The ability of photography to surprise us knows no limits, and the image that accompanies these lines is a clear example of an unexpected outcome.
When I woke up that morning, the only idea running through my mind was to explore the Asturian mountains. I expected to find landscapes of great beauty, vast horizons in which to lose myself and let my gaze wander, postcard worthy scenes that captured all the strength and raw beauty of this imposing land. But, as often happens with expectations, they were not fulfilled, and the reality of the day turned out to be quite different.
After several hours of travel, the air began to fill with moisture and the entire landscape was covered by a thick white veil that softened colors, shapes, and contrasts as far as the eye could see. The disappointment was considerable, and the idea of getting good photographs that day was reduced almost to something anecdotal.
Once that initial disappointment had passed, the logical step was to give up on photography and simply enjoy the journey, observing whatever the fog allowed me to see and focusing on the pleasure of traveling for the sake of traveling, which is, without a doubt, the best way to truly experience it.
Yet, despite the environmental conditions, some corners allowed themselves to be photographed, and certain scenes encouraged me to take out the camera and devote a few frames to them. Without realizing it, the purpose of photographing vast spaces focused on distant horizons gradually shifted toward more intimate and contained compositions, closer views that welcomed the camera and even gained charm and magic beneath the veil of atmospheric moisture. In the most natural of evolutions, the journey unfolded as a sequence of immediate scenes, directly connected to the rural and rugged character of the area, transporting me to the simple and practical life of the Asturian countryside.
This photograph was the result of a small stop where I paused to have a cup of coffee and something to eat. When I parked the car on a small grassy clearing, the peace and beauty of the place completely enveloped me, and what was meant to be a brief five minute technical stop became one of the most satisfying moments of the entire trip. The combination of rocky peaks with the shepherds’ rural buildings, the vegetation, and the freely grazing animals, all fused with the white halo of the atmosphere, created the perfect scene to be immortalized in a photograph.
An unplanned opportunity that far exceeded everything I had set aside. Photography in its purest form, one that does not follow rules but creates its own. An indomitable discipline that submits neither to desires nor expectations, yet always rewards us with small jewels like this one.
