“Pegadas” is a visual journey tracing my steps from the green coasts of A Coruña to the vibrant urban landscapes of Valencia. This photobook, born from the desire to capture my path and share it with the world, merges two photographic styles that have profoundly influenced my life: landscape photography, which I learned alongside my father in Galicia, and commercial photography, which I perfected in Valencia. Thus, I have created a new concept that I call “landscape as still life,” where the majesty of nature and the precision of detail intertwine in each image.
I grew up in the fertile and rainy lands of Galicia, a place where natural beauty is omnipresent, and the landscapes seem to come straight out of a dream. Every corner of the coast of A Coruña holds memories of my childhood, of days spent exploring with my camera, guided by my father’s wisdom since I was just a boy. It was there that I learned to see the world through the lens, capturing the essence of my land in every photograph.
However, my path led me beyond those familiar landscapes. Like many Galicians before me, I embarked on a journey south in search of new opportunities and horizons. In Valencia, I found a different world, full of energy and movement, where urban landscapes become protagonists. Here, I learned to see beauty in the everyday, to find harmony in the city, and to refine other photographic styles such as commercial photography, which allowed me to advance in my professional career.
This book is a tribute to that journey, to that transformation. It is a reflection of my evolution as a photographer and as a person. On each page, the images tell a story of change and adaptation, of nostalgia and discovery. The wild landscapes of Galicia contrast with the streets and buildings of Valencia, creating a visual dialogue between two worlds. Throughout the book, the images are accompanied by different shoes marking the path, symbolizing the steps taken and the footprints left on this vital journey.
In homage to Xosé Neira Vilas and his work “Memorias dun neno labrego,” I titled this book “Pegadas dun neno galego,” which I eventually simplified to “Pegadas.” Like Balbino, the peasant boy whose rural life reflects the roots and hopes of many Galicians, my story is one of search and growth. My camera becomes the pen that narrates this journey, and each photograph is a page of my own memory.
I hope that this photobook not only shows my steps but also invites the reader to walk with me, to see the world through my lens, and to feel the contrast between the places that have shaped who I am.
