El mar, la mar is a collection of images shot in the city of Cádiz, within the autonomous region of Andalucía, Spain. I sought to exhibit not only my deep connection to the country, but its rich aesthetic beauty and history.

During the two years that I lived in Madrid, the coast was not as accessible as it is in Sydney, where I grew up. Rarely did the opportunity arise for me to visit the sea. After being invited down for a wedding, I thought it be an opportune moment to document my travels.

The title itself - El mar, la mar - pays homage to the poem of the same name by Rafael Alberti, a member of the Generación del 27, which alludes to discomfort of the poet when his family moves to the city. In a similar manner to the poem, it was only when I visited the city of Cádiz that I realised the importance of the sea in my life.

I solely shot on the Mamiya 7 due to its ability to produce large 6x7 negatives, allowing me to maintain high image quality. Having only 10 images to take, it invited me to reflect on each scene that I captured.

I chose to shoot on the always-reliable Kodak Portra 400, with the objective to overexpose by one stop to bring out the rich pastel tones of the city and blues of the ocean.

I felt euphoric and serene, as a sense of pathetic fallacy was delivered through the moments captured; from the sandstone walls to the still, melancholic shadows. The south of Spain always seems to be warm-hued so I shot this roll at 200 ISO. It allowed me to shoot between f11-22 to capture every single detail. This is only the start of a body of work that seeks to truly capture the essence of the Spanish experience.