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The Road in Focus
This weekend was mostly spent driving, though, in truth, I didn’t go very far. The amount of time I spent in the car could’ve taken me all the way to the other end of the Iberian Peninsula, but instead, I only explored a portion of Asturias. I left home at ten in the morning on Saturday and didn’t return until midnight. Of course, I wasn’t driving the entire time, I made plenty of stops, though most were brief. I doubt I spent more than two or three hours off the road altogether. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time…
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Sunsets in Black and White
I’ll be honest: I used to be completely addicted to the golden hour. The vast majority of my photos were taken during that narrow window of time. Sometimes the setting sun was the star of the show, with warm-colored skies dominating the image. Other times, that light served as a key resource, enhancing scenes with those tones that make everything look just a bit more beautiful. That’s why, when I switched to black-and-white photography, the transition was more drastic than I had anticipated. Removing color from the photographic equation meant one of my most important tools suddenly vanished. I felt…
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Defying Gravity
Everyone I know seems to like storks. They’re one of those birds that people naturally find endearing. I suppose the idea that they bring babies into the world helps their reputation quite a bit. The truth is, we don’t have any in my village, so many years went by before I saw one for the first time. When you come across their massive nests, it’s hard not to be fascinated, they’re magnificent structures, often built in the most unlikely places. Is there anything more challenging than stacking twigs and straw on top of a narrow pole? Probably not, but for…
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Appropriation or Contribution?
Whenever I come across a mural, a piece of graffiti, or a striking illustration on a wall, I often wonder whether it’s fair, or even ethical, to use someone else’s work to enhance the appeal of the photograph I’m about to take. After all, the person who created it did so with the intention of showcasing their talent, their message, or their art to as many people as possible, and the photographer can serve as a channel to amplify that reach and present the work to a broader audience. But despite this potential symbiosis between street artist and photographer, I…
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The Photographic Process
Our minds like to simplify, categorize, label, compartmentalize knowledge, and draw neat conclusions. It’s a useful trait: it allows our limited cognitive resources to tackle highly complex problems successfully. But it comes at a cost, we reduce the complexity of the world around us to its simplest form. That’s why, when we think of certain concepts, our minds default to their most basic representations. If someone mentions painting, we think of a framed canvas. If they mention music, we imagine a song. Literature? Perhaps the last book we read. Architecture? Likely a sleek, modern building with clean lines. The same…
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Time Travel
Black and white photography is often instinctively associated with a sense of the past. Of course, that association doesn’t necessarily reflect reality, most black and white images taken today capture themes and subjects rooted firmly in the present. And yet, even when portraying contemporary contexts, monochromatic photography tends to evoke a certain nostalgia. That doesn’t mean today’s black and white photos look, feel, or behave like old ones. In fact, they often differ significantly, especially digital images, which capture far more detail and realism. It’s relatively easy to distinguish photos from different eras, even when the differences aren’t immediately obvious.…
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Photographic Limit
Some places are so utterly spectacular that no photograph can truly capture the full grandeur of the scene. The “A Toxa” waterfall is a perfect example. It’s considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Galicia, and its scale is impressive, 60 meters tall, with a single drop measuring over 30 meters. The first time I visited was many years ago with a good friend. I remembered that to reach it, we had to walk a short distance, and I was struck by how tall it was. We went in summer, and the scene was very different, there were people…
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Mountaineering
I have to admit, I really enjoy driving through the mountains. My car probably doesn’t feel the same way, since mountain roads tend to be narrow, full of potholes, and in poor condition. They also come with endless curves, and you can’t drive very fast, but that’s part of the charm. Despite the rough conditions, mountain driving usually doesn’t involve any added danger, since you’re moving slowly and there’s hardly any traffic. Beyond the peace and quiet, the solitude, and the wonderful sense of isolation, one of the mountain’s greatest appeals is its ability to surprise you. Because the terrain…
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Sunday Encounter
I’m not a particularly religious person, in fact, I’d say I’m non-practicing. I could certainly voice a number of criticisms about the institution of the Church, as with any powerful institution, since it has often misused that power. But I prefer to focus on the good, especially because it brings back fond memories from my childhood. My parents were always religious, especially my mother. Going to mass on Sundays was just a given, something we never questioned. All my friends went too, and it became our regular meeting point. I have to admit we didn’t behave particularly well, we talked…
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Anxiety
The experience of grabbing your camera, jumping in the car, and setting off through places you’ve never been, or places you’ve been but never truly explored, is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It connects you to the world in such an intense, focused way that few other activities can compare. The satisfaction it brings is so deep that it can even feel addictive. On weekends like this one, when the weather turns bad and I’m stuck indoors, I feel as though something essential has been taken away from me. But not all feelings that come with…
