Galicia, October 2021.
An image I would've never made if it wasn't for my bike. This church was too far to get to by foot, and the road was too rough to drive on - with my car, at least.
I loved the contrast between these "pillars": the natural ones and the human made one. It's these kind of human elements that I try to add into my work, I feel like they make for very interesting images.
Galicia, October 2021.
A plam tree on a foggy and cold morning. Far from its natural habitat, I wonder how it feels to be here.
Photography (and art, in general) is not a zero-sum game. The goal should never be to try to “steal” a slice of the pie from other photographers, but to help each other to make the pie bigger. The more people know about photography, the more joy they can find in art, the better for every creator out there.
That’s why we owe so much to the photographers that came before us, and to the photographers that are bringing more and more attention to this world nowadays.
Want to stand tall? Don’t wish everyone else were shorter, just take yourself to higher ground.
Galicia, October 2021. From the video "A bike and a camera".
I always wondered why scarecrow. Is it only to scare crows? In Spanish, these are called espantapájaros, or scarebird - because it's supposed to scare birds in general.
Anyway. This is an image I knew I had to make when I saw the scarecrow in the middle of a turnip field, on a foggy morning riding my bike. This is one of those images that I know will look terrific in print, and I can't wait to see it myself.
I've been having a lot of fun with my bike lately. My bike and my camera, that is: almost the perfect marriage. I got to go to places where I'd never go neither by foot nor by car, and as a result, I made some new images. I got sick, though, as the temperature drops like a billion degrees when you ride a bike in cold weather. Totally worth it.
I'm not entirely sure what function these serve, but they looked pretty good. Good enough for an image, I believe.
Galicia, October 2021.
Mobius Arch is the first image I add to the Image of the Month collection in a while. Actually, it is 1 of 8 new images to complete the collection for this year 2021.
I made this image on a cold morning at the Alabama Hills, a spot I had visited many times in the past. It is definitely one of the, if not the most beautiful single view I had seen in the US so far. Sunrises can be truly stunning there.
But this morning, there was no sunrise: the clouds obscured the view of the peaks of the Eastern Sierra. They also created a very nice atmosphere that I tried to capture here, using the Arch to frame some of the mountains in the background.
I knew this was going to be one of my favorite images from that place right away, and I believe now it is my best from there.
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.
Galicia, October 2021. Another image from the video "Back in the fog".
I love making images of powerlines, they are very strong subjects and they look amazing in some weather, like... you've guessed it, fog.
From my video "Back in the fog".
Back home, back to photographing the fog. I only had an hour before having to run some errands, but I was still able to sneak in some photography.
Two images I made on a day spent with family. Even in those walks, I can sneak in some photography if I have a camera with me. I only had one lens, though, so I used my phone to take the first one (the one on the left) using the ultra-wide lens.
Even though I don't believe smartphones are the future of photography, I do think they can be very useful and a great complement to any photographer with a standalone camera. This is a good example of that.
It was a rainy day, this one, so I'm not even sure if this waterfall flows regularly. I made this image from the town of Canfranc, in the Pyrenees, very close to the border with France.
Galicia, October 2021.
I made this image yesterday during my morning bike ride. As I kept going uphill, the fog started to make way for the clear sky. There's a magical spot where the Sun can create light beams through trees, and that's what I was looking for. I found it, and it was beautiful.
Galicia, October 2021.
I've made dozens of images of this tree, in every possible condition. I walk by it very often, almost every day, and I just love the way it looks. Some days, though, it looks especially good. This foggy morning was one of those times.
I love fog. Fog is very important for my photography, as it creates the atmosphere and the mystery I look for with my images.
As you can imagine, being able to predict (or at least have some degree of confidence) where and when fog happens can make a big difference. That’s why I always keep an eye on some key numbers that are a good indicator of possible mist.
I use an app called Clear Outside. It’s not a good one, it’s old and hasn’t been updated in years, but I love how simple it is. I can see everything I need in one quick glimpse, with no distractions.
What I look for is:
This is not an exact science, quite the opposite: predicting fog is really hard. But with the right numbers, and some knowledge about the location, you can have a rough idea of what to expect. And maybe have your camera bag ready to go, just in case.
Another image from my trip to the Pyrenees, this time an image made from France of a Spanish peak which name I don't remember. What I do remember, though, is the beautiful sight that early morning.
A long exposure of Lac Gentau with the beautiful Midi d'Ossau in the background. Yet another great view from the stunning hike to Lacs d'Ayous in the french Pyrenees.
Even though I got a few images from some majestic peaks on my hike to Lacs d'Ayous, this one of the baby horse with its mom has to be one of my favorites.
Besides the moment between the horse, this image is all about the light.
One of the most beautiful hikes I've done in the Pyrenees. The lakes reminded me a lot of the Enchantments in Washington State, another of my favorite hikes.
This is a moderate hike, a 9.5mile / 16kms loop with some 2,500 feet / 800m of elevation gain. Rocky terrain, it was also a bit slippery due to the rain of the day before.
Photography wise, there are plenty of opportunities. The hike starts through a dense forest with some very beautiful trees, and then opens up once the lakes start. You get incredible views of Midi d'Ossau, and there are other peaks as well.
As always in the mountains, it's all about the light. Conditions can change quickly, especially on partly cloudy days. If you find a composition you like, it might pay off to wait a little bit to see if the light improves.
The town of Sabiñánigo with the mountains of the Pyrenees in the background.
