journal

A mild and moody summer

in

Southern Europe has had a terrible summer so far. Thankfully, here in Galicia things have been very mild. Better than usual weather for photography meant I was spending less time doing what I usually do in the summertime (catching up on work, old projects...) and more out doing what I love: discovering the world through my camera.

Where to stand: Ansel Adams' wisdom

in

It's all about location, location, location!

Ansel Adams said it a long time ago: "A good photograph is knowing where to stand". Of course, there are many other things to making a good photograph, but where to place our camera is arguable one of the most important ones.

In this video, I talk about this as I share a very good example of this.

You have to master your camera

in

Photography is all about timing: being at the right place at the right time. But that's not enough. We need to be ready, we need to be prepared. There's nothing worse than investing vast amounts of time and money to put ourselves in front of magical conditions if we are going to waste it because we don't know where that function is in our camera, if we press the wrong button, or we hesitate about which dial does what.

When we are in the field, it's all about the what (what are we capturing?) and the why. The how is important, but it's something that needs to be trained when the stakes are low. So when things finally come together, the camera disappears and all that remains is the composition in front of us.

Note: this video is one of the first I've uploaded to my second channel, aows.jpg. Subscribe if you want to see more like this one. I tell you everything about this new channel and what that means here.

Wildfires: beast and beauty

in

Wildfires are hell. Not only because of the destruction they bring to the wildlife and humans living around it, but also because of the effect of the smoke they produce that can reach lands thousands of miles away.

I've experienced this a few times while living in Portland. Once, we left a window cracked during a smoky day, and came back a few hours later to an apartment covered in ash.

And yet, the apocalyptic and eerie scenes the smoke creates can make for incredible photographs. We've all seen images from New York City this week, affected by the smoke from wildfires happening in Canada. So horrible, yet so incredibly beautiful.

Similarly to fog, the smoke hides whatever is far away from you, while revealing in great detail the objects closer to you. It does have a distinct feel, though: it pollutes the whole landscape. Plus, these conditions happen at times when fog does not usually happen: there's nothing more dramatic than the Sun coming through a thick layer of smoke.

These two images are examples of some work I did in very smoky conditions. The first one was made in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, back in 2017, when wildfires in Alberta covered the whole PNW with smoke. The second image was made last year in Riaño, Spain, during a day with very strong calima (sand that is blown away from the Sahara desert, not from wildfires but the exact same effect).

Be cautious if you decide to adventure in these conditions, though: the danger to one's health can't be understated. Wear a good mask, and don't spend too much time outdoors anyway.

Alive by photography

in
 
 

Photographers may or may not make a living by photography, but they are alive by it ~ Robert Adams

The spring is a very challenging time for me. Foggy, rainy and cold days are mostly gone, as hot and sunny weather takes over. But even worse than that are my allergies.

Going out to take some photos becomes an exercise in overcoming the discomfort, pushing through the misery at times.

Thankfully, I started taking an allergy pill that seems to be working. It's not perfect, but it makes being out bearable. So I've been taking more pictures lately and the change in my mood has been nothing short of amazing.

I went from feeling a bit sluggish, tired, to feeling more alive and optimistic. And I didn't have to go anywhere to feel that way! Just walking the very same roads, streets and paths I walk everyday. That's the power of the camera.

Just another reminder (in case I needed one!) that this is what photography... daily photography, does to us.