Creativity! Professor wins international photography award

Guylaine Couttonlenc, a professor at the School of Humanities on the Tec’s Querétaro campus, has been awarded second place in the nature category of the Annual Photography Awards (APA) for her photographic series entitled “Kalia.” 

This international competition recognizes photographers from around the world in different categories. Nature: Macro & Micro, in which Guylaine competed, focuses on capturing details that often go unnoticed.

Her series “Kalia” stood out among all the participants for its artistic approach and for the way it enhances the natural beauty of leaves, flowers, and seeds.

“What I want to do with this series is to invite the viewer to stop and really observe what surrounds us. It’s a call to contemplation, and to find beauty in what we often ignore,” the professor explained.

The APA award is one of many prizes she has earned as a result of this series, including awards at the Tokyo International Photography Festival and the ND Awards in the United States, where she won the gold medal in the nature category. 

 

The origin of “Kalia” 

The “Kalia” series, which means beauty in Greek, came about during the pandemic, a period in which the professor began to observe her surroundings more closely.

Initially, she photographed leaves in their natural habitat, but over time she decided to bring them into her studio and capture them in a special format, highlighting their texture, shape, and color.

“They’re leaves we normally pass by without even noticing. I collect them, take them to my studio, and use special lighting to make them look majestic,” she shared. 

Her interest in nature and art can be traced back to her childhood. Her mother, a sculptor, taught her to appreciate the aesthetics of her surroundings, while her father, a camping enthusiast, encouraged her to connect with the natural world from a young age. 

The professor points out that this combination of influences led her to develop a unique artistic vision, which she now shares through her photography. 

“For me, photography is the best companion you can have. It’s a way to discover, understand, and experience the world.”

A legacy in photography and teaching 

Guylaine began taking photographs at the age of 15, when she studied artistic photography. Later, she perfected her technique in Paris, earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing in Mexico City, and a master’s degree in Visual Arts in the United States, specializing in photography. 

Currently a professor at the Tec’s Querétaro campus, she teaches courses related to advertising photography, object photography, printing, and developing. For her, teaching is a way for her to share her passion and help her students develop their own vision. 

“I’ve been told I’m very passionate and that I’m able to convey that emotion to students. I don’t just want them to learn theory, but to truly feel and understand photography,” she said.
 

Through her teaching, she encourages students to see details, understand light, and find meaning in every image. “I want them to understand what happens with a particular light, how it can affect texture… Not just to take a photo, but to actually perceive it,” she explained.

The professor points out that the “Kalia” series is the result of her efforts to continue exploring nature through her lens, as well as continuing to inspire new generations of photographers. 

“For me, photography is the best companion you can have. It’s a way to discover, understand, and experience the world,” she concluded.

 

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