The blessing of the beginner

If you are just starting out your artistic journey, you are blessed with freedom. You can choose to do whatever you want. You get to build your skills, your style, and your portfolio along with your audience.

A body of work needs some consistency over time, for both the artist and the audience's sake. A singer builds an audience because they stay loyal to a genre and style.

All artists should evolve. But when you've established an audience, change is hard. When a band releases a new album that doesn't sound like them, fans complain. It doesn't matter if it's good or not, what matters is that it wasn't what they were expecting.

Take advantage of your current freedom, don't be afraid of experimenting and sharing the results. Eventually, you'll settle on a style that clicks with you and an audience.

POV Photography around Lake Wawasee, Indiana

A beautiful morning walking and making images around Lake Wawasee, Indiana.

How I edit my Black and White images in Adobe Lightroom CC

In this video, I edit one of my black and white image as I guide through some of the most important tools I use on a daily basis.

How to make time for photography

One of the recurring themes in the messages I get from other photographers is about their struggle to find time for photography on a daily basis.

Today, we are so busy all the time! It's the busyness era. If you aren't doing something, you are falling behind. It's all about the hustle, right?

This is an issue I'm deeply interested in. Recently, I read the book related to this topic, Make Time, and in this video I share some of the key points from the book, along with some of my own, all applied to photography.

We'll see why we are so busy, why we need to make time for photography, the highlight of the day, and several tips to make time for photography.

When is an image worth risking your life?

A big storm was approaching really quick from the West. They were talking about winds up to 100mph and heavy rain -clearly a time to stay indoors, but nothing to worry about. Then, our phones started to go crazy with a sound I hadn't heard in years, and for very different reasons. Back then, it was an Amber alert. This time, though, it was a tornado warning, the first one I'd ever seen.

As we rushed to gather a few things -cameras included, of course- and went down to the crawl space, I thought about how cool it'd be to make an image of a tornado. Should I shelter or should I just wait at the window, ready to capture whatever might happen in the next few minutes?

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After a few seconds of doubt, I decided to join the others. We sheltered for 15 minutes until the alert expired. An EF-1 tornado touched down some 10 miles away. A funnel cloud did a bit of damage in our local area as it took down a few trees on nearby power lines - we lost power for 24 hours and, as of the time of writing this, almost 5 days later, we still haven't gotten Internet back.

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I'm glad I decided to shelter and not chase the possible tornado. This is one of those cases where an image is not worth risking your life. Capturing that photo would have made no difference.

I can think of just a handful of situations where it'd be worth it, though - scenarios where I'd put myself at risk to take the photo. After all, images have the potential to change the world, if the moment is powerful enough. From the photos of Tiananmen square to the video of George Floyd's death, visual records can spark a revolution and change -or even save- the lives of many.

When it comes to art, though, it's never worth it. It's not only about you - putting yourself at risk might put someone else in danger as well, like a rescue team trying to get to you. Think twice about the possible consequences of making that image.

I've left plenty of images behind because it felt unsafe. Maybe I had to get too close to a cliff, the terrain wasn't stable, it was too windy, or icy, or just too hard to get to. I regret none of those, because more important than getting that one image is to be able to come back tomorrow and get another one.

Please be safe out there, and happy shooting!

Photography is messsy

Perfection is just a distraction, yet another excuse to not do something. I tell myself this sunrise isn't good enough anyway, it's not foggy, it isn't even cloudy. All I want is to watch a few more reviews so I can choose a new lens and camera.

Photography is messy and chaotic, and that's the fun part of it. We need to embrace the uncertainity, make it part of our daily lives and create every day.

How I come up with new ideas

I love the default Notes app on iOS - because it synchronizes across all my devices, it's like having a notebook always with me.

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One of the ways I use the Notes app is to capture all my thoughts and ideas, in whatever form they might happen. Every day, I create a new note and I start filling it with everything the day might bring: from a rough schedule of how I expect the day to go, to notes from books and articles I read, or podcasts I listen to, including images of stuff I find interesting, inspiring quotes, audio recordings of ideas that come to mind, and in general, anything that goes through my mind that might be useful or inspiring in the future.

Every once in a while, usually on the weekend, I'll go through my notes and pick the most interesting parts. This is how I come up with ideas for my videos / blog posts, places I want to photograph, and how I learn (some of the things I write down are good starting points to research more about the topic).

Allow yourself to take bad photos

Inspiration comes from action, so start taking photos. Allow yourself to make bad photographs, do it for the sake of it, with no purpose in mind. Art is more about play and less about thinking.

Best note taking app: the Notes app

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There's always a new app that promises to make you more productive. When it comes to note taking and writing in general, I think I've tried dozens of them over the years. No more, I'm done wasting time.

My favorite app, by far, is the default Notes app on iOS / Mac OS. It's basic, and I love that. It does what's supposed to do, and no more. It synchronizes across all my devices, so I can script a video on my computer, draw something in that same note on my iPad, and add new ideas from my phone during my walks.

It's also free.

Productivity isn't about finding a new app / trick / life hack. It's about using what we already have, right in front of us.

Image of the Month is back: 3 new images!

I haven't released a new Image of the Month image in months, due to the coronavirus and the release of my book Becoming an American. So I decided to release 3 of them at the same time.

The first one is Moon, an image I made during the lockdown that kept us stuck at home for months. The sky became one of my favorite things to look at, especially the night sky. And there it was, of course, the Moon.

The Room is an image made back in 2019, during our first night in Chicago after a while in the countryside. It always shocks me how much light there is when the night comes. Even from our hotel room.

The last image is Couple. Made just before the pandemic hit, I had no idea I would spend the next few months observing these two storks who had settled in on top of a pole the previous summer. They are a young couple, and I witnessed their return from faraway lands to what they must call home, how hard they worked for weeks, and how they raised their first baby stork. I hope to see them again next year.

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two sizes

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 included

Shipping is free to the US. International shipping is a flat rate of $14.95.

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artist contract

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.

want to know more?

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.

These three images are available for purchase here.

Photography is a long term game

Create everyday, no matter how small, and your portfolio will end up being impressive.

Be consistent, stay healthy, and put the effort.

Results to our hard work are often delayed; in photography, they can be delayed years in the future. But they will come.

Keep shooting.

Push your limits further away

A couple of years ago, the furthest I was able to run was around a hundred feet. On a good day, I might have been able to do a couple of push ups. A 5-mile hike felt like a huge achievement, deserving of a few beers and a week of rest.

Back then, those were my limits - I had never pushed my body to go beyond them. I thought running, push ups and long hikes were for somebody else, athletes, people who had had better luck than me in the DNA lottery. Nothing I could about it.

Thankfully, at some point I realized there was a lot I could do. I was never going to make it to the Olympics, but I wanted to see how far I'd be able to go.

Today, I know I can run 10 miles without much problem (I expect to run my first half-marathon this week). I know I can do 100 push ups every day... because I do them. After the Camino, I also know I can hike for 25 miles a day for a whole week.

Nothing impressive, but I'm very proud of my progression in the last couple of years. I'm in a much better shape now at 38 than when I was 20 - and I can't wait to see how much further I can go from here.

They say we are stronger than we think - we are. But we can get even stronger. Limits aren't fixed, they can be pushed further away, wherever you might be right now.

This can be applied to almost everything in our lives. There are so many limits we haven't tested yet - they can be pushed as well. This is how we grow.

Love your library

I love reading physical books.

Most of them, though, only serve their purpose for a few days. Once I'm done with them, they become both a waste and a burden (my semi-nomadic life means I can't bring them with me). Reselling or donating them is the only option -if you can find anyone who wants them, that is.

This is why the vast majority of books I read are electronic: there's no waste and bringing them along is not an issue. But I miss the paper...

Libraries are the answer to this problem. In general, libraries here in the US work so much better than the ones I've used in Spain. Even though you might have to wait a few days (or even a few weeks if the book is popular), you get access to a huge catalog of physical and electronic books, plus a big collection of audiobooks.

One of the first things I did once my quarantine was over was to visit my local library and renew my membership. I also grabbed a few books, of course. And I have a few more on hold that should be on my way from other branches all over Indiana.

This way, I get to read and enjoy the paper version of the book, and return it for someone else's enjoyment. There's no waste, and no need for more storage.

If I like the book, I can buy the electronic version to keep as reference / for future readings.

I love the library.

Our experience traveling back to the US during a pandemic

We are back in the US. This was our experience traveling during a pandemic.

Back in the US: old plans, new plans

I had big plans for 2020. Like everyone, I suppose.

As fate would have it, we were supposed to leave for Ireland the same day the lockdown happened in Spain. That trip to Iceland and the UK got cancelled, as did the trips to the Alps and all the hiking I was planning on doing in the American West.

Life goes on, though, and after spending months of lockdowns and big restrictions in Spain, it was time for us to come back to the US. Officially, we live here, so we had to. Also, we hadn't seen our family here in months. Airports opened again and we were able to book a flight - who knows how long this window will remain open, if things get worse it might have been our only chance to come back.

Traveling felt weird, very weird. Our first flight was packed, and being around so many people for the first time in months was an experience. Seeing Heathrow so empty was chilling. But boarding a big Boeing 787 on an intercontinental flight with just other 20 passengers was something else.

Anyway, we are back.

Planning the rest of the year is challenging. We will stick to the US and there will be no flying involved. We are looking for a used car that we can take on a trip to the West in a few weeks. I'm hoping to be back in Oregon / Washington for a couple months during hiking season, then down to Southern California / Arizona in the fall, and back to the Midwest by late fall or early winter. I do look forward to photographing the snow and frozen lakes.

All of this can change overnight if the pandemic goes out of control again and states start to restrict movement. That's why I will need to be even more flexible this time around and plan only a few weeks ahead of time.

I'm excited, though. I miss my family, the dogs and farm life, of course, but I can't wait to hit the road again.

How to use aspect ratios to create better compositions

7 Photography Lessons in 1 Day

What a beautiful day of photography at the coast! It was so packed and productive that I learned 7 lessons I want to share with you.

Photography as meditation

Many times, while I photograph, I lose track of time. I forget where I am. I don't even realize until later how cold it was, or how wet my clothes were from the rain.

It's when this happens that photography feels like meditation. It's not a mystical experience -rather, it's about being fully aware of your surroundings and focusing on the present moment. Forgetting about what time it is, which day of the week it is, why you are even there. You feel at peace.

“The greatest events are not our noisiest but our stillest hours” - Friedrich Nietzsche

In meditation, the breath is the anchor to the present moment. In photography, it's composing an image. For a few moments, nothing else matters - I hold my breath, I'm alone, I can feel what I'm doing, I can see the image.

Photography done this way encourages mindfulness, you can find a quiet state of mind by surrendering to the process. Through patience, photography compels you to see, not just look.

And it's then, when we see, that magic can happen.

Foggy morning in the woods

A chilly and foggy morning spent in the woods. I love having this weather in mid-June!