How to Say "to photograph" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to photograph” is “fotografiar” — use 'fotografiar' when you want to take a picture of an object, a landscape, or a general scene..
fotografiar
fo-to-gra-fyar/fotoɣɾaˈfjaɾ/
Examples
Quiero fotografiar el amanecer mañana.
I want to photograph the sunrise tomorrow.
Él fotografió a los pájaros en el parque.
He photographed the birds in the park.
La cámara es capaz de fotografiar objetos a larga distancia.
The camera is capable of photographing objects at a long distance.
The Stress on the 'i'
Even though it is an -ar verb, when you conjugate it in the present, the letter 'i' gets an accent mark (fotografío) to make sure you pronounce it clearly as a separate sound.
Using the Personal 'a'
If you are photographing a specific person, you must use 'a' before their name. For example: 'Fotografié a María'.
Missing the Accent
Mistake: “Yo fotografio la casa.”
Correction: Yo fotografío la casa. (Don't forget the accent mark on the 'i' in the present tense!)
retratar
/rre-tra-TAR//retɾaˈtaɾ/
Examples
El fotógrafo me retrató ayer en el parque.
The photographer took a portrait of me yesterday in the park.
A Goya le gustaba retratar a la familia real.
Goya liked to paint portraits of the royal family.
No me gusta que me retraten sin avisar.
I don't like being photographed without warning.
Portraits only
Unlike 'sacar una foto', which can be used for anything, 'retratar' is almost exclusively used when the subject is a person.
Using it for scenery
Mistake: “Retraté la montaña durante mi viaje.”
Correction: Saqué una foto de la montaña. Use 'retratar' for people to sound more natural.
General vs. Specific Use
Related Translations
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