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Alcra Photography
@alcra_photography
Photographer based in Canada
Growing up in a family that adored nature, you could probably guess where I spent much of my childhood. Most of my free time I could be found in the mountains, exploring forests, or in Asturias, watching the big waves crashing against the cliffs. I would often go for hikes with my parents, which is where my affection for photography and travel was first formed.
Back when I was 16 years old, I made the brave decision to leave my home city of Madrid so I could pursue a college tennis career in the US. And so, for the past 4 years, I’ve spent most of my time in Ohio. Ohio is quite unlike where I am from in Madrid. The familiar landscapes I’m used to seeing soon faded away in my memory, as I rarely returned to Spain during this period.
To be honest, I didn’t even want to leave my beloved Spain at first because I was leaving everything behind. Yet everything changed for me during my time in Ohio. In my Junior year I met my now partner, Andreea… We instantly felt a strong bond with one another, and just a few months after our first meeting, we traveled to Vancouver in Canada, where she lives. Upon arriving there, something struck me. “Wow, this looks so similar to Asturias,” I thought to myself. I immediately fell in love with the landscapes, the people, the forests, heck, even the weather!
"It was a dreamland for me and reminded me of when I was a youngster out in nature with my family."
How can I even begin to describe the wonder that is British Columbia? You can visit the same location there, and each time be surprised with what you find. There are the forests that lead to never-changing mountains with rivers flowing right down them. There’s the ocean, the wildlife… You can find animals here that you won’t easily find anywhere else, such as the eastern wolf, wood bison, and the marmot. One of my favorite spots to visit is called Cypress Mountain. It’s an absolute wonderland during winter; straightforward to reach and extremely photogenic if you were ever thinking of visiting.
I can say I’m proud to call this city my home. It’s like a dream come true for me, and, funnily enough, while chatting with my parents, they told me it was my grandpa’s dream to live here too.
"Living in British Columbia enables me to hike as often as I would like, and of course, always accompanied by my most trusted companion, my camera."
The sheer amount of beauty I’ve witnessed during these frequent hikes is why I have the yearning to share the landscapes with others via my images. Particularly with my family still living in Spain. It’s a way for us all to be closer together despite living on different sides of the world.
Most of the impactful moments I’ve experienced during my hikes have always happened in challenging weather conditions. The unpredictability of the weather can, at times, frustrate many photographers. But it’s at these moments where I’ve learned the importance of patience because you never know what may be around the corner.
"For example, when I was on an intense trip to Tofino, Vancouver Island, I was greatly surprised."
Tofino is known for its insane sunsets. Understandably, we were upset then as we had gone all the way there and the weather conditions were too poor to see the sensational sunset. But then, just as we were about to go back to the hotel, the sun had miraculously found its path through the dense, thick fog. We could see it in all its glory, and to this day, it’s still the most insane sunset I’ve witnessed. Yet this event was eclipsed in magnificence only a short while later by a freak occurrence. Soon after the sunset had reared its head, we observed a moonrise that left us utterly astonished.
"This is why I've learned to be patient and persistent despite challenging conditions. These unfortunate elements can be the exact things that lead you to take your dream shot."
"Staying patient and being persistent is essential. But I'd say that the most valuable lesson I've learned so far is always checking you have your equipment before leaving on an expedition."
I know it sounds pretty obvious, but I find it necessary to always double or even triple-check everything before leaving. In the Summer of 2019, I had traveled to Asturias with Andreea. We were there to see my family and hike up the mountains to see the picturesque scenery. I had just purchased my camera, so understandably, I was pretty excited about using it. This meant I packed everything in a rush. We set off in the car, and at our first viewpoint I took out my camera and turned it on. Nothing happened. To my shock horror, I saw the battery was missing. I left it back in Madrid. Damn! I couldn’t believe it as I’d now lost the rare opportunity of taking pictures of some of the most iconic places in Northern Spain. I know for sure, I won’t forget to double check my gear again!
One particular piece of equipment I am especially fond of is my drone. I love taking photos with my drone as it offers me a new perspective. The bird-eye view is fantastic, and this gadget was definitely worth every penny.
Seeing nature from a different angle is spectacular as my mind has always been blown by how remarkable nature is. But when I go out on hikes, I prefer not to talk. I usually trek in complete silence, analyzing the landscape for distinct photo opportunities. I listen to the music of nature; the birds chirping, the river trickling through the forest, the majestic waterfall, and the deers frolicking around with each other. Taking up photography as a hobby has helped me notice the smaller, and at times, even more astounding aspects of nature that I wouldn’t have seen before. I guess this is what photography does to you.
"The constant pursuit of the perfect shot is what makes you more alert to your surroundings, trying to catch every single detail of the environment."
"These impactful details are what I take note of, too, during the editing stage."
In the past, I foolishly tried to create impactful images by exaggerating things in the photo, which resulted in an unrealistic look. After lots of mistakes and a little pondering on where I was going wrong, I finally developed my own unique editing style. When editing a picture, my main goal is to transmit to the audience exactly what I saw while capturing the shot.
"I want to make my images look epic, dramatic, and eternal because those attributes are the ones that describe nature the best to me."
The fact that I’ve been exploring mountain landscapes for so long has made me an astute observer, which is crucial for my photo taking. The photographers I admire the most are other mountaineers and photographers such as Jimmy Chin (responsible for the documentary free solo). Their spectacular shots give me goosebumps and inspire me to keep honing my craft daily. Hopefully, one day, my images will give people goosebumps too. Yet when they do, the credit should be given to my parents, who have played an enormous role in where I am today.
"If they didn't explore nature with me as a child, then I would simply not be sharing this story with you today."
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