journal

Shooting a Roman Festival: Arde Lucus

in

From time to time, I enjoy documenting life with my camera. Like this last weekend in Lugo, Spain, during Arde Lucus, a festival that celebrates the Roman and Castro heritage of the city.

These are some of the photos I took that day.

My new YouTube photography channel... in Spanish

in

I have a new YouTube channel. It's about photography, of course. But this time, it's in Spanish.

Don't worry, my channel in english is not going anywhere, and it will remain the main one.

Why have I created this new channel? Well, you see, YouTube has plenty of photography channels in english. Hundreds, thousands. You can lift a rock and find a landscape photographer. The market is very saturated, and it feels like whatever you do, it has already been done (and better) by someone else.

The situation in Spanish isn't quite the same. Yes, there are a few of them, but there's plenty of room for some more. While I hesitated to talk about some of the more technical aspects of photography on my main YouTube channel because everyone had already done it, I think that can make a bigger difference in Spanish since there's not as much information out there.

I'm still not sure if the content in both channels is going to be similar (for example, I will use the trailer above for the other channel as well), or completely different, or... but I'll figure it out. I do enjoy making videos and this will let me experiment and learn much faster. It will make me a better filmmaker and storyteller.

Feel free to visit the channel and subscribe.

American Road Trip Journal #24: Hoover Dam and the ghost town of Two Guns, AZ

in

It's been a month since the latest episode of the American Road Trip! Way too long, so I decided to fix that today.

In the previous episode, we camped at Valley of Fire in Nevada. This time, we drive from there to Flagstaff, Arizona. On our way, we stop by the Hoover Dam. And the next day, also in this episode, I visit the ghost town of Two Guns, near Flagstaff.

You could say this episode is a filler. Necessary to tell the story of our road trip, but not the best video from a photography point of view. I hope you still enjoy it.

Landscape Photography at Cañones del Sil (Sil Canyon)

in

Finally, I was able to get out and drive somewhere to shoot some landscape photography. This time, I went to the nearby Sil Canyon, a beautiful place just 25 minutes away from where I live now (and where I grew up).

Carved by the Sil river, this canyon is short but very spectacular. Its other attraction is also its biggest flaw: it's full of wineries since the sides of the cliffs are very good for grapes. On one hand, you get amazing wine. On the other one, the canyon has been worked for hundreds of years and it doesn't look as wild as one could hope.

I managed to get one image for sunset, but I wasn't too crazy about it. The next morning, and even though I woke up late for sunrise, I was able to make an image I was happy with.

Shooting digital in Michigan City, Indiana

in

I made some of my favorite images of this past winter in Michigan City, Indiana. The black and white fits perfectly the wintery landscape, but I also saw the potential for some color once the weather improved a bit.

That's why it was the first place that came to my mind to try my two new lenses for the Sony a6500.

I decided to pull the trigger on these two to finally upgrade my digital kit (I'd been shooting with the very inexpensive kit lenses forever), rushed by our imminent move overseas. Everything is much more expensive here, as I explain in the video.

It was a nice morning at Lake Michigan, as I was able to make the three images I was hoping for. Not exactly what I had in mind (especially the one of the hut on the beach), but still time well spent outdoors.

The Badlands: Day 4 (and 5)

in

This is the last episode of the Badlands: day 4... and 5.

The cold and the snow had won this battle. I really couldn't hike anywhere without sinking in mud, nor could I try to make images at night (8F, -13C, was too cold for me), and the light very harsh during 99% of the day.

I was also tired after 5 nights in the back of the car, with no contact with other human beings.

So I dediced to call it a trip and leave a day early.

All in all, I had a lovely time in South Dakota and I'll be releasing the images soon.

The Badlands: Day 3

in

Day 3 was a very hard day in the Badlands.

It was very cold, with a high of 24 degrees F (-4C), and everything was covered in ice. The road was closed for most of the day so I decided to walk to the Badlands. Luckily for me, it opened just in time for sunset. I was limited to the viewpoints from the side of the road, but still had fun and enjoyed a beautiful place.

The Badlands: Day 2

in

My second full day in the Badlands was a very long one. Stuck in the car in the middle of a snowstorm that brought more than a foot of snow and winds of up to 60mph, I only had one chance to get out of the car and use my camera. But I think I made a couple of photos I'm proud of, probably the best ones of the trip as well.

The Badlands: Day 1

in

After all these years traveling all over the West, I feel a little bit sad now that my time in the US is coming to and end. I needed to say goodbye in a proper way.

A couple weeks ago, I decided to pack my things and drive all the way to the Badlands National Park, in western South Dakota. A drive of more than 1,000 miles that took me over 16 hours in two days.

In this first episode, I drive to the park and explore it, trying to get to know the landscape and the places I would be photographing the next days.

American Road Trip Journal #23: Valley Of Fire

in

After a month exploring California, it was time to move on and start heading east. On our drive from Lone Pine to Flagstaff, we decided to stop by the beautiful Valley Of Fire in Nevada where we spent a night.

I didn't take many film photos as I explain on the video, but rather just enjoyed the place and the experience of camping in the desert (just an hour away from Vegas, but it still feels like "the middle of nowhere").