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Wind in Galicia
The climate in Galicia, and in northern Spain in general, can be tough, much tougher than in the rest of the country. I’m not talking about temperature extremes; central Spain certainly has more of those. What I mean are the atmospheric conditions: rain, wind, storms, cyclogenesis… Here, we’ve got wind and rain in every variety you can imagine. And if, like me, you were born on the coast, all of that intensifies. I spent my early years in the village of Bares, which is absolutely beautiful when the weather is kind, but more often than not, you get wind, rain,…
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An Extra Photograph
Whenever I go out to take photos, I always carry just one camera, either the Leica M6 or the Leica MP, with a roll of Ilford FP4+ pushed to ISO 200, which I find to be the perfect balance between image quality and that distinct analog character. If I were shooting digital, that setup would be the most logical, rarely does anyone need more than one body. But with film photography, things change quite a bit. Using two different film stocks, one in each camera, can offer greater flexibility when adapting to various conditions. I could, for example, load one…
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Snow in the Distance
Last weekend I went on a road trip through Asturias. As usual, I didn’t have a particular destination in mind, so I let improvisation and a spirit of adventure guide me. This time I decided to follow the coastal route, crossing into Asturias via the Puente de Los Santos bridge in Ribadeo. Even though I usually avoid highways as much as possible, I traveled quite a few kilometers along one before finally turning onto secondary roads. I’d recently visited this coastal area, so I wanted to explore more of the inland territory this time around. Shortly after passing Luarca, I…
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An Iconic Place
This time I’m sharing a photograph that is especially meaningful to me, as I grew up in this very place and my roots run deep here. Don’t expect any objectivity, I’m completely in love with this unique corner of Galicia and will defend it unconditionally. Of course, I’ll only say good things about it, and if someone disagrees, it’s either because they don’t know it well… or maybe they do, but I’m certainly not going to admit they’re right. The place in question is Estaca de Bares, the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. In recent years, it has become…
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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.…
