🇪🇸 SPOTLIGHT | Interview w/ Blanca Fuerte aka Blanquinni

For the debut of our Spotlight series, which focuses on the Spanish music scene, we sit down with Blanca Fuerte — better known as Blanquinni — a Madrid-based music photographer, writer, and creator who’s spent the past decade documenting the soul of Spain’s underground and festival circuits. From sweaty punk basements to massive stages, her work blends image, text, and emotion to tell deeper stories about the country’s ever-evolving sonic landscape. In this interview, Blanquinni shares her creative journey and why the Spanish scene hits different.

Hi Blanca, could you briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your journey as a music photographer? 

Hi! I’m Blanca Fuerte, though most people know me as Blanquinni. I’m a music photographer, writer, and content creator based in Madrid. I started out documenting underground shows in the DIY rock, metal, punk and hardcore scene, camera in one hand and “pen” in the other. That passion slowly turned into a career — today I create visual and written content for magazines, artists, festivals, and my own platform, where I spotlight emerging talent as well as well-known bands and try to capture music as a lived, emotional experience.

What or who inspired you to pursue music photography? 

Around 2012, I started writing articles while I was just starting out at university. By 2016, I realized that photographers knew each other, that it was a community, and since I was writing, I didn't know other writers because it's not the same kind of relationship. So, as I'm very extroverted, I thought, "Why didn't I think of taking out my camera before?" I studied photography for three years as part of my degree at the Faculty of Fine Arts, so it was knowledge I could definitely put to good use. You could say that what drove me to get started was the social aspect of concert photography in particular.

How would you describe your visual style, and how has it evolved over time? 

I always try to catch the essence of the live, empowering the figures with different lens that create various narratives as well as physical filters for the lens which helps building the stories as well as the color edition. It’s not only about shooting at the perfect timing but how you interpret it as well. At least, that’s my mantra.

Of all the images you’ve captured, which one are you the most proud of — and what makes it stand out? 

Next year will mark ten years since I started photographing concerts. In all this time, it's very difficult to choose just one photograph, because your style evolves, as does the fact that you learn new things over time and develop professionally. I love when I capture movement at its most, such a big jumps from artists, or an artist practicing crowsurfing, or when there’s fire involved… Maybe not the most spectacular ones, but I loved Genesis Owusu performance and the pics I took last year at Mad Cool Festival, because I feel like I captured the artsy essence perfectly.

You’re not just a concert photographer — you also write, document, and give visibility to underground artists through multiple formats. How do these different mediums (photos, text, videos, etc.) help you tell a more complete story? 

Each medium is a different lens — photos capture feeling, writing gives context, and video can immerse you in the atmosphere or personal perspective of the matter. I see them as parts of the same mission: to archive the present from the inside. By combining them, I try to show not just the what, but the why — why this band matters, why this concert mattered, why it’s worth remembering.

You’ve contributed to major digital magazines like RockZone and dodMagazine, while also building your own platform. How do you balance maintaining your personal voice while working for other outlets?

It’s all about intention. I only collaborate with outlets where I feel my voice adds value and where I’m not expected to just “cover” something, but actually interpret it. I bring my point of view everywhere I go — even if the tone changes, the core stays the same: I care about stories that —

Your photography has been exhibited in spaces like Delia Records and Marilians Records, and you were nominated for Best Festival Photo at the Iberian Festival Awards. How does it feel to see your work recognized in that way?

It’s deeply humbling — especially because most of my work starts in community spaces, small venues, or self-funded projects. When those efforts resonate beyond the niche, it reminds me that what happens in the underground is valuable, and it deserves to be archived and celebrated too.

What are your goals or plans for the future — anything exciting on the horizon? 

I’m always planning, I’m a very, very nervous person haha. For the near future, I’ll go to Resurrection Fest as host, and then I’ll be at Mad Cool Festival as photographer for RockZone.

How would you describe the state of the music scene in Spain right now?

It’s alive and mutating. There’s a beautiful collision of genres happening — flamenco meets rap, punk meets tech-house or hardcore meets poetry. But still, it’s not easy, especially with how underfunded the not-mainstream genres are, but it’s honest, raw, and constantly evolving.

What is unique about photographing live shows or artists in Spain that might surprise someone from outside the country?

There’s an intimacy here that’s hard to find elsewhere. Even big shows can feel personal. Artists tend to be accessible, and fans are emotionally expressive — there’s always someone crying, screaming, or hugging in the pit. It’s not just a performance, it’s a shared catharsis.

How is touring in Spain? Anything specific others should be prepared for? 

If you are vegetarian be ready for suffering, on the road there are not too many option except for the Spanish omelet sandwich, basic salad with onion, lettuce and tomatoes or cheese. Also, if touring on summer, get ready for the high temperatures, specially if you come to Madrid. 

Do you feel that music photography gets the recognition it deserves in the Spanish music scene? 

Not really. It’s still treated like a hobby or side job, and there’s little - or none - financial or institutional support. But there’s a new wave of photographers building archives from the ground up, and that’s where real recognition will come — when we control our own narratives.

What are some of the biggest challenges or hardships you’ve faced as a music photographer in Spain?

Demonstrate to labels, media or promoters that your contribution and work are valuable, and that they do not consider your contribution as if they were the ones doing you a favor or giving you the gift of being able to take the photos.We also want bands to understand that, just as we value their work and support their struggles, our work is indeed work, and we don't give it away for free when they ask us for a full concert book. Actually, that’s quite offensive.

As the Spanish music scene grows more diverse and experimental, how do you adapt your creative approach to keep capturing its essence in a fresh and meaningful way?

By staying curious and never relying on the same formula. I try to listen deeply to what each artist is doing musically and then reflect that in how I shoot them. I’m also constantly learning from other creators and experimenting with new tools or techniques.

Do you prefer photographing in smaller venues with an intimate vibe, or in larger venues with bigger crowds and a different kind of energy? Why? 

I love both, but small venues will always have my heart. You can smell the sweat, feel the floor shake, lock eyes with someone mid-song. That kind of connection is impossible to replicate in a stadium.

Who are three (or more) Spanish music photographers that you think people should know about?

I’d love to recommend this 3 talented woman who I am proud of: Nat Enemede, Cristina Cañedo and Noah Pharrell, which have total different styles and perspectives and work in different kinds of photography: from studio, street or live events.

What are three (or more) emerging local artists you think people should pay attention to right now?

FUET! — hardcore punk from Madrid with social bite and zero pretensions.

What advice would you give to aspiring music photographers who are just starting out in the industry?

Shoot everything you feel is important to you, even when nobody's caring. Find your people — the bands, collectives, and editors who see you. Don’t chase trends; chase truth. And protect your joy, because that’s what gives your work soul.

BLANQUINNI'S FAVORITES

Venues	Sala El Sol (Madrid), Wurlitzer Ballroom (Madrid), Sala X (Sevilla), Mutante (Sevilla), Kuivi / Almacenes (Oviedo)
Festivals	Resurrection Fest (Galicia), Sonorama Ribera (Aranda de Duero), Monkey Week, Canela Party
Publications	RockZone, Nuebo, dodMagazine, mondo sonoro

BLANQUINNI'S "ONLY LOCALS" PLAYLIST

FOLLOW BLANQUINNI:

Website | Instagram | SHOWGRAPHERS Profile

All photos: © Blanquinni