I’ve been to Valencia and photographed the city countless times — so many times that I’ve honestly lost count. Over time my pictures had started to feel a little samey, so on this trip I decided to approach it differently.
Instead of my usual digital setup, I brought a Voigtländer Bessa R paired with a Jupiter-8 lens and several rolls of black and white film. I chose Ilford HP5 as it seemed like a good film to start with, particularly as I knew I’d be shooting in the midday sun. Black and white felt like the right choice for recording the strong contrast and deep shadows that the Valencian light produces.
I also used a yellow filter to add a little extra contrast to the sky.
Shooting film slowed the whole process down. With only a limited number of frames, I found myself looking more carefully at the light, the shapes, and the shadows before pressing the shutter.
When the scans finally arrived, I was very happy with the results. There’s always something special about that anticipation — the images living in your head for days or weeks before you actually see them.
What stood out to me most was how the shadows rendered, particularly around the City of Arts and Sciences. The highlights seemed to glow gently rather than blow out — something I rarely see in quite the same way with digital.
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