Landscape photography in Somiedo Natural Park, Day 2

Second video of my landscape photography trip to Somiedo, in Asturias. This time, I went on a hike to the beautiful lakes of Saliencia.

Landscape photography in Somiedo Natural Park, Asturias: Day 1

First video of the two from my recent trip to Somiedo Natural Park, in Asturias.

Curves, Las Ubiñas - La Mesa Natural Park, Asturias, June 2018

The fog was intense during my time in Somiedo, Asturias. While it can ruin your photographs of big vistas, it can also give you incredible opportunities to find images and compositions that wouldn't exist otherwise.

While searching for compositions, sunset approaching quickly, I saw these two curvy hills that "touched" slightly. This whole scene didn't exist a few minutes before I saw it, since another mountain in the background didn't allow for the simplicity that I was able to capture when the fog appeared.

See more images of Asturias.

Fence, Las Ubiñas - La Mesa Natural Park, Asturias, June 2018

On my first day in Somiedo, I only had a couple of hours before the Sun set. It was a rainy day, and the fog started to roll in, covering all the mountains.

With the big vistas gone, I started looking for different type of scenes. I wish I had that fog down in the valley, where I would be able to find plenty of old stone houses, walls and other structures that would've looked incredibly good in that foggy weather.

But up there, I couldn't find much. This fence, up a slippery slope, caught my eye though. I took a few shots as I worked the composition, and this one is the one I liked the most at the end.

See more images of Asturias.

Landscape photography in Somiedo, Asturias

I just got back from one of my best landscape photography trips here in Spain so far. I visited the relatively close mountains of Somiedo, about 3 hours away from where I live.

After looking at some photos, I was expecting something beautiful. But I couldn't believe what I found so close to what had been home for so many years. It was paradise. So, so close I felt ashamed for not visiting it before.

But... I finally fixed it. I didn't spend much time there but I went on a hike to breathtaking lakes and drove a lot getting to know all the small towns around. And I'm already planning my next visit to this gorgeous area in Northern Spain.

Very soon, images and videos from this trip.

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Maria Pita, A Coruña, June 2018

A couple days ago, I had the chance to visit the city where I lived for 12+1 years: A Coruña, in NW Spain. I was in town to work on my upcoming exhibitions, but I still wanted to take advantage of the little spare time I'd have over there.

I visited a couple of iconic spots. The first one gave me this image of the statue of Maria Pita facing the City Hall. The long exposure created an effect that I like very much.

I can't wait to visit again and spend some more time photographing the numerous beautiful things the city has to offer.

See more images of Galicia.

My new YouTube photography channel... in Spanish

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

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.

Giant, O Courel, May 2018

More images from my recent trip to O Courel. I took this one from the side of the road, I had to stop the car when I saw this grand, towering mountain in front of me. The morning clouds only made the scene better.

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Vertical, O Courel, May 2018

Trees lining up a mountain. I made this image a couple of days ago during my visit to O Courel. The Sun was still rising behind it, and I loved the backlit incline, the contrast between the darkness and the light.

Landscape Photography at Cañones del Sil (Sil Canyon)

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.

Bus Stop, O Courel, May 2018

I had another fantastic time shooting around here yesterday. This time, I went to the nearby mountains, called "O Courel".

This isn't a wild place, since there are old houses and small towns everywhere, and of course paved and unpaved roads leading to them. And while this can make a bit harder to make a good image, some structures can look really good with the right weather conditions.

I found this bus stop on my way out. Broken, probably unused for years. In the middle of nowhere, on a very foggy and cloudy day.

See you soon, America. Hi, Portugal.

A short video of our trip from Newark, New Jersey, to Lisbon, Portugal. Also some footage from the portuguese coast where I had time to make a couple of images.

Foggy sunrise, Marroxo, May 2018

I finally got to get out and make some images, after 2 weeks of no photography, and it felt awesome! I was able to make a couple of images I like, so I'd say it was almost perfect.

This is the first image from Spain, definitely not the last one. I was planning on shooting sunrise, but the trip of the previous day took a toll on me and I couldn't wake up in time.

However, once I looked out the window I knew I had to get out and go somewhere, anywhere. The fog was pretty intense but it was going away quickly, and the Sun was still rising. Perfect for some dramatic imagery.

I drove to the nearest "mountain" (I quote it because it's not that tall, it's more a hill, but anyway) called Marroxo (literally "Red Sea") and I saw this line of trees with the Sun behind. It was hidden by the fog, but I knew I wasn't going to find a better location that morning and I took the chance.

I think I made the right decision. The fog cleared a little bit, but not completely, just to let the Sun do its magic. A layer of clouds was hiding the upper half of the star, I couldn't ask for anything better!

I used the Sony a6500 and the 70-200mm f/4 lens, handheld (I didn't have time to set up the tripod), to take this photo. Which is, by the way, a combination of 3 different exposures (scenes involving the Sun always have extreme dynamic range so I usually bracket them, if possible).

Shooting digital in Michigan City, Indiana

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.

Lighthouse, Michigan City, April 2018

I know. I've been lagging behind. Things have been a bit busy since we got to Spain due to paperwork and well, just life. But fear not, I'll be back next week with new videos and images.

For now, this one I made just before leaving the US, in Michigan City, Indiana. I drove there from Goshen for sunrise since I wanted to take a couple of shots before the light became too harsh.

The video about how I made this one, and the other two I took that morning, is coming soon, very soon.

The Badlands: Day 4 (and 5)

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.

Praia das Maçãs, Sintra, May 2018

This is the first image I made in Portugal. We stayed some days in Sintra trying to adjust after the long flight and also giving Luna a break after so much travelling.

This spot was a short walk (less than 5 minutes by foot) away from our apartment, so even though I wasn't planning on making an image this time, I felt compelled to unpack all my camera gear and tripod to head down there during sunset and shoot.

I used a 10-stop ND filter to make this image, I exposed it for almost 3 minutes.

At first, I wanted to exclude the little pool in the foreground, but I couldn't find a safe spot to do so. Since I had to have it in the foreground, I made it go all the way to the bottom right corner.

The light wasn't as good as I thought it would be, and the cliff is rather dark as a result. Still, I like the composition and the colors.

See more images of Portugal.

The Badlands: Day 3

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.