Storks, Monforte de Lemos, February 2019

This image was one of my first attempts at wildlife photography with my Bronica SQ-Ai. I failed.

As soon as I got close, the storks flew away and never came back. I waited with my tripod and camera ready for almost an hour. They didn't trust me and I don't blame them.

I moved on and kept making images, but decided to check on them again on my way back home, and good I did. They were back, and this time I won't let them leave without an image.

Having ran out of film, I grabbed my digital camera. That would've been my choice anyway, even if I had film. The Bronica proved too big and slow for a scene like this.

I clicked a few times, but it was with this last composition that I got what I was looking for. Inmediately after, they flew away again. This time, I didn't mind.

You can watch the whole thing on this video: "Wildlife" photography with the Bronica.

Like father like son, O Cebreiro, February 2018

This is not a good place to photograph in the snow. It does snow a few times every winter, but it's not cold enough for it to stick around. You can get a few white days in the mountains, but that's about it.

That's why I wanted to make it to the mountains so bad a couple of weeks ago. A recent storm had left some considerable snow, but the days were about to warm up so the clock was ticking.

I was lucky enough to get a few hours of cloudy weather and I was able to make some good images. I'm still hoping for some more snow in the weeks to come, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Dawn, A Coruña, February 2019

Sometimes, the best images are the ones we don't expect to make. This is what happened on my recent trip to A Coruña.

This scene was just in front of the hotel where I was staying. I saw it on my second day there, and I visited the location multiple times over a period of 36 hours. I shot it during the day, at night, and before sunrise.

The one I shot at dawn turned out to be the best one, and one of my favorite images I've made this year so far.

See more images of A Coruña.

White Death, O Cebreiro, February 2019

I showed how I made and edited this image in a video a few days ago, so there's little else I can say about it.

Cemeteries aren't usually places I like to photograph. That day, though, I was looking for subjects that would look good with that layer of fresh snow. Things you wouldn't see covered in snow often in that area.

When I saw it, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to reach it. The path to the cemetery was covered in untouched snow, and the gate was closed. I still wanted to give it a try, and I'm glad I did. I had no problem getting inside.

After a short walk and trying a few initial compositions, I stumbled upon this one. Everything was perfectly in place, a big cross with its white tomb, and a line of other dark crosses in the background.

Once you see a composition, everything is very easy. The hardest part of photography is to recognize it when you see it.

Magic, Sil River, January 2019

I made this image with my Bronica SQ-Ai. It was one of those special moments when you can't believe what you are seeing through the viewfinder. Something so beautiful that you fear your image won't do it justice.

After this shot, I took a bunch with my digital camera (the fog was moving really quick and presented a lot of different compositions), but this is still my favorite.

What a beautiful morning.

I made a short movie that day that you watch here.

Wall of shadows, Estói, December 2018

I stumbled upon this wall during a walk in Estói, Portugal, a few weeks ago. It was around noon on a bright day.

The hursh light was creating all sorts of shadows, and this street light and wall caught my eye. I'm not sure what those little windows were for, but they were the perfect match for the shadow and the paving stone.

See more images of Portugal.

Train Station, Pobra do Brollon, January 2019

This is the first image made in 2019 I feature on this blog. I took a shot of this old train station on a very foggy and cold day.

See more images of Galicia.

Death, Alentejo, December 2018

While exploring the beautiful Alentejo, I stumbled upon this dead sheep. Alone in the middle of a field, I spent some time looking at it before deciding to take a few exposures.

It was an unexpected and powerful scene and I wanted to take a few minutes before moving on.

See more images of Portugal.

Lone Tree, Alentejo, December 2018

One of the many beautiful tress you can find in this region of Portugal.

Video: "The Landscapes of the Alentejo"

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Roads of the Alentejo, December 2018

Foggy day on one of the many roads of the beautiful Alentejo.

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Two Sides, Mértola, December 2018

I had Mértola on my list of places to visit for a while. On my way there, I drove through the Guadiana Valley Natural Park, where I saw signs on the road warning about lynx. Now, that was something new to me!

This is an image of a little chapel on top of a hill, just out of town. The light was harsh allowing only for very high contrast shots. This was what I came up with.

See more images of Portugal.

Sheep of the Alentejo, Almodovar, December 2018

I love the landscapes of the Alentejo. My last trip to Portugal was spent mostly in the Algarve, and I mentioned how much I regretted that decision. I do need more time in the Alentejo, hopefully I can go back soon.

Despite being a bit far from where I was staying further south -90 minute drive or so-, I still tried to make some images around there. This is one of them, of some sheep grazing around this tree just before sunset.

Beautiful and calm scenes no matter where you look at. I'm ready to go back.

See more images of Portugal.

Urriellu, Asturias, September 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, 16-70mm f/4 Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/160sec

I've been going through some old images I never had time to work on, and I'm finding a few I really like.

Like this one, taken up in the mountains when the Sun was already setting behind the peaks of Picos de Europa National Park, in Asturias, Spain.

I really can't wait to visit the mountains this winter. Soon!

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Oak, Algarve, December 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6500, Sigma 16mm f/1.4
Settings: ISO 160, f/2, 1/60sec

I went on a little hike to get some fresh air and try to get the inspiration I've been lacking lately. I picked a nearby trail through the hills of the Algarve and grabbed my video camera.

It was a success. This one is my favorite of the few images I made there, but that was not the point. That little walk filled up my "inspiration tank" and I can already feel it (me writing this post today is proof of it).

See more images of Portugal.

Apartment Building, Monforte de Lemos, November 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6000, Holga Pinhole Lens
Settings: ISO 1600, 1/3 sec

This is my favorite image I've made with the Holga Pinhole Lens so far.

This is the view I get every morning when I'm in Spain and I'm checking for the morning weather. The same ugly building, every day.

A completely different view when looking through the pinhole.

See more images of Spain

Portugal, Week 1

Some images from last week, my first one in Southern Portugal.

Oyster Beds, Arcachon Bay, November 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6000 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 70mm, ISO 200, f/5.0, 30 seconds

This is, along with "Valley of the Saints", my favorite image from France.

I drove for more than three hours to make an image like this one, even though I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to. You see, these Oyster Beds are on a peninsula in the Arcachon Bay, a place I didn't know I'd be able to reach.

I only had one day in the area, so I had to try.

Not only was I able to get close to them, but I did it for hours. I thought that I'd have to leave once the tide got higher, but that only made the spot better and better for the kind of photography I was looking for.

I had a blast looking for compositions among these sticks, until I finally found it. I knew I had gotten what I was looking for as soon as I pressed the shutter, but I still spent some more time in the location just in case I ran into something even better.

That didn't happen, but it didn't matter. I was happy and couldn't wait to see the results of that long day.

It was worth it.

Vlog from Arcachon Bay || See more images of France

Tree, Huelgoat, Bretagne, October 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6500 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/200sec

This day I spent in Bretagne visiting the Valley of the Saints and Huelgoat was the highlight of my 2 weeks there, no doubt.

Huelgoat is a beautiful town and the forests around it are stunning. It was there where I found this tree, one of the few that had already lost almost all of their leaves.

It was a busy scene but I was lucky enough to find this clear. The other trees seemed to frame this one perfectly.

Vlog from Valley of the Saints || See more images from France

Valley of the Saints, Bretagne, October 2018

Camera and Lens: Sony a6500 + 16-70mm f/4 Carl Zeiss
Settings: 16mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/320sec

This is one of my favorite images from my recent trip to France, made in a place I didn't have big hopes for. This location, in the middle of the Bretagne, turned out to be a great spot for photography.

Vlog from Valley of the Saints || See more images from France

Monument to the fallen soldiers, Normandy, October 2018

The fog had taken over Normandy that day. After trying to make an image at Mount-Saint-Michel and failing, I decided to drive around and find other spots to photograph. When I passed by this cemetery I knew I had to stop and make some images there. This is the one I liked the most.

See more images of France