Juan Lucas (pixelecta)

Country: Spain 🇪🇸

Juan Lucas.
Alias: Juan Pixelecta

I always liked photography, but I was really interested from the digital age, thanks to its economic accessibility.

I use to travel with my camera in the north of Spain; Picos de Europa, the Cantabrian coast, Basque forests or my beloved Palentina Mountain. And outside of Spain I do not miss the opportunity to travel with other experienced photographers, to different parts of the world that stand out in photogenic beauty such as the Dolomites, Lake Baikal, the French Alps or Iceland.

It attracts me to experience the greatness of the moment captured, I enjoy going through the composition and I seek to achieve photographs that can stand out due to their difference. But I always keep in mind that "Nature understands design, we only decide the composition."

I have been a member of the “Natural Portfolio” Collective of photographers since 2020, and I have collaborated on the recent book “The Art of Photographing Nature”.
I made the photographs for the Ethnobotany book "Plants in the Palentina Mountain". I have also contributed to some publications such as the printed magazine "Iris" by Aefona, "Grandes Espacios", and in digital magazines such as "[ModeM] Magazine", "La Mirada de los Fotografos", "La Naturaleza Habla", being the cover of said magazine twice.

I also have the honor of having taken the official photographs for the "Palencia Tourism Guide", for promotion and tourism of the city. In 2020.

Regarding photographic exhibitions, I premiered in 2020 with “Naturaleza de Altura”, within the program of the BANFF Mountain Film Festival World Tour SPAIN, based in Jaca.

I want to highlight that there is a before and after since I made the challenge of publishing a daily photo during 2015, on the Facebook page "365 Palentina Mountain", where my intention was to show the unknown treasures of the Palentina Mountain Natural Park .

My achievements in international competitions are the following:
- GDT European Wildlife Photographer of The Year; 1 Mención de Honor (Mundos Vegetales), 2020.
- SIPA (Siena Photo Awards); 2 Menciones de Honor, 2016, 2020 + 3 "Remarkable Award", 2016, 2016, 2020.
- NPOTY Nature Photographer of The Year: 1 Runner-up (Categoría Nature art) + 3 Highly Commended (2 Categoría Nature art + 1 Landscape) 2022 / 2 Finalistas (Plantas) 2020 / People’s Choice Award 1 Highly Commended 2021
- MONTPHOTO Contest; 3 Menciones de Honor (Paisaje y Plantas y Actividad en Montaña), 2019, 2020, 2021
- MML Memorial María Luisa; 2 Mención de honor; Mundo Vegetal y Alpinismo. 2020, 2022
- TRIERENBERG Super Circuit; 4 medallas; 2 Oros Circuit+ 2 Bronces, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021.
- TGI, Trofeo Guipúzcoa International; 1 Oro (Street), 2020.
- SIPA DRONE PHOTO AWARD: 2 Commended (Series y Deportes) + 1 finalista Naturaleza 2021
- NARAVA Photo Contest; 1 Bronce, 2017.
- BIOPHOTOCONTEST International; 2 Finalistas (Plantas y Abstracciones), 2022
- EPSON Pano Awards; 1 Gold M. (Top Ten) 2015, 3 Silver M. 2016, 2017, 2018, 10 Bronces.
- IPA Latín Awards; 11 medallas: 6 oros, 4 Platas y 1 de Bronce, 2017
- FAPA Fine Art Photography Awards; 3 Nominee (2-1) 2015, 2015, 2016
- IPOTY PHOTO CONTEST: 5 Honorable Mention 2017
- MIFA de Moscow; 3 Honorable Mention 2017
I have also had achievements in my country. These are the main:
- AEFONA para la Conservación: 1º Premio en la categoría “Plantas”. 2020
- Foto NOJA: 2 Mención de Honor (Paisaje), 2019, 2022
- NATURCYL: 2º Premio absoluto + 1º Premio Catg. Paisajes Castellano Leonés + 1º Premio Catg. Espacios Protegidos del mundo + 1MH Catg. Ecoturismo y Mundo Rural + 1MH Catg. Paisaje Ibérico + 1MH Catg. Paisajes Castellano Leonés + 2MH Catg. Mundo de las Plantas 2022 / 1º Ganador Absoluto 2018 + 1º Premio Catg. Paisaje Ibérico + 3 finalistas 2018
- Premio Nacional “ORTIZ ECHAGUE”: 1º Premio 2019
- RALLY Fotográfico “Ciudad de Vitoria”, 1º Premio 2015
- RALLY Fotográfico “Reinosa”, 1º Premio 2017
- RALLY Fotográfico “Aguilar de Campoo”, 1º Premio 2019
- RALLY Fotográfico “Riaño”, 3º Premio. 2019
- Certamen de la DIPUTACIÓN de PALENCIA: 1º Premio 2013 + º Premio 2016
- PREMIOS EJÉRCITO, Mención Especial. 2009

Contests are a thermometer to know that your work is liked or not, but my purpose in this photographic world is to achieve an unforgettable image.