artist bio |

Ely Piñeiro (Madrid, 1983) is a documentary photographer and photo editor with extensive experience in the visual storytelling industry. With a BA in Journalism, she worked for over a decade at Getty Images, editing news and event photography for global distribution.

From 2010 to 2015, she was Head of Photography and Production at GQ magazine, where she led the magazine’s visual direction and ensured the quality and consistency of its photographic content.

Currently, Ely is a PhD candidate at UC3M, where she investigates the representation of bodies and identities in stock photography, analyzing its impact on the construction of visual imaginaries and contemporary image economies. Her research bridges market analysis with cultural critique, drawing from feminist theory and visual studies.

As an independent photographer, Ely explores themes of collective memory, identity, and territory, often working at the intersection of gender, history, and space. Her projects span rural and urban contexts, with a particular focus on marginalized narratives, including the LGTBIQ+ community, post-conflict memory, and the invisible traces of everyday resistance. Her visual approach seeks to uncover the emotional layers embedded in landscapes, rituals, and personal archives, constructing a space where intimacy and political awareness coexist.

CONTACT

Mail: elisapineiro@gmail.com

+34 663025944

Academic achievements

2023- TMIC Congresss - UCLM Presentacion of the doctoral work “Photography and gender diversity: proposal for a study on the representation of women in stock photography in the 21st century” (Nov, 2023)

2023- UCLM- Conducting the workshop “Feminizing the territory” within the framework of “Opportunities for Demographic Challenge” (May,2023)

2022 - CINCOMA (International Congress of Innovation in Communication and Audiovisual Media) Salamanca & Alicante University - Paper “Feminist Trends in the Productive Dynamics of Contemporary Stock Photography” in the discussion panel “Viz” in Media"!: Feminist discourses, non-normative and innovative representations in media, advertising and social networks. “ (Sep, 2022)

2022 - Publication: Contemporary stock photography and visual diversity the representation of women in Getty Images “Show Us”. Fragua, Spain. (Sept, 2022)

Exhibitions & Recognitions

2025

  • Portfolio selected for the Descubrimientos PhotoEspaña 2025 reviews

  • Upcoming group exhibition at FotoNostrum Gallery (Barcelona), scheduled for July 2025, showcasing contemporary documentary photography.

  • Selected to participate in the prestigious Magnum Photos workshop in Sarajevo, led by renowned photographers as Susan Meiselas, Olivia Arthur, Nanna Heitmann.

2024

  • Honorable Mention awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique (FIAP), recognizing excellence in photographic artistry.

  • Honorable Mention in the Portraits category at the 24th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, an international competition celebrating women photographers.

2023

  • Solo exhibition of The City Isn’t Reside in Me at the Ricardo Ortega Hall, Faculty of Communication, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), held in May 2023.

2022

  • Finalist in the 20th Roberto Villagraz Scholarship, awarded by EFTI School of Photography, for The City Isn’t Reside in Me.