Calle de Bailén

Calle de Bailén, Palacio Real de Madrid, España, 2025

Tim Carpenter spoke recently about our consciousness thinking ourselves into the past, and into the future, thinking ourselves into other places and times while all the while our bodies are stuck in the present. (The MOOD Podcast, Matt Jacob, "Your Body Decides the Photograph Before You Do--Photographer Tim Carpenter, E119, 11 Jun 26)

Among the many things to unpack in this discussion (of which I just might talk about at a later date), this one thing struck as particularly important to why I like photography, why I especially like to combine my photography with genealogical research, why I search for new perspectives in my photos, and why I started work on the project I'm calling "In the Third Space".

This particular section of the Calle de Bailén runs between the Plaza de Oriente and the Palacio Real de Madrid. Construction of the palace began in 1735 (completed about 1755) on the site of the Muslim-era alcázar dating back to the 9th century. It is the official residence of the Spanish royal family and, as the largest royal palace in Europe, consists of 1,450,000sf of floor space with over 3400 rooms. Of these, only 50-100 are open to the public on a rotating basis. The calle in its modern form and name dates to 1835.

What strikes me most about this photo is the movement. Time and atmosphere cause our vision (and memory) of a place to waiver, degrade; some things remain clear--those things that spark an emotive response--but mostly they merge with other similar experiences. When we revisit, either in person or through photographs, we are once again surprised by the sight. This is how we relive our moments.

People in a photograph add a different dimension. These figures are little more than silhouettes--a visual representation of a person, animal, or object as a solid, featureless shape, entirely defined by its outer outline and set against a contrasting, lighter background (thank you AI). In photography, a silhouette is created by placing the subject directly in front of a bright light source. Ghostly figures are created by the computer. Both remind us that people come and go, and what remains is the essence of their presence.

In the Third Space . . . we are always surrounded by the changing landscape of people and places, but it is the we that remain constant.