Working at Home: Daniel Benites, Personal Trainer
Capturing Home Workspaces I’ve known Dany for several months, as we both attend the same boxing training class run by Andrea Wheatley. I met Andrea through a photoshoot for a magazine, which you can read about here. Dany is an Argentine personal trainer with a unique setup in his apartment. After chatting with him, I…
Photographing Greyhounds: A Visit to SOS Galgos
Los Galgos means “greyhounds” in Spanish, and SOS Galgos is a rescue and advocacy organisation founded by Anna Clement. She runs it out of the veterinary practice she manages for her husband, just outside Barcelona. The work they do is vital—because what happens to greyhounds after a couple of years of racing is grim. Most…
Profiles: Marcela Diaz, Trapeze Artist, Acrobat
Capturing Dynamic Movement I was really looking forward to this shoot, as it offered the chance to capture action shots—a welcome change from the usual portrait work. I’ve been developing a style that focuses on working with people in dynamic, athletic situations, and this shoot was the perfect opportunity to experiment. Marcela Diaz, an Argentine…
Bumpers, Curves, and a Fisheye View at the Barcelona Classic Car Show
A Sunday of Chrome and Curves I was invited to the Barcelona Classic Car Show on a Sunday, and since I had nothing urgent to do (a rare luxury), I thought, why not? Cars aren’t my main subject, but the promise of polished chrome, old-school design, and eccentric attendees was enough to tempt me —…
Britt Bohannan Arechiga, Bike Racer
A Ride Through Technical Challenges Britt Bohannan Arechiga, a professional bike racer, got access to Aprimoto, a motorbike shop, thanks to her friend, the owner Josep Acriz. The shoot was full of technical challenges, from the limited space and low ceiling to shiny reflective bikes that created lighting challenges. Despite those challenges, we managed to…
Editorial Assignment: Pessebres in Catalonia
This shoot was for the December issue of a magazine, focused on Pessebres, the traditional nativity scenes celebrated throughout Catalonia. While this particular story didn’t include Caganers—the famously cheeky figurines often tucked into these scenes—they deserve a mention. If you’re unfamiliar, do yourself a favour and look them up. Yes, it’s outrageous. Yes, it’s completely…
Profiles: Susie Hunt, Pet Psychologist on the Beach (and Under a Willow Tree)
Meeting Molly and Susie by the Sea I met Susie Hunt—pet psychologist, dog whisperer, and all-around good sport—on one of those classic Barcelona days: blue skies, warm light, and just enough wind to keep things interesting. She was with Molly, a client’s dog, who proved highly responsive to the universal language of treats waved just…
Revisiting Classic Lighting for a Magazine Cover in November
A Cover Chosen, Unexpectedly I recently saw one of my images featured on the November cover of a magazine. Always a nice surprise, especially when it’s not the shot you expect them to pick. I’d submitted a few options, including a couple of black-and-white portraits I had shot more for myself than the assignment. I…
Joan Laporta in Focus, Between Politics and Lighting Experiments
Behind the Scenes with a Political Contender On Friday, I finally got the go-ahead to photograph Joan Laporta for a magazine profile. These are interesting times in Barcelona—local elections are around the corner, and the air is already thick with political theatre. Ironically, I’d already photographed José Montilla for his campaign site, so I seem…
Flash, Movement, and Missteps: Photographing Diane & Alvaro Dancing Salsa
Capturing Motion with Style (and the Occasional Lighting Mishap) For this month’s interview feature, I wanted to do something a bit more dynamic. Diane was the subject, and instead of the usual seated portrait, I thought: why not capture her doing something she loves? So we brought in Alvaro, who also happens to be part…
A Shot Under Pressure at Casa José, Barcelona
The Prawns, the Pan, and a Very Hot Grill The brief was simple: capture Casa José’s signature prawn dish, cooked on a bed of salt. What no one mentioned was how physically challenging that would be. The kitchen was still closed, the space cramped, and I had just enough time before rushing off to another…
Zosen: The Masked Magic of a Graffiti Maverick
Last-Minute Genius in Full Color Zosen wasn’t hanging around. The Argentine graffiti artist, known for his kaleidoscopic murals and enigmatic masked persona, was darting off to London for an exhibition. That meant our shoot was a gloriously chaotic scramble—the kind where you show up, hope the light plays nice, and trust that the universe won’t…
Can Renji Restaurant: Where Dishes Pose Better Than People
Finally, A Break From Human Subjects At long last, I’ve wriggled free from the tyranny of smile-and-hold poses. Restaurant photography—especially interiors and architectural details—feels like a mental palate cleanser. No coaxing grins, no fixing stray hairs. Just clean lines, moody lighting, and the occasional sneaky fork adjustment. That said, my favorite shot from Can Renji…
Summer Jobs, Year Two: Barcelona’s Unsung Heroes (And Why Editors Love Cropping Wrong)
Julia the Art Teacher: Where Chaos Meets Perfect Composition Julia was a dream subject—the kind who forgets the camera exists the moment she starts ranting about kids’ finger-painting masterpieces. We set up a simple scenario, let the writer prod her with questions, and boom: hands flying everywhere, passion in full swing. The best part? Those…
Josep Oliver: Barcelona’s Unlikely Private Eye (Minus the Sleaze & Empty Takeout Containers)
The Myth vs. The (Surprisingly Wholesome) Reality When Nicola pitched me on shooting a real-life private detective, my brain went full noir: trench coats, cigarette smoke, maybe a half-eaten kebab slumped in the passenger seat as evidence of his gritty, nocturnal trade. Josep shattered every cliché. He arrived in a modest, suspiciously clean sedan (where…
Kiely Sweatt, American Poet
Square Format, Old-School Soul This wasn’t the shot the magazine wanted—it was mine. A stubborn nod to my medium format film days, framed tight in a square, because some subjects demand symmetry. The camera’s flexibility let me play with ratios, but my heart belongs to the square. It’s the photographic equivalent of a sonnet: constrained,…
On the Roof with Pau Estrada, Illustrator of Picasso’s Cat
Illustration, Rooftops, and the Ghosts of Dead Pigeons Photographing Pau Estrada, a Barcelona-based illustrator, was one of those shoots where everything almost goes according to plan — except for the part where the magazine adds a weird pink overlay. But I’ve learned not to stress over editorial design choices. As long as I have an…
The Nature Reserve of El Remolar-FilipinesA Windswept Day at El Remolar-Filipines Nature ReserveThe Nature Reserve of El Remolar-Filipines
Sunlight, Wind, and Wild Beauty Near Barcelona Barcelona’s airport isn’t exactly where you’d expect to find a peaceful stretch of protected wetland—but just beyond the runway, the El Remolar-Filipines nature reserve offers a surprising escape. On a crisp, windy day, I headed out there with a journalist and the editor from Metropolitan Magazine. The wind…
Mark Redden, Boat Builder in Barcelona’s Creative Quarter
A Forgotten Photo That Opened New Doors Sometimes an image you barely remember ends up doing all the legwork. I recently got contacted about a project in Geneva by Elena from Brain Bazaar. She referenced a portrait of boat builder Mark Redden — one I’d completely forgotten I’d taken. The memory clicked later when I…