European Street Photography: Porto and Madrid

I just returned home from a week in Europe, where I was surrounded by pure love.  Everyone on the streets is in love.  Europeans do love very well, it’s in the architecture, sunlight and the couples slowly walking on cobblestones.

I attended the Fearless Photographers conference for wedding photographers, and because we photograph love for a living, when we get together, we love and we love hard.  This is usually accompanied by lots of food and drink, belly laughs and dancing to “Livin’ On A Prayer.”  Though I’m not sure why that song is our anthem.  🙂 

It takes a few days to recover from such a love fest.  Then we return to the next conference and fall in love all over again.

I can’t say no to this life.  I can only work harder to make my dreams come true, which they are, and travel as often as I can, which I am thankful for.

I purchased an Olympus OMD-EM1 for my trip to Bucharest, Romania last year, where I spoke at the Fearless Conference.  For the better part of the year this camera has mocked me from the shelf.  I slip into the habit of not recording, just living, and while that is perfectly acceptable, I attend wedding photographer conferences to reaffirm my life as a photographer, not just someone who leaves a camera on a shelf and only shoots when I am paid.

Which brings me to this documentation of love.  Hey, it’s my blog, I can be gushy here (like I am in most every other facet of my life.)  I pulled out my neglected camera and pushed myself to document strangers while I was in Porto and Madrid. 

I had forgotten how wonderful it was to walk the streets and just follow the sunlight.  I had no plans, no map, no full knowledge of the area.  I allowed my camera to be my compass, and this was a simple luxury I intend to make use of more often.  Studying faces, body language, color, and most of all, glorious sunlight in one of the most romantic cities I have ever visited. 

I sang karaoke at 4AM in a Madrid dive bar.  I walked miles and miles chasing a sunbeam.  I smiled at people on the street (well, I do that in Chicago) and they smiled back (they don’t always do that.)  I hugged and kissed and laughed until my sides hurt.  And I loved.  I really can’t ask for more than that.

Thank you for listening, please enjoy these photographs and follow your own love and light.