Indiana, January 2023.
Warehouse
in photographs
Today is Backup Day
in journal
There are two types of photographers: those who have lost some of their images, and those who will, eventually.
I'm in the former group, unfortunately.
Today is World Backup Day, the perfect time to make sure you are taking measures against possible failures that could lead to a loss of photographs.
At the very least, you want to have two copies of your data, in different physical locations. The more the better, but it usually comes at the cost of increased complexity. There are many different approaches to this problem; choose one that fits your workflow the best, and stick to it.
I personally have all of my photographs backed up in the cloud. I trust it enough, but not 100%. That's why I also have a local copy of all my photographs in a SSD drive that is kept up to date. And every once in a while, I'll make an extra copy of all the pictures I've rated 1 or more stars in a different hard drive.
No matter what you do, though, try to do something about it before something happens. We photographers spend a lot of time and money on this to have a hard drive failure ruining it all.
Not death
in photographs
Death Valley, California, November 2020.
I have a video-diary from my last visit to Death Valley, watch here part I and part II. I also have an older (and slightly embarrasing now) video from my visit in 2017. I was still shooting film back then!
I've been to Death Valley National Park several times and I can't wait to visit it again. What a beautiful place.
An image is a place
in journal
An idea from Lynda Barry's What it is that resonated with me. The image as a place you create; similar to the real one you photographed, but different. A place that used to live in your imagination, and is brought into existance through your camera.
10 practical photography tips and accessories
in journal
Ten things I do, practices I follow, and accessories I use on a regular basis.
Quiet place
in photographs
Chicago, December 2022.
From the video Photographing a blizzard in Chicago.
The Indiana Dunes, II
in photographs
Indiana, March 2023.
The Indiana Dunes, I
in photographs
Indiana, March 2023.
I missed this
in journal
It had been a while! I finally drove somewhere for photography, and it felt amazing. I got to spend a few hours at Lake Michigan, photographing the beautiful sand dunes of Indiana Dunes National Park.
Night walk
in photographs
Chicago, December 2022.
From the video Photographing a blizzard in Chicago.
Moon over Broken Top
in photographs
Oregon, August 2016.
I can't believe it's been almost seven years since I took this photo. One of those special places that ignited my passion for photography.
Window light
in photographs
Italy, November 2019.
Semiahmoo
in photographs
A beautiful morning in Washington. October 2020.
It's a small world
in photographs
New York, September 2019.
One image at a time
in journal
Creating a meaningful body of work takes time -- a lot of time. We need to be patient, believe in yourselves, and keep looking for images everywhere, everyday.
Remember that photography is a long term game, something we need to do as often as possible. Because even the tiniest contributions add up.
Mountain view
in photographs
Norway, October 2022.
Blizzard flying
in photographs
Chicago, December 2022.
From the video Photographing a blizzard in Chicago.
On the path
in photographs
Galicia, January 2019.
From my new book Memorias na neboa.
A dance of trees, VI
in photographs
Madeira, November 2021.
If it feels right, shoot it
in journal
I've been working on some old photos. I just got to the ones I made in the magical forest of Fanal, in Madeira. It's been more than a year and a half since then, and I still get goosebumps when I see those images show up on my laptop.
Even though going through so many photographs takes quite some time, I really appreciate the fact that I took that many. Take the ones above as an example: the same composition, captured several times with just slight variations.
While always important, this is even more relevant when there is an interplay between the subject and other elements, or when there are two or more subjects (like in these images, you could argue).
All of the photos above could've worked just fine, as they all captured what I saw there. Two stunning trees entangled in a beautiful dance. The small variations I captured here don't make that much of a difference and yet, I always find one or two that I like more the rest, for whatever reason.
That's why I find it so important to take multiple shots of the same composition, with tiny variations. It can be very hard to decide which one is the best one in the field, especially when the conditions are changing by the second (like they do in Fanal).
As I usually say, if it feels right, shoot it. Make the call later.