Lost in Toledo part I
by Gu on June 24, 2011
Having returned from a recent commission in Lanzarote, I immensely miss the sunny Spain while faced with constant drizzle and overcast of Manchester. But I’m not here to complain, it is as good weather as it gets here in England, we are talking about late June after all.
To compensate the lack of sunshine and blue sky, I decided to trace down the memory lane, aka digital archive, to see if there is any cure to crunch that thirst.
Luckily, there is.
Last November I went to Madrid to meet up a new client. Business aside, I took a little break and spent a day in the far more interesting town of Toledo, situated approximately an hour’s train ride from Madrid.
Under the guidance of my long time friend and Spanish partner in crime, Dr. Luis Miguel Garcillan, we went Spanish all the way – tapas, beer, followed by more tapas and way too much beer.
Our “exploration” started under the influence of alcohol (the good local stuff) and steaming hot November sun (I bet you never heard that phrase before if you live in England). To put it simply, we were lost in this quintessential Spanish maze the moment we stepped outside the pub.
We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to navigate our way back while not to miss a single opportunity to sample more beer.
Luckily, I had a nifty little camera in hand to remind me where we had been for the rest of the day.
Due to large number of images, I will split them into two posts.
Continental Cloud
by Gu on June 3, 2011
Taken from seat A, row 7, on flight FR448 from Birmingham to Lanzarote, Spain.
I was drifting in and out of sleep due to a night of sitting on an uncomfortable, hard, cold steel bench at the airport. Every time I open my eyes, I took a picture of the cloud formation.
I can only presume the following shots were over different countries spanning 4 hour journey, starting with France, Spain, maybe Portugal.
writing in the wind
by Gu on May 31, 2011
An artist’s creative process always intrigues me, and I have learned to approach them with an openness to embrace and comprehend what might come my way.
Icelandic ride … made in Germany
by Gu on May 12, 2011
It has taken us through thick and thin, sun and storm, tarmac and potholes, highway and forbidden routes, most importantly, it has taken us there and back.
Iceland is a heaven for 4×4 manufacturers/drivers, this little Deutsche beast did an incredible job around the island.
Will I hire it again when I return to Iceland?
No. Bring on the roaring monster!
Arcachon oyster bay, France
by Gu on April 25, 2011
This is just one of many, I’d imagine.
We ended up there by driving along the railway track and a random left turn. Google map tells me the area is called “Gujan Mestras”.
The best oysters I’ve ever had in my life, No.1 of course.
Lost in Paris
by Gu on April 22, 2011
Paris and I did not click right away.
What I felt when I first arrived in the city made me resent London less, by contrast. Perhaps I was spoiled by the stunning sceneries that I grew used to while driving across France; perhaps my sadness to see to the end of “what life could be or should be” brought out the bitterness; perhaps the cigarette sellers hovering at underground exit shattered the romantic imagination I once had for the city.
I spent the better part of my one week stay trying to take in as much as I could, hoping to find the magic to glue broken pieces together. And the only way I know how is to photograph the city, so I can revisit whenever I want, holding it in my palms.
a thank you note
by Gu on April 13, 2011
Today marks an important day in the infancy of my career as a photographer, so much was learned in the past 12 months, no doubt plenty more is yet to come.
I’m grateful for all the generous support from families and friends, I cannot imagine where I will be without all your love.
Let’s see what 2011 will bring, shall we?
Crosby beach portraits
by Gu on March 10, 2011
Apparently the next shot was crowned the “gayest” photo of the day, oh well, it was fun!
