The gift of the desert

Weather and chance lead me to Central Oregon, the next destination on my road trip across the American West. But this leg of the journey wasn't going to be as smooth as I was hoping for.

There, far away from everything and everyone, I fight the elements and an even more powerful enemy: my inner demons. I doubt myself, my photography, and even my purpose. An accident that resulted in a broken lens didn't make things any better; neither did a very cluttered mind after spending several days trapped inside the car.

The isolation of the desert was another unpleasant layer, but as the days went by, and with no other option but to embrace it, it became exactly the medicine I needed. It was the gift of the desert.

This is where I fell in love with Black and White photography

A trip back in time, to the place where I fell in love with Black and White photography. The location where I made the first monochrome images... intentionally monochrome, at least. And I haven't looked back since.

Snow, rain and fallen trees in the Redwoods

With no restrictions and no boundaries, with the open road ahead of me, I decide to chase conditions instead of choosing a location. This decision will take me north, and the first stop is the enchanted forests of the Redwoods.

Chasing bad weather at Yosemite National Park

I go to Yosemite National Park chasing bad weather and hoping for moody conditions. The first trip since I'm back in the US, the first trip with the new car and the new camping setup.

A chapter ends, another begins

This video is from a few days ago, but life has been really busy lately. A chapter has ended, a new one has begun.

One lens to see anew

After years of shooting in my hometown, it's hard for me to find new images. That's why I've decided to limit myself to shooting with just one lens for a few days. But not any lens, no. The least used lens in my camera bag, one that would prove to be quite the challenge in the narrow streets of town.

How to do fog photography

I forgot to share this video last week, as it went live while I was on a plane (new adventures coming soon!). Anyway, one all about fog photography, my favorite conditions to shoot in. Tips, how to compose, how to edit, camera gear and settgins, drones, and some words about safety.

I was not prepared for this

I thought I had everything I needed for this trip, but I soon realized I had made some mistakes. And one of them was to underestimate the weather I was to find up in the mountains.

Thank You for 2023

Another awesome year of adventures and photography.

This is the third in the "Thank You" series. Watch the 2021 and 2022 editions here.

My photography would not be the same without these

I visit As Catedrais beach, arguably the most beautiful beach in Galicia, to try out a new set of ND filters that the people at Kase were kind enough to send me after I destroyed mine back in Scotland. I am after an image I'd been wanting to make for a very long time, but never could. Until now.

Brutal conditions in Snowdonia National Park, Wales

In other circumstances, I would have waited for better weather. But this was my last chance to do some more photography in the UK before heading back to Spain, and I didn't have a lot of time to explore Snowdonia, so I had to venture in less than ideal weather. Extremely windy, and very, very rainy. A couple of very intense days that brought a couple of images I love.

Lake District National Park ~ Black and White Photography

This one took me a while to edit. I only had a few days in the Lake District, experienced some pretty intense rain and winds, and loved every minute of it. I also love the images I was able to make in the park. A long video, but worth a watch.

Glencoe, Scotland ~ Black and White photography

Glencoe was one of the most challenging locations on my trip across Scotland. The weather was pretty intense, with non-stop rain and strong winds. I also dropped my camera a few times, broke some adaptors and ND filters. But in the end, it was an incredible week I got to spend in this beautiful place.

A day of car life as a photographer in Scotland

Come with me on a typical day of my life in Scotland, living out of my car as a photographer. From the moment I wake up, to when I call it a day and go to sleep.

Assynt owed me this one ~ Black and White photography in Scotland

I go back to Assynt to do a hike I wasn't able to do last time I was there. And good thing I did, because it didn't disappoint. What a place.

Torridon, Scotland ~ Black and White Photography

Time to photograph beautiful Torridon, in Wester Ross, Scotland. I photograph some of the most beautiful spots, and I go on a hike and get a good view of a stunning landscape.

Who are we creating our art for?

In this video, I expand a little bit more on the post from a couple of days ago, Who are you creating for?.

By the way, this video is from my second channel, @aows.jpg, where I talk all things photography. One I created to keep my main channel cleaner, but you can read more about that here.

Who are you creating for?

Most watched videos on my YouTube Channel

From my experience, a photographer's audience is comprised of mainly two groups: people who enjoy their images; and other photographers.

The latter is a much larger group than the former, and that's why many photographers seem to be creating for others like them.

Take a look at the screenshot above showing the most watched videos on my YouTube channel: many more people want to hear about an 8-year-old camera that is not being made anymore, than to see what can be done with it.

Photography is such an accessible medium (everyone with a smartphone is a photographer!), that most people will come at it from the perspective of a photographer rather than a passive viewer.

Everyone wants to become a better photographer, the faster the better. That's why talking about camera gear sells, or why arguments over ISO values are a thing.

Some photographers have had so much success with this approach that they all but stopped taking pictures. They've become extremely knowledgeable about cameras and lenses, but they might have forgotten how to use them.

However, I'm not here to shame anyone --that expertise is extremely valuable, and we should consider ourselves lucky enough to have it available out there, mostly for free.

But I doubt this was what most of us had envisioned when we first picked up a camera. This is simply a reminder to everyone out there -including myself- to never forget why we started taking pictures in the first place, and who we are creating for.

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Sometimes, I'll rewatch some of my older videos. I love the work I did in the Great Salt Lake, or in the beautiful Lofoten Islands, among many others. But I have never, ever, rewatched any of my top 10 most viewed videos -- the ones focused on camera gear or the technical aspects of photography. And I think that speaks volumes.

Still, the reality of photography is what it is, and that's one of the reasons why I decided to create a second channel a few months ago. I haven't uploaded any video for a while there, but I'm about to start very soon. That is "content" aimed to photographers and nothing else. The main channel will become a sort of sacred place where I shall talk less and less about photography, and more about the why we create.

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Update: I expand on this a bit more in this video.

Isle of Skye, Scotland ~ Black and White photography

Come along as I explore the beautiful Isle of Skye, in NW Scotland.

Photographing the Isle of Harris, Scotland

The next destination on my road trip across Scotland is the beautiful Isle of Harris (and a bit of Lewis). A place that offers something different from the mainland: stunning sandy beaches. And its fair amount of mountains, bad weather, and midges too, of course.