An Art History major at Bowdoin College, Alex brings her camera everywhere she goes—maybe even more than one—and has mastered the art of storytelling. Take it from Alex herself, who captured her study abroad experience in both English and Spanish, and of course, through her camera lens.
“I love to capture the way light moves, and Madrid has an abundance of beautiful backdrops for the light to fall upon. But I wanted to avoid ‘postcard’ photos which didn’t feel honest to my experience, so I focused more on combinations of different shapes and textures rather than obvious compositions. My experience studying abroad taught me to most of all increase opportunity: I was able to capture the lucky moments that I did because my camera was in my hand, ready for every opportunity. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity and thrilled that I was able to make the most of it.”
“Me”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
Let’s walk through Alex’s journey and take a look at some of her favorite snapshots along the way:
1. Madrid Highlight: The Almudena Cathedral
Almudena Cathedral is a Catholic church and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The cathedral was built when the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid and was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
“The Almudena Cathedral is one of my favorite places in Madrid. When I first entered, I expected from the outside a traditional interior, but was delighted to find the vaults brightly and intricately painted. I wanted initially just to capture the ceiling and was irritated that the reflections in the glass were in my way. I’m glad I decided to lean into it, to now depict both the ceiling and the magnificent windows in the same shot.”
“La Catedral de la Almudena es uno de mis lugares favoritos de Madrid. Cuando entré por primera vez, esperaba del exterior un interior tradicional, pero me”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
2. Immersing in the beauty of the city itself
“The city is alive perhaps most of all at dusk. I took this photo because I liked how the gentle gradient in the background contrasted with the web of electric lines hung across the sky. It was captured very quickly while walking with friends from my class in the Prado Museum to tapas at Cien Montaditos.”
“La ciudad está viva quizás sobre todo al anochecer. Tomé esta foto porque me gustó cómo el suave gradiente en el fondo contrastaba con la red de líneas eléctricas que colgaba del cielo. Fue captada muy rápidamente mientras caminaba con amigos de mi clase en el Museo del Prado de tapas en”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
3. Lucky/Suerte: A serendipitous walk in Madrid
“The clouds mimic the leading lines of the framing buildings. Centered under the “X” like treasure is a statue of a woman holding a guitar with a dog at her side. I took this walking around Madrid during Semana Santa celebrations, so despite looking calm there was a lot of action beneath the shot.”
“Las nubes imitan las líneas principales de los edificios que la enmarcan. Centrada debajo de la "X" como un tesoro, hay una estatua de una mujer que tiene una guitarra con un perro a su lado. Tomé esta foto caminando por Madrid durante las celebraciones de Semana Santa, así que, a pesar de parecer”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
4. Heading north to Segovia
Located northwest of Madrid in central Spain's Castile and León region, Segovia is filled with centuries worth of history. Settlement in Segovia resulted in rich architectural legacy, including medieval walls, Romanesque churches, a former royal palace, and a Gothic cathedral. It is well known for its ancient Roman aqueduct home to more than 160 arches.
“I like this photo not just for the impressive Roman Aqueduct itself but also for its integration into the city of Segovia. The reflections of the bright blue sky and the ancient gray stones in new windows and modern Bershka signs connect the two seemingly incongruous things. This was a moment when I learned to keep my camera in hand because sometimes, like this one, a lovable photo is taken in a moment’s pause on the street.”
“Me gusta esta foto no solo por el impresionante Acueducto Romano, sino también por su integración en la ciudad de Segovia. Las reflexiones del Cielo azul y las piedras”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
5. The abstract La Reina Sofia
“Hopefully this photograph is a little difficult to decipher, because I love photos that are a bit confusing. This was a familiar sight to me because my class about 20th Century Spanish Painters met in the Reina Sofia Museum. The stone building bathed in golden sunset light is the Sabatini building, which houses and exhibits part of the Reina Sofia’s collection. The red construction above that, part of the Nouvel building, is the roof over the patio where this photo was taken.”
“Ojalá esta foto sea un poco difícil de descifrar, porque me encantan las fotos que son un poco confusas. Esta era”
Alex S. • Bowdoin College • Madrid – Language & Area Studies
Interested in hearing more about Alex’s adventures and want to check out her photography? Visit her Instagram page: @sprances.photo
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“I love to capture the way light moves, and Madrid has an abundance of beautiful backdrops for the light to fall upon. But I wanted to avoid ‘postcard’ photos which didn’t feel honest to my experience, so I focused more on combinations of different shapes and textures rather than obvious compositions. My experience studying abroad taught me to most of all increase opportunity: I was able to capture the lucky moments that I did because my camera was in my hand, ready for every opportunity. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity and thrilled that I was able to make the most of it.” “Me”
