Valencia city
of
Arts & Sciences
by Martin Agius
When I first saw photos of the City of Arts and Science in Valencia, I immediately said to myself that I should go there.
In 2019, I booked a trip to this magnificent city for the end of March 2020. We all know what happened. Covid-19 came and blocked everything in the world. So, I had to cancel, but luckily, I managed to get my money back for the flights and accommodation.
Years passed quickly and I finally managed to go in 2023. I was relieved at the fact that I could make it at last. As soon as I checked into my accommodation, I headed for the City of Arts and Sciences. When I arrived, I couldn’t believe my eyes; the place was more beautiful when I saw it in person than in the photos I had seen. But suddenly, I was disappointed, as there were parts of it closed to the public. What I had in mind evaporating suddenly evaporated into thin air. I also thought that this place was jinxed for me. I went around and shot what in a half-hearted way. After a long day, I returned to where I was staying and started thinking about the next thing I could do.
The following day, I got up and went back to the city. This time, I was in the right state of mind and believed that I would get some good shots no matter what. This time, I decided to visit the aquarium, which is also part of this city. Here, I also managed to get some good photos. I spent another whole day here and started to get some good photos, even though the event was still running and some places were still closed to the public.
Sunday, I went back to the city in the morning, and when I arrived, I was relieved as the place was cleared from the event’s stuff, and places were once again open to the public. I was over the moon, and I walked and walked and shot a lot. On this day, I entered the Science Museum, where one can also find good spots to shoot.
The place was more magnificent when it got dark, although some parts were a bit too dark as the lights weren't working. I managed to get some amazing shots as the place turned into a sort of other place.
I returned on Monday, which was my last full day here. Every day that I went, I found a good composition, and the light was different because the sun and the shade were moving. I always revisit places at different times of the day, as the light changes all the time. In this way, I also got to know this city by heart, and by the end, I was really happy with my stay and the material I got.
Tuesday was the day to head back home. I took the train to the airport and got the flight home. When I got home, I was so excited that I switched on my iMac and downloaded all the images that I took to the hard disk, but I didn’t look at them, I just uploaded them into Lightroom and switched everything off. I always leave images I took from a shoot a few days before looking at them. I do this to look at them with fresh eyes, and the excitement almost gone or faded.
After a couple of days, I decided to go through the images, and I was really happy with the results. I discovered a few pictures that, although I thought they were decent, looked better. Overall, the trip was much better than I had expected. Maybe one day I will revisit this magnificent place. I definitely recommend Valencia to all Street Photographers enthusiasts.
