Photo Diary

Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, 2023

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Photography is the art of sharing how we see the world. We each have our own unique perspective on how we engage with colour, light, geometry, and people.

I have always considered myself an observer of the world, watching and noticing how we interact with each other and our environments.

These pictures share a glimpse into a selection of moments where people connected with each other overtly through body language and conversation, and discretely through our environment – such as leaving a door propped open for a guest. These pictures also represent the moment where I connected with each of these subjects as I prepared my camera to make the photograph. A fleeting moment of connection known only to me… and the subject, if they noticed.

In a bar in Valencia looking at the bar. Behind the bar is a wooden wall with the name of the bar (La Senia) painted in white letters and shelves for drinking glasses and bottles of wine and beer, and a window into the kitchen where we get a glimpse of the chef. The chef is obscured by the bartender who is looking to the right - but we don't know what they're looking at. Seated at the bar are two people, one on either side of the bartender. They have some food between them and are engaged in a conversation. A man on the right is wearing a light blue button down shirt, and the woman he's with is wearing a pink long sleeve top and a brown backpack.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 1/12
A food stall inside a market in Madrid, with a white sign and large blue letters that say "PASTOR". The stall is selling tinned goods, which are visible on the back shelf, and nuts which are visible inside plastic bins along the front each with its own silver metal scooper. The shop worker is wearing a red apron and looking off to the right - but we don't know what they're looking at. They're standing next to digital weighing scales and are partially obscured by the digital sign that will show the weight of whatever is weighed. From the right side of the photo an older man in a red V-neck sweater, blue and white checked button-down, and cream baseball cap is walking into the frame and is slightly blurry in motion.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 2/12
Inside a food market hall in Madrid. This is a stall selling meat inside a glass-covered counter, and eggs in cardboard cartons stacked above the counter. The bottom of the counter has a metallic surface and the reflections of other customers' feet are visible as they walk past. There's a mirrored pillar with two red signs (one per each visible side of the pillar) that says "La Casona de Teresa" in yellow letters. Below the sign are pictures of the employees and a tomato. There are two workers each wearing a white hat, white tee, and red aprons with the business logo, and they're engaged in conversation. They're also both standing in the same pose, with hands on hips. Everything in the image is bathed in a type of red light reflected by the sign and the mirrors.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 3/12
A red velvet latte in a white coffee cup on a white saucer on a wooden table. In the background is a cafe, and we can see the silhouette of someone opening the glass door to leave. Behind the person is the cafe counter with a cabinet for drinks and a display for pastries.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 4/12
Inside a food market in Madrid. This is a fruit stand selling fresh cut fruit to eat now, and other fruits to take home. A white sign with large red letters says "FRUTAS", and the rest of the sign is cut-off in this photo. Two shop workers wearing light grey long sleeve tops and red aprons are working together. One of them has blond hair and she's looking directly at the camera lens but is expressionless - I'm not sure if she's noticed us or if she's just looking around!
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 5/12
A fruit and vegetable stall in a market in in Madrid. There's a white wall in the background with a sign that says "TADEO" in black letters, and underneath it is a red circular logo. A shop worker with grey hair pulled back into a low bun wearing a dark green long sleeve top, light brown apron and thick rimmed glasses smiles as she takes a reusable bag from a customer's hand. We can only see the customer's arm, they're wearing a long sleeve grey top with thin blue trim near the wrist. Their hands meet over the strawberry display. The shop is also selling green beans, artichokes, and spring onions amongst other fruits and vegetables.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 6/12
It's a bright sunny day with a blue sky. We're at a rooftop bar and we can see the rooftops of Madrid in the distance. Directly in front of us are two orange buckets filled with ice and a variety of alcohol bottles. Above us and the alcohol is a woven roof for shade, and behind the alcohol but obscuring some of our view of the skyline is a small decorative leafy green tree.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 7/12
It's a bright sunny day and we are alone at a rooftop bar. We're at the ledge with a shelf for drinks, and we have an orange cocktail and mobile phone in front of us, and to the left is a multi-coloured (pink, yellow, blue, orange, green) envelope bag. We can see the skyline of Madrid in front of us.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 8/12
In Madrid at night we're on the street looking at a front door, made up of two heavy wooden doors with carved details and painted black geometric designs. The left door is open inwards, left open by someone else. We can see a long yellow and red tiled corridor leading to a staircase, and a large ceiling light.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 9/12
We're in Madrid at night on the street passing a bar with a small neon sign designed to look like a street sign with the text: (image of an arrow pointing left) 22-51 Wall St. The sign is above a large window where we can see into the bar. There's an empty table directly in front of us, and further back is a group of three friends engaged in conversation. The bar is bathed in a warm yellow light and except for that group, is mostly empty right now.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 10/12
In a restaurant in the evening after eating the main meal. A glass of white wine and two small flan desserts each on a glass plate with a woven design are on a wooden table directly in front of us. In the background is another family gathered for their dinner, but they are out of focus.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 11/12
On the train between Madrid and Valencia. The sign is scrolling "Madrid-Chamartin" as the final destination. The seats are blue with white headrest protectors. The luggage racks above of full with yellow, red, blue, back, and brown carry-on size travel cases, as well as several jackets. Several of the seats have people in them, though their faces are obscured by headrests from the angle we're viewing.
Photo Diary: moments of connection in Madrid & Valencia, April 2023 12/12

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