journal
Shooting through glass is something I want to experiment more with. Embracing the glare, the reflections, the loss of clarity, the overlapping of two worlds.
So far, I've been using windows I find on my daily walks. But I'm seriously starting to consider carrying some kind of glass with me on my photography trips, to use as a sort of filter.
I'll keep you updated.
During my recent trip to Riaño, in the Picos de Europa mountains, I struggled quite a bit with a hike (to the top of Pico Gilbo) I thought I wanted to do.
I found myself making up plenty of excuses: too much haze, bad air quality, it seemed very steep, I had a long drive ahead of me, I wasn't going to make any good images...
In the end, I decided to start the hike and see how far I could go. I wasn't feeling it, and I kept coming up with excuses to head back several times during the hike. But one step at a time, one milestone after another, I made it to the top.
I am so glad I did because, as usual, every single excuse I had made up was just that: an excuse. All the struggle, along with the incredible views, made this one of the best hikes I've ever done.
But, one of the excuses turned out to be true. The one I knew, from experience, was most likely to happen: I didn't make good images during the hike.
Even though some of my best images were made in nature, hard hikes rarely deliver good photographs. At least for me.
I call this the diminishing returns of hiking.
Indeed, the further I go, the harder the hike, the more I push myself physically, the less likely it is that I'll come back with a good image.
We all have limited energy and time. The more you spend them on getting somewhere, the less you have left for your photography.
The more accessible a location is, the more we get to visit it and know it, which means better chances to be there at the right time. I tend to favor shorter hikes for this reason.
But of course, there are plenty of reasons to hike to places like Pico Gilbo beyond making a good image: those experiences can be awe-inspiring and spark something within us, as some of those hikes have done to me in the past. Sometimes it's best to forget about photography and enjoy the view.
When I plan a photography trip, I usually focus on either relatively close spots, or relatively far places. I tend to ignore everything in between, and man was it a big mistake.
One of those places in between, far enough from home but not too far either, is Riaño. Technically part of the Picos de Europa, but a bit farther south. A beautiful, stunning place, so breathtaking that I can't believe I hadn't visited it sooner.
In any case, I've fixed that mistake now. I spent a few days in the area, and what a time I had. Still low season, I had the whole place for myself. Weather was perfect, not too cold, cloudy, moody. And during the first two days, I even had "calima".
Calima is an atmospheric phenomenon in which dust and sand from the Sahara, in Africa, gets blown all the way here by powerful winds. This happens often in the Canary Islands, just off the African coast, and sometimes in souther Spain. But I had never seen it happening this far north, which was confirmed by the locals as well.
The result? An incredibly eerie and beautiful landscape, looking almost like fog, but not quite. Closer to the smoke of a wildfire, if I were to find something similar. And just like in a wildfire, breathing this stuff is not healthy at all. I had to wear a mask for the first two days of the trip, and I had to put off any hiking to the second half of my travels. Everything worked out perfectly, I took full advantage of the calima, and I got to hike to the top of Pico Gilbo, one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen.
A beautiful foggy morning spent with a camera in hand.
The only way to improve as photographers, and to build a collection of good images, is to do it... one click at a time.
Building a collection of images we love from scratch can feel overwhelming. Being constantly exposed to the work of thousands of photographers every day doesn't help.
The feeling of falling behind can materialize really quick. And before we know it, we give up.
This is a trap, and we must avoid falling into it.
Photography is a lifelong journey, it does take a lot of time and effort to build a portfolio of good images. It's not going to happen overnight. It won't be easy. But it's something we need to do everyday.
Quite literally, it happens one click at a time.
Remember: you are just one click away.
It might seem counterintuitive at first, but constraints can make us better focus on what's left.
I had the pleasure to talk to Mali Davies from Let's Create - The photography show. You can listen to the episode here.
Ribadeo, Galicia, February 2022.
From the video Photography at the coast: mistake and successes.
Three days of photography at the coast, with some successes, and plenty of mistakes.
The shadows play a very important role in my photography. By controlling them, I get to decide how much to reveal, and how much to hide. Instead of giving the viewer everything, I like my images to hint.
The small town of Aceredo has been underwater for more than 30 years, but it's resurfaced for a brief time due to a drought. Of course, I had to capture it with my camera.
Another beautiful foggy morning walking around town, POV edition.
Most of my work is black and white, square images.
Over the last few years, I've witnessed quite a few stunning and colorful sunrises, and found scenes that would have worked pretty well on a more traditional 3:2 aspect ratio.
And yet, I stick to monochrome and the square format.
Those are not the only restrictions I impose on my photography. Even though a bit fuzzier than the other two, I'm pretty selective with my subject matter and the conditions I like to shoot in.
All of this might sound pretty restrictive but it is, in fact, liberating. After some time doing photography, I know what I'm looking for and what I'm trying to create with my camera.
If I had to capture everything I found in my explorations in the most fitting way, rather than the way I see it, the experience would be overwhelming. By limiting some of my options, I can better find what I'm looking for.
The vast majority of my photography is in square format, and it's been this way for a few years now. In this video, I share many of things I've learned over time about the square format, as well as plenty of examples for every compositional technique.
I'm also releasing an e-book with all the information in this video, and much more! Additional compositions and many more examples.
My Patreons get the book for free. You can also purchase a copy of "How to make images in square format".
What does it mean to be a photographer? What do you photograph? And why do you do it? Those are the questions we should always be asking ourselves.
"You are not a photographer because you are interested in photography […] photography is only a tool, a vehicle, for expressing or transmitting a passion in something else. It’s not the end result.” - David Hurn, On Being a Photographer
Black and White photography gives us a new way to see the world. But because we life in color, the monochrome world can feel strange, and finding good images can be tricky. In this video, I offer some tips, things I look for when I'm in the field, and actions I take to make good Black and White images.
The Oregon Coast is absolutely stunning, no matter where you are. Heceta Head, where this image was made, is not an exception.
That morning, I was taking photos of the beautiful light against the rocks, when I saw a seagull flying by. I framed the photograph as fast as I could and clicked a few times. Luckily, one of them was perfect, with the seagull lit up by the light.
Remember: there are two sizes to choose from, 6x6 and 8x8 (inches). In both cases, the matt and frame are 12x12 (this means a bigger margin for the 6x6 print).
Shipping is free to the US now. International shipping is a flat rate of $19.95.
A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.
You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.
A field. One tree. The most simple scene. And yet, so many options. So many ways to make an image. Let's talk about them.
