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 visited Marcela’s nearby studio and had an intense case of déjà vu. Turns out, I’d been in that same warehouse district a year before, photographing Mark.

Both Marcela and Mark work in Poblenou, a Barcelona neighborhood where old industrial spaces now house painters, sculptors, designers, and, in this case, a traditional boat builder.

Currachs, Cameras, and Circumstance

Mark builds currachs, traditional Irish wooden boats, in a massive workshop that smells like sawdust and focus. He’s also an artist, though I got the feeling he’d rather be photographed for his paintings than his woodworking. But let’s be honest — artists are everywhere in Poblenou. Boat builders? Much harder to come by.

Mark didn’t exactly beg for a “say cheese” moment, and I didn’t push it. Instead, I caught him mid-task, letting the work speak. I used a simple lighting setup: off-camera flash (unmodified) and a silver bounce reflector to camera left. The result? Clean light, good texture, and a subtle glimpse of his working space in the background.

It’s not every day that a photo leads to new work, but when it does, it’s a nice reminder that even the quiet shots have a life of their own.