Norway, October 2022.
An audience of zero
Many photographers dismiss the idea of creating for an audience. “Create for yourself”, they say.
But even for those who despise the notion of creating with others in mind, there's a very special kind of audience we all should consider: our future self.
Time tends to add emotional distance between then and now. If the images we create fail to resonate with others today, they might also fail to resonate with us in the future.
This is why I believe we should reflect on our images from a more objective and detached point of view. So our audience of one doesn't end up becoming an audience of zero.
Before golfing
San Francisco, May 2024.
From the video Moving to California.
An eclipse and settling down in California
After years of living semi-nomadically, we've finally settled somewhere. For a little white, at least. It all started with a total solar eclipse...
Sunrise of the coyote
San Francisco, May 2024.
From the video Moving to California.
The tree upstairs
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
Dune, III
Colorado, March 2024.
From the video Ambient photography in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado.
Garden of Eden, III
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
The most harmful belief I had as a beginner photographer
I used to think that good photographers consistently take great photographs, and only rarely they make something subpar. Surely, their “keeper rate” was much better than mine.
This was one of the most harmful beliefs I held when I was taking my first steps in photography. Because when you don’t allow yourself to fail, you play it safe; and when you play it safe, there’s no growth.
Making a bad photograph is not the risk: the lack of experimentation and play is the real danger.
Dune, II
Colorado, March 2024.
From the video Ambient photography in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado.
Dune, I
Colorado, March 2024.
From the video Ambient photography in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado.
Garden of Eden, II
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
Shadows and dunes
Colorado, March 2024.
From the video Ambient photography in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado.
Ambient photography in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado
Last stop in my spring road trip across the American West: the breathtaking Great Sand Dunes National Park, in Colorado. I only had a full day there, but so many things to capture and enjoy. From the howling coyotes that woke me up in the middle of the night under a full moon, to the relentless wind and menacing thunderstorms, this place is always a challenge. Which makes the images you make there the more rewarding.
Walls of Utah
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
Garden of Eden, I
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
First glimpse of magic in my new home
How rude of me. I broke the news on my Patreon page but I totally forgot to announce it here.
Anyway, here it goes: after years of a semi-nomadic life, I finally find myself in a place I can call home. That place is San Francisco, where I expect to be for the next 1-2 years.
I’ve been doing tons of exploring in the last few weeks, most of it on foot. We chose the Outer Richmond neighborhood, and what a good call that was! I still can’t believe I’m just minutes away from so many incredible spots, all of them accessible without needing to drive.
But the weather hadn’t been the best. I was promised fog and chilly temperatures, and all I got for the first month was sun and warmth. Which is fine... but you know I love a little bit of weather when it comes to my photography.
So, even though I did make a few photographs here and there during the last few weeks, it was this past weekend when I was finally able to glimpse the magic this place has to offer.
On Friday morning, I woke up to foghorns for the first time. A very eerie sound coming from the Golden Gate bridge, aiding the travel of the many vessels that go under the red structure every day and night. And now, aiding me as well: they are the sound of the fog, the sound of something magical happening just outside of my apartment.
I made dozens of photos on Friday and Saturday, but there was one particular moment that will stick with me for a very long time.
This may be a very common occurrence here in San Francisco, but it’s not every day that I see a coyote casually walking through a golf course on a foggy and peaceful morning.
There is no way I’d be out there if it wasn’t for photography. Once more, the pursuit of making good images had put me in front of something that reminded me more of a dream than real life.
It was my first glimpse of magic since I moved here. I hope to get many more in the months (and maybe years) ahead, here in beautiful San Francisco.
Sky over Arches
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
Balanced Rock, I
Utah, March 2024.
From the video Arches like I had never seen it.
Arches National Park like I had never seen it
Less than ideal weather and some upcoming major changes in our lives led me to cut my road trip short and head back home, in the Midwest. However, the gods of photography had a very different idea in mind for me. A series of circumstances led me to Moab, Utah, where I found the best conditions (and images) of the whole trip so far.