Creating space and time for bigger projects

February 26, 2020 in journal

I've been working on a couple of books that I hope to release very soon. I started working on one of them years ago, but never found the time required to finish it and it's been a side project since then.

I realized I wasn't going to finish it ever unless I created some space and time for it. This means I had to cut down on other parts of my work, my YouTube channel to be specific. I haven't uploaded any videos for over a week now, but don't worry, there will more as soon as I'm done with these two bigger projects.

What your camera says about you as a photographer

February 25, 2020 in journal

We've talked about how talent and skills are not enough to make a photographer stand out above the crowds nowadays. While I believe patience and persistence are the best way to deal with this, there are other ways a photographer might try to be different -sometimes even unconsciously.

An obvious one is camera gear. Indeed, today a photographer's camera is not so much about image quality but about signaling who you are as a photographer. These are some examples; they are generalizations and they won't fit everyone, but they might sound familiar to you. I definitely can see myself in 2 of these.

Photography is not a meritocracy

February 24, 2020 in journal

I just started reading Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger, a very interesting read so far that has made me think about how our own behavior is shaped by the influence of others, and how some of those ideas might apply to photography.

See through the fog: how to find contrast in foggy conditions

February 20, 2020 in journal

Fog can be deceptive. As it happens with other weather phenomenons, the way our eyes and mind perceive a foggy landscape is different from what the camera will capture.

One of the reasons is that contrast can be tricky to find in fog. As we know, contrast is really important in black and white photography, so we need to know how to create it in foggy conditions.

Photography as meditation

February 18, 2020 in journal

I walk a lot. Perhaps I got tired of driving after my last road trip through Europe; perhaps the Camino got me hooked. Whatever the reason, I am obsessed with walking.

Of course, I always carry a camera with me. Sometimes, I'll listen to music or to a podcast. Most of the time, though, I'll just take in whatever is around -be it birds chirping or a loud highway.

Almost all the photography I've done during these past 2 months has been done on these walks, I barely used the car. This is a big shift from the way I used to do photography, not too long ago. I've found joy in just walking around with a compact camera and capturing whatever I see, wherever I happen to be.

In fact, photography while walking has become a meditation of sorts for me. During those walks, I don't think about anything, I don't reach for my phone, I don't worry about the images I'm making. I feel present and in the moment, seeing what's around me, and capturing whatever feels right. Only time will tell if the images are any good, but I've been enjoying these walks so much that it doesn't really matter.

Don't worry, though, in just a few weeks I'll be hitting the road again, on a trip that will take me to 3 islands. Stay tuned!

For now, some images I made this morning:

Keep raising the bar

February 17, 2020 in journal

Yesterday, I ran my fastest 10k to date: 45 minutes and 50 seconds, a whole 20 minutes faster than my first 10,000 meters just 6 months ago.

My time isn't impressive by any means, but I was very proud of myself. It was similar to when I ran my first 5k in 32 minutes (current best time is 21 minutes), I could barely catch my breath but the feeling of accomplishment made it so worth it.

It was indeed a big achievement for me: before that, just the thought of running to catch a bus would make me exhausted, and yet here I was running non-stop for half an hour. I achieved my goal and I lost interest for months. I only resumed my running career because I wanted to shave some pounds off.

This time, though, I kept raising the bar as I achieved my goals. I beat my 5k time, then I ran my first 10k, then I did it faster. Setting new goals and challenging myself pushed me beyond what I thought it was possible for me. I almost enjoy running now.

45:50 might be close to my physical limit, and I'm only getting older by the day. Still, I wonder how much faster and how much further I can go. So I just did what I've been doing, I raised the bar once again: my goals for this year are to run a 5k under 20 minutes, a 10k in 40, and to run my first marathon.

Having goals gives me the sense of direction I need. I do the same with my photography and my lifestyle. Raising the bar once we achieve them is as important, if not more, than the goals themselves.

Editing 5 black and white images in Lightroom CC

February 17, 2020 in journal

Best 5 accessories for RX100 cameras

February 16, 2020 in journal

You know how much I love my small RX100 cameras. I always carry one with me no matter what I'm doing, and that has led me to making some images I would've never made otherwise, including the current image of the month, "Golden Gate".

I love that these cameras are complete systems out of the box: no lenses to buy! There are some accessories, though, that I think are very useful and make these little devices even better image making machines. These are the 5+1 accessories for the RX100 series I have and use.

Slow and steady wins the race

February 13, 2020 in journal

I thought she wasn't going to make it. It was just the beginning of another long day in the Camino and she seemed to be struggling quite a bit. With more than 16 miles ahead of us, she was limping. Overcoming the pain, the strong winds, the constant rain and the muddy trail wasn't going to be easy. I was fighting my own battles, and quickly passed her.

As the day unfolded, I ran into her multiple times. Somehow, she'd managed to keep up with me at a much slower pace. I was stopping every few minutes to take photos and film some locations. I didn't see her stopping even once: her pace was slow, but relentless. She ended up making it before me.

Photography is a similar journey. Some days feel like big steps: for me, that's a foggy day or a day spent in the mountains. It feels amazing to know you've just made a great image, but it's what we do in between that sets our pace. Do we stop and wait until the next big leap? Or do we keep going, even if only slowly?

I believe photography is something we must do everyday. This involves much more than just shooting: working on our images, starting that book we've been putting off, planning our next trip, sharing our vision on a blog post or youtube video, and of course getting some inspiration from other photographers and artists.

We are here for the long game. Some days will require putting our head down and push forward, even if it feels like we are limping and not progressing much. We need to be relentless because those days are the ones that will define us and the ones that will make the difference in the end.

Cares: the Divine Gorge

February 13, 2020 in journal

A year and a half later, I went back to the Picos de Europa National Park in Asturias, to finish a hike I couldn't complete last time I was there. The Ruta del Cares is one of my favorite hikes ever, through a beautiful gorge surrounded by stunning mountains.

The weather couldn't be any better, some rain and fog at the beginning, clear skies in the middle of it and more cloudiness as we were approaching the trailhead. As someone put it on the comments, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

The Swans

February 11, 2020 in journal

I always carry one of my RX100s with me and try to take a few photos everyday no matter where I am or what I am doing. Most of these photographs are no good, but every once in a while, I run into a scene I love.

This was the case a couple of days ago coming back from the grocery store, shopping bag on the shoulder and camera in my pocket. It was a nice and calm night, and these two swans were hanging out on the river. I loved the contrast between the dark water and the white birds.

The RX100 doesn't excel in low light, but it is the best camera -by far- to carry along with the groceries. I took a few shots, hoping for the best, and kept walking. I really like the final image, an unexpected one that I was able to make only because I was carrying my camera with me.

Keep the streak going

February 10, 2020 in journal

I try to move as much as I can. Sometimes, I need a little push, so I've developed a system that does that: I measure how active I am on a daily basis, and try to reach a fixed goal every single day. Keeping the streak going for as long as I can is a powerful motivation game for me. This is how it works.

Self-play in photography

February 07, 2020 in journal

Self-play is a concept that I find fascinating: artificial intelligence can learn how to play games -like chess- by playing against themselves over and over. Starting from scratch, with no knowledge of what works and what doesn't, machines eventually come up with strategies and plays that surprise even grandmasters, who reward them as "creative". This made me think about photography: how we look for inspiration in other photographers' work, and the value of experimentation.

More POV photography in the fog

February 06, 2020 in journal

It's fog season in my hometown, and I'm really enjoy making these little POV videos. Don't miss the first one, if you haven't watched it yet!

When the ordinary becomes extraordinary

February 05, 2020 in journal

The view from my window is nothing spectacular: a bunch of old buildings, train tracks, and some hills in the background. A very ordinary view.

Every morning, I take a quick peak to check on the fog and rain. This morning didn't look special at all. But as I continued to work on my coffee, some low clouds appeared and started to play with the hills in the background. When the Sun rose, the show was on. I grabbed my camera and captured it.

As a photographer, I want to capture the extraordinary. This place isn't Yosemite, but in many ways and under the right conditions, it can make for images that tell a more compelling story.

We love to hear stories of normal people overcoming obstacles or becoming something bigger than themselves. I believe this is the same with the subjects and places we photograph: the ordinary is usually overlooked but when it becomes extraordinary, it has a lot to say.

Photography is about passion

February 04, 2020 in journal

Photography is one the most accesible art forms: anyone can make an image!

Today, camera gear won't make you stand out as much as it used to. Gone are the days when only a handful of people could afford to shoot, develop and print on a regular basis.

In this new world, all that's left to make a photographer stand out is vision and passion: how you see the world and how bad you want to make images.

That's it.

The laptop: still the ultimate tool for productivity

February 03, 2020 in journal

The advent of touch interfaces was supposed to bring a new era of computing, and while they have certainly achieved that as devices for content consumption, I'm not so sure when it comes to content creation.

In praise of imperfect images

February 02, 2020 in journal

I always say that I like to destroy my images: I push film and work on my digital images to add grain, increase the contrast, remove details in the shadows and highlights. I seek imperfection.

It was this imperfection that allowed me to find my own style and to feel more free in my photography.

How to do El Camino de Santiago in winter

February 01, 2020 in journal

A few weeks ago, I decided to go on an adventure that will be hard to forget: I walked the last 130 miles (200km) of the Camino de Santiago. I followed the most famous route, the French Way. It was in late December and I got hit by 3 storms and got plenty of rain, wind and even snow and ice. Doing the Camino in winter comes with many more challenges than bad weather, though: you'll need more gear, many places will be closed, limited hours of daylight, fewer fellow pilgrims... but I believe it's the best time to do it. I wanted to share a few tips that might help those of you thinking about doing El Camino to decide whether you should do it in winter or wait for warmer months.

Image of the Month, February 2020: "Golden Gate"

February 01, 2020 in journal

Golden Gate is the new Image of the Month for the month of February, 2020.

It was my birthday and we were getting ready to celebrate in this little bar in the Mission. I looked at the TV and saw some fog starting to roll in, and I soon realized that that evening was going to have the conditions I'd been chasing for so long on my previous trips to the Bay Area.

I only had my compact camera with me, and the battery was almost dead. Luckily, the bartender had a charger that I used to get some extra power. I grabbed the camera and ran to get a cab, as I cancelled all the birthday plans for that night.

It was freezing cold on that bridge, and traffic was loud, very loud. It was an evening I won't forget: the scene that unveiled when the lights were turned on in the dark mist was all I was hoping for.

two sizes

Remember: there are two sizes to choose from, 6x6 and 8x8 (inches). In both cases, the matt and frame are 12x12 (this means a bigger margin for the 6x6 print).

shipping included

Shipping is free to the US. International shipping is a flat rate of $14.95.

artist contract

A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.

want to know more?

You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.

Golden Gate is available for purchase here.