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My Dear Friends, the Donkeys
Photographing animals is no easy task, even when they’re domesticated. Most tend to flee, or at the very least, show little interest in cooperating. When I try to photograph a horse, more often than not it bolts, or starts protesting with gestures and snorts that range from wary to outright hostile. With a few honorable exceptions, most of my attempts to capture horses have ended in complete failure. With sheep, it’s more or less the same. True, they’re not as hostile, and some will even stare at you with curiosity for a moment, but their patience is limited. If you…
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Civic Abandonment
My relationship with abandoned buildings is a bit complicated. On one hand, they fascinate me, they’re pure history, full of stories, and they always manage to surprise me in some way. Beyond that, they’ve given me some of the best photographs I’ve ever taken. They’re treasures I come across from time to time on my travels, and they never fail to brighten my day. I never get tired of photographing them. On the other hand, the fact that a building is abandoned doesn’t necessarily mean it’s common property, a public space, or a free-for-all playground where we can do as…
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Photography and Love
Photography, in a way, is like love, it appears when you least expect it. Of course, you have to do your part; great photos don’t come knocking at your door! You have to get out there, stay open, be receptive to the opportunities that arise, and believe in them. Sometimes, just when you’ve decided to call it a day and are putting your camera away, something unexpected catches your attention. And in that moment, even if it’s late and the light is far from ideal, you decide to give it a shot and see what comes out of it. Maybe…
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Putting Doors on the Sea
We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t fence in the countryside.” Well, in San Juan de la Arena, there could easily be a local twist: “You can’t put a door on the sea.” I have to admit, the town itself didn’t strike me as particularly appealing. It felt very focused on the beach, one of those tourist spots that bursts to life in summer and empties out in winter. That might not be entirely fair, but it was the impression I got as I wandered through its streets. A bit disappointed, I turned to Google Maps to see if there…
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Between Peaks and Mountains
During the Easter holidays, I took the opportunity to go on a road trip through northern Spain. The original idea was to follow the coast all the way to Canfranc, a destination I decided on along the way, but in the end, I made a slight change to the route in order to circle around the Picos de Europa. Although I had visited Covadonga and the Cares Trail many years ago, I had never taken that route before, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I spent nearly the entire day driving along the N-625 and N-621. As you’d expect,…
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Different Times, Different Aesthetic
Some buildings or homes are wonderfully functional, efficient, practical, cozy, and even aesthetically pleasing, but they lack personality, style, and in the end, they feel bland or at least irrelevant, because they simply serve their purpose. Like a good washing machine or refrigerator: they do their job well, but they don’t stand out in any other way. What I’m about to say might sound like a bit of a grandpa sermon, but hey, I’ve reached the age where stepping into that role feels somewhat natural. So I’ll allow myself the liberty and hope no one takes offense. Here it is:…
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On the Road
I haven’t edited photos or written any of my stories for several days, but for the best possible reason: I’ve been traveling through northern Spain and simply didn’t have time. Today I’m feeling quite tired, but also deeply satisfied with everything I’ve seen and all the photographs I’ve taken. It was a proper road trip, with minimal stops in cities and a clear focus on landscapes, hidden gems, and peculiar places that made me burn through film as if it were being given away. Of course, I did take some city photos too, especially in Bilbao, which is an absolute…
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The Weight of Inspiration
On Sunday afternoon, I left the house intending to take a short drive and snap three or four photos to finish the roll I had in my camera. It was meant to be something relaxed and casual, just the kind of plan that suits a Sunday afternoon. I headed to Viveiro to go up through A Gañidoira and complete the loop by returning through As Pontes de García Rodríguez. It’s a route I’ve taken many times before. Once I reached the top of the mountain, I took a detour down a path that led to a series of wind turbines.…
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Passion for the Railway
When a “normal” person arrives in a town, or a city, or some place of interest, they typically head for one of its most iconic landmarks, or find a charming plaza to sit down and enjoy a coffee, or perhaps look for a show to attend. If they’re culturally inclined, they might even seek out a museum. But those of us who are a bit… quirky, let’s say, when we arrive in a town, the first thing we do is check whether it has a train station. And of course, we immediately reach for the camera and start taking photos.…
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The Abandoned Galicia
When you travel through Galicia with a careful eye, searching for peculiar places, unique elements that tell a story, or charming corners that captivate you with their atmosphere, you begin to realize just how widespread abandonment has become, especially in rural areas. Every few meters, it’s easy to come across a ruined house, a forgotten place that was once thriving, or a village emptied of its people, now holding a respectful silence for those who are no longer there. A significant part of Galicia is fading away, disappearing, or transforming, becoming a fossil-like remnant of the past, silently offering a…
