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That time in Spain

This time, shot on iPhone.

By Life & Muse

October 12^th, 2019

On most trips, I'm the guy lagging behind the group, camera up to my face, catching candids or pleading for poses. It's gotten to the point where those who travel with me have learned how to ignore me or entertain me in the spirit of getting on with the day's plans.

It's been about 4 years since I've been taking photos creatively. My first camera was a Fujifilm X-T1 and I remember being inseparable from it on my first trip to Barcelona (not to mention the dozens of other trips I’ve taken in the years since). Serendipitously, I returned to Barcelona a second time recently, but found myself shooting very differently.

In my backpack was still my trusty camera, though now a grown up Fujifilm X-T2 armed with a single un-opinionated 35mm f2 prime. But here’s the thing – even with this decidedly light setup, the camera stayed in my bag for pretty much the entirety of the trip, giving way to my phone as the photographic weapon of choice. Yes, my phone.

This wasn’t the first time I had ignored the camera in my bag in favor of the one in my pocket, but it was the first time I truly enjoyed it for more than just its convenience. Somewhere between the wide and telephoto lenses of my iPhone XS Max, something clicked for me on this trip. I found a rhythm in shooting with my phone, embraced its limitations, and doubled-down on the whole the-best-camera-is-the-one-you-have philosophy.

Here’s a selection of some of my favorite photos from the trip.

If you need a recap on what brought me to Spain, you can read about it here.

Day and night

Candid scenes from around Barcelona and San Sebastián, from day trips to night life.

Black and white

Every now and again, it felt right to turn up the mood by turning down the colors.

Dining like kings

We had the privilege of eating at some of the best restaurants that Barcelona and San Sebastián had to offer. On our final night, we had an epic 4+ hour meal at Enigma, a Michelin Star restaurant that involved being escorted through four distinct experiences.