Social documentary photographer Markel Redondo spent three years on his personal project, “Sand Castles I,” which delves into the consequences of the 2008 economic crash. The project took place from 2010 to 2013, focusing on the housing bubble in Spain, where Markel is based (in Donostia-San Sebastian). Due to the financial collapse, thousands of new constructions were left abandoned as building companies went bankrupt. After becoming certified as an AESA-approved drone operator in 2018, Markel returned with a second self-assigned project. He explored the same subject matter a decade later — this time from an aerial view. His “Sand Castles II” was just featured in the June 2023 issue of the Paris-based print and digital publication, Fisheye Magazine.
Markel shared with Wonderful Machine how his Sand Castles project got its name.
I have always tried to find the balance between assignments and personal projects, as I believe personal projects are the ones that make me grow as a photographer.
The title of the project came from Jimi Hendrix’s song, Castles Made of Sand, which talks about the loves, dreams, and hopes that end up crumbling and falling into the sea with the passing of time. The urban projects that have been abandoned in Spain for more than 10 years are like big dreams that are crumbling little by little, and who knows if they will end up in the sea like in Hendrix’s song.
Markel preplanned and photographed “Sand Castles II” working entirely alone.
I spent quite some time researching and locating the sites to be photographed using Google Earth. Most of the sites were away from city centers and airports, so I did not need special permission to photograph there. The locations were scattered all around Spain, and there was a lot of time on the road. Usually, I would spend a day or two at each site, as I wanted to see the light at different times of day. Some of locations were difficult to access, so I’d first have to find a way to enter before I could find a way to understand and photograph them.
I kind of knew the housing projects were still abandoned but I was curious to see how they have aged. It was incredible to witness how nature, little by little is taking back each place. Also, exploring locations from the air was completely different, I discovered details that I could not find on the ground.
The project was shot with the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, which Markel won as part of the DJI Drone Photography Award for his “Sand Castles I” project.
The Phantom 4 was my first drone and I was impressed by its flying capacities — even with the wind, it did amazing work! I wish the quality of the camera was better for photography.
For “Sand Castles II” and previous personal projects, Markel has had success pitching his self-assigned work to publications.
After completing a project, I usually send an email to some of the clients I work with to see if the story has potential, and to see their reaction. Then I usually send a newsletter including the story and a description.
For Sand Castle II, I actually went to Paris to meet the people of Fisheye Magazine and show them my portfolio. The picture editor asked me to send him a PDF with a selection of the project.
Almost five years later, Markel’s goal for this impactful series has remained the same:
In Spain, most of these places are forgotten or part of the past. I wish to remind people who see these photos of what happened because of greed and corruption so it doesn’t happen again. The coast and many natural protected areas are affected by massive construction projects.
See more work by Markel on his website.
Further Reading
Read more articles about Markel Redondo.
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