Photographer and AI Creator

Marta Contreras Simó

Marta Contreras Simó moves effortlessly between fashion, photography and artificial intelligence. Based in Barcelona, she creates visual worlds where past and future blur, and beauty feels both fragile and defiant. Her work isn’t about technology for technology’s sake – it’s about using it as a brush. With a sharp eye for colour, texture and silhouette, Marta turns digital space into something intimate and cinematic. The result is imagery that feels timeless, surreal and unmistakably her own.

The Sturgheons: Marta, please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who are you, where are you from, and what do you do for living?

Marta: I’m Marta Contreras Simó, a Spanish photographer and AI creator. I work with images as a way of exploring strength, identity and emotion – especially through the female figure. Creating is how I process the world.

Which three characteristics particularly distinguish you as Marta, as a person, as an artist, and why exactly these?

I would say I’m persistent, intuitive and very detail-oriented. Once I have a vision, I don’t let it go easily. I trust my instinct, and I care deeply about refinement.

How did your career actually ‘started’? Is it right to say as a photographer for architecture?

My path has been quite diverse. I have a degree in International Business, studied at London College of Fashion, and worked in retail management for many years before fully dedicating myself to photography. That experience shaped my understanding of aesthetics, branding and visual culture.
I started professionally in architecture photography, which gave me a strong sense of composition and balance. AI came later – as a natural evolution when I felt the need to go beyond physical spaces and explore more conceptual ones.

Was there a decisive moment, an experience or a person that led you to expand and combine your world of photography with that of digital art? If yes, what was it?

There wasn’t one big moment. It happened gradually. When I began experimenting with AI, I felt curious rather than intimidated. It felt like opening a new door – not leaving photography behind, but expanding what I could express.

What opportunities does the use of artificial intelligence offer you in terms of your creativity and your work as an artist and photographer? And how do you feel about the term “prompt photography” in this context?

AI gives me freedom – freedom to build atmospheres and characters that would be difficult to produce physically.
I’m not completely comfortable with the term “prompt photography.” For me, the process is much more layered. It involves direction, intuition, editing and many decisions. The tool is digital, but the vision is personal.  

What attributes would you use to compare your past work with your current work?

My earlier work in architecture photography was very structured and disciplined. It trained my eye.
Today my work is more emotional and symbolic, but that structural foundation is still there – just applied in a different way.

Your most recent works demonstrate a keen sense of colours, textures, compositions and cultural aesthetics. Can you share a particularly challenging or unique experience in your way of working?

One of the most challenging parts of my work is finding the right balance between detail and emotion. AI can generate endless possibilities, but making an image feel alive – with presence, tension, and subtle imperfections – takes patience. Sometimes I create dozens of versions, discard most of them, and only keep the ones that truly resonate. That process can be exhausting, but it’s also deeply rewarding, because it’s where the image finally starts to breathe.

What role does failure play in your approach to creativity?

Failure is part of the process. It teaches me to slow down and to listen more carefully to what the image needs. Some of my best work came after moments of frustration.

Are there certain aesthetics or design elements of people that you find particularly inspiring or challenging to capture in your work?

I’m drawn to expressive eyes and subtle imperfections. I’m less interested in conventional perfection and more in authenticity.

The combination of the real world and the fantasy world shows a high degree of creativity. Is there a particular source from which you always draw inspiration?

I find inspiration from many places – fashion, cinema, cultural memory, and everyday life. But most of all, I’m inspired by people, especially women: their strength, their contradictions, their quiet presence. I like to observe, to notice the little details that reveal character. Then I combine that with imagination, creating worlds where reality and fantasy meet – where an image can feel both familiar and completely new.

If there was an artist, dead or alive, with whom you could collaborate, who would it be and why?

I’ve always admired Peter Lindbergh for the honesty in his portraits. I connect with the way he portrayed women with dignity and depth.

Your portfolio and your works are very well received, for example in Vogue and at Lumas Gallery. What does this international recognition as an artist mean to you?

It means a lot to me. It’s reassuring to see that the work connects with people internationally. But I try to stay grounded and focused on growth rather than external validation.

What has become more important to you over the last few years – in general and in your career? 

Balance. Protecting my creative energy and choosing projects that truly resonate with me.

Where do you see (or imagine) yourself in the next 5 years?

I hope to continue growing internationally, exhibiting more, collaborating with inspiring people and deepening my artistic language.

Do you see your artistic future in working with AI, or are there perhaps other techniques you would like to incorporate into your work? 

AI will continue to be part of my work, but I’m open to hybrid approaches – combining photography, texture and digital creation. I see my practice as evolving, not fixed. 

What are your next projects (you are allowed to talk about)? 

I’m currently working on several projects at the same time, including upcoming magazine features and exhibitions that I’m very excited about. I can’t share too many details yet, but it’s a very active and inspiring moment for me creatively. There’s a lot growing behind the scenes.

Explore more work of Marta on www.mylovelyviews.com

Barcelona, February 2026. | Interview by The Sturgheons with Marta Contreras Simó. | All pictures are provided by Marta Contreras Simó.