I am Jon Santamaría, a wedding photographer based in San Sebastián.

I photograph weddings in Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Biarritz, and the French Basque Country, as well as destination weddings in Spain, France, and the rest of Europe. My style is documentary, natural, and discreet: being present without intervening, so that every moment happens exactly as it is meant to.

I have always felt that I looked at the world differently. Since I was a child, I had a special sensitivity toward imagery and aesthetics—toward everything that isn’t always seen, but felt. Photography was close to me from a very young age thanks to my uncle, who was never without his film camera. I spent many hours by his side while he photographed me; with his closeness and his calm, almost ritualistic approach, he made those images come to life. When I was ten, he gave me my first camera, a Polaroid. Without knowing it, he was gifting me a way of looking at the world.

I saw that same way of documenting important moments at home. While my father used his film Minolta to freeze specific moments, my other uncle captured everything in motion with his video camera on his shoulder. Because of this, photography was something so familiar that I never thought I could make a living from it.

Years later, when I started working, I wanted to document my own life and bought my first camera. Shortly after, my first DSLR arrived. I began experimenting out of pure curiosity and decided to study photography, though I still saw it as a hobby. However, life gradually led me to this place: to perfect my technique, to understand light, to train my eye, and, above all, to deeply love this craft.

For a long time, taking photos was just that—taking photos. But one day, something clicked. I understood that my job wasn’t just to press a button, but to stop time. It was to listen to your story and find the beauty within it.

Because for me, this isn’t just about technique. It’s about trust. It’s knowing that you are handing me a moment that will never return, and my duty is to make it eternal.

Now I understand that my true calling had been growing inside me all along.

As a wedding photographer in San Sebastián, I work in some of the most special venues in Donostia and Gipuzkoa. I have photographed weddings at the Hotel María Cristina, Miramar Palace, Abeletxe, Iturregi, Katxiña, Hika, Finca Machoenia, and Rezabal, among others. Also at the Basilica of Santa María, the Good Shepherd Cathedral, and in unique venues like La Mayou in the French Basque Country.

My primary working area covers all of Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Navarre, and the French Basque Country—Biarritz, Bayonne, and the surrounding areas. I also travel for destination weddings to any corner of Europe: Italy, France, Portugal, and Greece.

If you are getting married in the Basque Country and are looking for a wedding photographer in San Sebastián who understands your day for what it is—unique and unrepeatable—write to me. I would be delighted to join you.