and visual result. My style is commercial because I was a photographer working for a video and photo production company. Now I'm in search of my own style and my own voice, and I'm looking for a narrative and symbolic style. I am interested in creating images that arouse emotions, that connect with the intimate.

What tools or techniques did you use to bring your project to life (traditional, digital, mixed media, etc.)?

For this project I worked mainly with digital photography as a base. I used artificial lighting depending on the scene, taking care of the atmosphere I wanted to achieve. Then, in postproduction, I used Photoshop to make color adjustments, cleaning and editing elements. I also integrated 3D elements that allowed me to create scenarios or symbolic details that do not physically exist, but that help to build the visual narrative I imagined. The 3D was done with the Blender program.

I like working with a mixed technique because it gives me freedom: I can start from a real image and then intervene digitally.

What challenges did you face when creating your work for the contest and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest questions I faced was to ask myself if a proposal like mine, more organic, emotional, and even not so perfect; would it make sense in front of images created with artificial intelligence, which are usually visually stunning and extremely realistic. I wondered if the intimate, the everyday, the made from love and observation, could be sustained in front of the "perfect" that today can be generated in a few clicks.
There were also technical challenges: integrating 3D elements, working with digital retouching without losing naturalness, and at the same time achieving an aesthetic coherent with the emotion I wanted to transmit. It was a process of testing, exploration and continuous learning.

Another aspect that demanded a lot of sensitivity from me was photographing my cats. Although they are an essential part of the project and I love them dearly, working with animals requires a lot of patience. You can't give them instructions or force them to participate; you have to wait for them to feel comfortable, to trust the space, and to approach the place where I need them to be on their own.

In addition, I wanted to capture something very specific: that their face, their posture, convey their personality, and that visually the composition felt harmonious. That meant observing, waiting, and being present to capture the right moment, without intervening too much. It was also important to me that everything flowed calmly, without stress for them.

Another key part of the process was working on the silhouette of the faces. I wanted every detail to be clearly visible, especially the outline of the fur, which for me is essential to preserve the identity of each one. It was a meticulous job, which demanded attention to detail and a lot of precision in the editing, to achieve a clean but natural silhouette, without losing texture or character.

I feel that each challenge is also a form of growth. It has led me to reaffirm why I do what I do, and to trust in the value of the human: in the strength of a real image, built from experience, time and emotion.

In a world where everything tends to be immediate or perfect, creating from the authentic becomes an act of trust. Trust that the imperfect also communicates, that an image can connect with people precisely because it reflects something sincere.

For me, beauty is not in a single form or in what is polished, but in what manages to touch someone. And when I am sure of that, I move forward with more clarity.

How do you manage to keep your projects authentic and personal in a world full of visual trends?

It's not always easy to stay out of the trends. At some moments it's inevitable to feel some influence, because we are exposed all the time to visual references that mark what "should look good". But I think what really keeps a project authentic is the desire to create something of one's own, something that is born from within.

That need to express what you feel, what you see with your own eyes and live in your daily life, is what makes the process unique. When I connect with that intention, with why I want to make an image and not only with how it should look, I move away from imitation and get closer to something truer.

Do you have any routines or habits that help you stay creative and productive?

The most important routine for me is to never stop creating. To keep moving, in the doing, even if I don't have a completely defined idea from the beginning. I feel that ideas appear when I'm working, not only when I think about them. Creating without fuss, with attention to detail, helps me to be present and to give space to what comes up. Creativity requires time to think, to try and to make mistakes. When there is rushing, there is no room to explore options or to polish the details that make a project special. Creating in a hurry often leads to functional results, but not memorable ones.

Which artists have most influenced your work and why?

An important part of my visual gaze is influenced by artists like René Magritte, whose way of turning the everyday into something surreal and enigmatic inspires me deeply. I am interested in how, from the real, the imaginary can be constructed. I also find references in cinema and music video, especially in Michel Gondry's visual universe, with its analog, dreamlike and poetic resources, and in Wes Anderson, for his control of color, symmetry, costumes and his meticulous vintage aesthetics.

In photography, I admire the work of Paloma Rincón and the Studio Espacio Crudo collective, for their art direction, use of color and ability to create atmospheres that combine design, texture and surprise. My work seeks to maintain a balance between technique, narrative and playfulness, allowing me to create scenes that feel familiar but contain unexpected or symbolic elements.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out and wants to develop their own style?

After mastering technique, the really important thing is to work on aesthetics: how an image is composed, what role color plays and how to build an atmosphere. Knowing the light well is fundamental, but it is even more important to have clarity in the direction you want to give to the project. Knowing where you are going, what you want to see and feel in that visual space, is what really guides a production with intention.

What does it mean to you to have won this competition and how does it influence your goals as an artist?

Winning this contest was a very nice surprise. It's a reminder that what I do can connect with others, and it drives me to keep dreaming, creating and believing in new projects.

You too can show the world your unique way of creating. Participate in Domestika's upcoming contests, share your vision and connect with a community that celebrates creativity in all its forms.