journal

Every pixel counts

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It is tempting to believe that a good subject will make for a good photograph. That all what need is a beautiful tree, a grand vista, or a stunning mountain peak. In this video, I want to argue that this isn’t enough. That we need to pay attention to every inch, every pixel, of our image. Otherwise, we might end up with an image that doesn’t do justice to that amazing subject.

How to be original with your photography

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To be original, you have to stop trying to be original. Don't overthink it.

Sure, don’t chase trends, don’t go to popular locations just because they are popular. But don’t become a contrarian either, someone who avoids them just to be different, because those have also fallen in the trap. They are still comparing themselves to others, attaching a meaning to their work depending on what others do or don’t do.

We should care only about whether we are staying true to ourselves, photographing what means something to us, creating the images we enjoy looking at. If that means going to Yosemite, then so be it.

But don’t limit your photography to those trips, photograph every day no matter where you are and what you are doing, even if it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to photograph. There is, there always is.

Take advantage of that that makes you unique, and make images every single day. In the long term, that is what will make your work original, unique, and true to yourself.

The sky at grocery stores

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I couldn't help but to laugh hard at this meme, because it's so true.

The reason is simple: we go to the grocery store more often than we get out to photograph, probably after work and around sunset time. Thus, more chances for incredible conditions to happen.

Want amazing skies at scenic locations? Then, go there more often, get out.

And if you can't do that, walk to the grocery store and bring your camera with you. You never know what you are going to find.

You must delete the work you are most proud of

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"Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings” - Stephen King

As photographers, we need to know if our images make us feel the way we feel because of their composition, light, subject, atmosphere... or if it's our memories of making them that are responsible instead. Because if it's the latter, if it's the context only us have as the makers, as the ones who were there, then no one else is going to feel the same way towards those images.

Interview with "Cómete el Film" (spanish)

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A few weeks ago, I had a very nice conversation with the folks from Cómete el Film, and this is the result. One of the very few times I got to talk about my work in Spanish, so it was a very welcomed change.

Hace unas semanas, tuve una conversación muy interesante con los chicos de Cómete el Film, y este es el resultado. Una de las pocas veces que he hablado sobre mi trabajo en español, un cambio que agradecí bastante.

If I could use just one lens...

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...that'd be the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6.

I never had a super zoom lens before, and I had a lot of doubts about this one before getting it. And now I can't see myself with it. In many ways, it is the replacement of my now dead RX100VII.

I just love the range, image quality, and speed in that small package. It's also relatively affordable, especially for a full-frame lens.

Of course, it comes with some compromises, like strong vignetting (fixable in post for the most part), variable aperture (it goes down to f/3.2 by 32mm, and it reaches f/5.6 at 158mm) and, above all, it lacks stabilization - this could be a problem when shooting at long focal lengths. Personally, it wasn't a deal breaker for me.

Photography is not a competition

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Photography (and art, in general) is not a zero-sum game. The goal should never be to try to “steal” a slice of the pie from other photographers, but to help each other to make the pie bigger. The more people know about photography, the more joy they can find in art, the better for every creator out there.

That’s why we owe so much to the photographers that came before us, and to the photographers that are bringing more and more attention to this world nowadays.

Want to stand tall? Don’t wish everyone else were shorter, just take yourself to higher ground.

A bike and a camera

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I've been having a lot of fun with my bike lately. My bike and my camera, that is: almost the perfect marriage. I got to go to places where I'd never go neither by foot nor by car, and as a result, I made some new images. I got sick, though, as the temperature drops like a billion degrees when you ride a bike in cold weather. Totally worth it.