This is perhaps one of the most minimalist photographs I’ve taken to date. It shows a windmill used for water extraction, one of those elements I absolutely love to photograph, and something that could easily be added to the list of recurring subjects in my photographic archive. You won’t find them in my area, probably because it rains so much, so coming across one is always a small celebration.
The day I found this one, on the way to Ourense, I practically slammed on the brakes… luckily there was no traffic! But a photo like that can’t be missed. It’s located in the town of Dozón, and to reach it you have to take a small road that leads to a paved open area, right next to a football field. It looks like the kind of place where local festivals are held. The windmill is just a few meters away and easily accessible. I took several shots, and once I was satisfied, I got back on the road.
But fate can be tricky, and analog photography doesn’t forgive mistakes. Unfortunately, I had loaded that roll of film incorrectly and not a single photo came out. The day I realized the error, my heart sank. It was one of the hardest hits I’ve taken in my analog journey, but I can assure you I learned my lesson. I was so disappointed by the loss of those images that a couple of weeks later, I decided to retrace the same route. Not only did I recover most of the photographs, but I also discovered new places and took even more photos. After all, we never take the same trip twice, it’s always a new experience.
