There are places you don’t choose yourself. Fuerteventura was one of them. I first went there in 2016, and to be honest only because other photographers had promised me great photos. Back then I had no idea that the island would never let me go.
February 2016: To the island with Julia
In February 2016 I flew there with Julia, at the time one of my regular models. First impression: barren. Very barren. Open space, stone and sand as far as the eye can see. And yet in between there were fascinating spots like I had never seen anywhere else in Europe.
We were scouting for locations and found some great spots. On the side there was also a job to do: I photographed clothing for a yoga online shop. We stayed in Morro Jable, right in the south of the island.
Cofete: a place of power
Then Cofete. There are places where you feel straight away that they are something special. For me, Cofete is a place of power. We took sunset photos there, and as the light slowly became softer and warmer, everything else suddenly felt very far away.
The drive back from Cofete was a real challenge. It was pitch dark, and that is exactly where the black rock swallows the light. There is no lighting, and there are steep drops. You drive with total concentration and are glad about every metre you have behind you.
Up and down the east coast
After that we went all the way up and down the east coast, scouting for the 2018 workshop. At every stop the same question came up: will this work with models and participants?
2018: The photo camp
In 2018 I was on the island for the second time, this time with the photo camp. And it was incredible. We found an unbelievable number of great extra locations, more than I would ever have thought after the scouting trip. You can also see what a photo camp is like in my post about the Tenerife Photo Camp.
Beautiful at second glance
Fuerteventura is not an island that blows you away straight away. Its beauty only shows at second glance. You have to let yourself get into the barrenness, then it shows what it has to offer. Since then I’ve been there often, and with every stay I’ve liked it more. The island isn’t overrun, and the beaches are beyond words.
Cofete, Corralejo and back again soon
My absolute highlights are still Cofete and the dunes up near Corralejo. These days I also go there on holiday, just to be there. And I can hardly wait to be back on Fuerteventura soon.
