A place where stories intercept with imagery.
Barcelona - International Woman's Day 2026
Can one walk amongst the crowd as a stranger, conspicuous with a camera in hand, yet be unseen by the surrounding crowd? The answer is yes if the crowd has a message to tell. If they think you have the means to help tell that message story, they will let you inside their circle.
If that happens, the camera becomes your passport.
An odd concept, but that happened to me on the streets of Barcelona as people gathered to support International Women’s Day. They had a point to make and welcomed me, a stranger, into their midst with a smile.
You may ask how that occurred in privacy-conscious Europe. I suspect Barcelona’s friendly inhabitants and marchers’ determined energy contributed to the acceptance. On that day, they delivered a straightforward message: they condemned violence against women.
For this day, the story is all about the women of the world as they stood proud and drew the line on their independence. Young and old standing together, bringing light to a darkened universe, telling their message with clarity and purpose. No to bigotry and violence! Yes to inclusion, action, and youth!
For me, the afternoon became an hour of full immersion as I moved through the crowd looking for the perfect shot. Parade rules were nonexistent; if you were ambulatory, you were welcome to march, chant, sing, or play drums in defiance. All were welcome, including the photographer, eager to capture the shot.
The parade’s intoxicating energy of pride and defiance captured me as it formed and streamed down the broad, treelined avenue. Each woman who passed before me was standing tall with confidence. Not with anger, but with a joyous resolve that was bound to a matrix of hope for the future.
I was the fly on the wall. My responsibility now was to capture the moment with its intensity and focused purpose. I felt the story required honesty and clarity. To me fell telling that story well.
Then it concluded. The crowd streamed down the boulevard, and I was left alone. I stepped to the curb as bored police officers cleared the street of stragglers. Later that evening, in the calm of darkness, I flipped through the images gathered by my trusty Nikon, wondering if I had met my responsibility for recording the day’s events.
While some pictures missed the mark, most captured the day’s event with clarity and honesty. They provided a narrative of the day, set forth in images, showing the pride, purpose, and strength of all who were there.
For me, the story demanded telling. I was honored to have the chance to tell it.
Thank you for reading.
