In my last blog about my day visit to Alicante, I thanked my wife for all her support. She is amazing, and this was proven once again when she bought me a mini break for my birthday. So, unlike last time when I waited till the end of the blog to thank her, I’m doing it now, Elizabeth I have no idea where I’d be in my life without you. Thank you for everything; you are my whole world.
This time round I had three full days in Alicante city armed only with my Leica SL. I had the perfect weather: hot, sunny, and bloody hot. Alicante isn’t the easiest city for street photography; there’s so much to distract you. Now, this isn’t a negative; far from it, I love being distracted; it relaxes me. I hit the streets with my camera within minutes of getting off the bus. Alicante doesn’t disappoint; I found the people to be very welcoming, always smiling and always happy. I think the British could learn so much from the Spanish.
The city is busy and yet very quiet. I arrived on a Sunday, so most of Alicante city was closed. Everyone was just sitting outside cafés, catching up with family and friends.
One thing I found this time round was that my 85mm focal length isn’t the best choice for Alicante. A 28mm would be far better, especially for photographing around the beach area. With this in mind, I will at some point pick up a Leica Q; this I’m sure of. Don’t get me wrong, I still love shooting with an 85mm and it works for the city and the narrow streets, but I do feel like I missed moments around the beach.
Like last time, I didn’t take a lot of photos. I really believe this is because I have grown as a photographer. I also think it’s because of the camera. The Leica has slowed me down. I now think more before I press the shutter button. I hear the voice of my friend Jay saying, “Is that moment worthy of a Leica?” which makes me laugh every time think of him saying that. Jay has a wicked sense of humour.
The truth is simple: the Leica SL3-S isn’t a fast camera or the best choice if one is a street photographer, but this is why I love using the camera. It doesn’t have the fastest autofocus or the fastest eye/face detection, yet those things don’t matter. I’m a damn good photographer (or at least that’s what everyone keeps telling me), and I know how to capture a fast moment. I’m thankful for my camera helping me to see things clearer.
With my health, I can’t move as fast as I used to be able to, and I find slowing down has helped me and my photography.
The weather was another factor in me slowing down. As I said, it was hot the last day I was there; the temperature hit 34 degrees, which was so nice, especially by the beach. Over the course of the three days I was in Alicante, I found areas in the city where I spent an over an hour, camped out waiting for something to happen, and I really do feel like I’m beginning to find my way around. The city has so much to offer a street photographer like myself. The opportunities for capturing wonderful moments are aplenty, and I hope to spend more time in the future exploring Alicante city.
My three days went by so quickly. I had a few struggles while I was there. I couldn’t make my mind up about finding a place to eat. I walked for hours looking, overthinking, and this did worry my wife. In the end, I found an amazing restaurant, and I went there every day. Yes, I became a creature of habit, but that’s just my autism kicking in.
In the end, I came away relaxed, focused, and happy. I also had one of the best flights I’ve ever had. Thirty lads on a stag party spent the entire flight singing and shouting some of the funniest things I’d heard. They made the flight go by so quickly. Normally, I can’t handle lots of noise, but these lads had me laughing so much.
I got some good photos and three amazing photos which I’m so happy with, I’ll share these below.
I have already begun researching flights for June and eagerly anticipate returning to Alicante once more.
