Spain

Why to Visit Spain?

Spain is not one country photographically — it's five or six. The whitewashed villages of Andalucía and the Alhambra's geometrically perfect courtyards bear almost no visual relationship to the industrial modernity of Bilbao's Guggenheim, the volcanic lunar landscape of Lanzarote, the Gothic peaks of Montserrat, or the green Atlantic drama of the Picos de Europa. The Ruta del Cares gorge in Asturias — a 12km path cut into the limestone cliff face above a river gorge — is one of the most spectacular hiking trails I've walked in Europe and almost completely unknown outside Spain. Add the pintxos culture of San Sebastián, the architecture of Gaudí in Barcelona, and the light of Salamanca's sandstone Plaza Mayor at dusk, and Spain becomes a lifetime's photography destination.

● The Alhambra, Granada — the Nasrid Palaces inside the Alhambra are among the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the world, and the combination of geometric tile work, carved stucco, and water features creates extraordinary detail photography opportunities. Book tickets weeks in advance — timed entry is strictly enforced and sells out constantly.

● Bilbao and the Guggenheim — Frank Gehry's titanium-clad building is a masterwork of architectural photography. The Puppy floral sculpture by Jeff Koons at the entrance and the Louise Bourgeois spider Maman are equally strong subjects. Bilbao's old quarter and the Mercado de la Ribera add urban texture.

● Lanzarote's volcanic landscape — the Timanfaya National Park is unlike anywhere else in Europe. Black lava fields stretching to the horizon, geysers powered by residual volcanic heat below the surface, and the craters of the Fire Mountains all look as if the eruption happened last week rather than in 1730. The light here in the late afternoon, with the low sun casting shadows across the lava field texture, is extraordinary.

● The Ruta del Cares, Picos de Europa — a path carved into the face of a limestone gorge, with the river 500m below and limestone peaks above. The scale is hard to capture in a single frame; wide angle is essential, and the best light is in the morning when the sun reaches the gorge floor.