Anniversary photoshoot — Seville

I won't ask for magazine poses. We walk, we chat, and I suggest simple things — an arm-in-arm stroll through Santa Cruz, sitting on a bench in Plaza de España, looking at the river from the Triana bridge. The best photos happen between prompts, when you forget the camera. Within ten minutes the awkwardness is gone and it's just the two of you.

Yes, personal photography is allowed with a visitor ticket, and the courtyards and gardens are spectacular. That said, large professional rigs or wedding setups aren't permitted without special permission, so I work light, handheld, like another visitor. It's worth booking the ticket in advance because capacity is limited; if you prefer, we plan the session in nearby exteriors with no entry cost.

Seville in summer is one of the hottest cities in Spain, which is exactly why we never shoot at midday. We meet at sunrise, when the city is cool and empty, or in the last hour of the afternoon toward sunset. We pick shaded spots — the courtyards, the narrow lanes of Santa Cruz, the trees of María Luisa park — and keep a calm pace with breaks. That way the heat shows neither in the photos nor on you.

Of course, and it usually makes for beautiful photos. If one of you prepares a surprise — a letter, a gift, a few words or a small vow renewal — we coordinate beforehand so I'm in exactly the right spot to catch the reaction without it showing. Seville has perfect corners for a moment like that, from an Alcázar courtyard to a quiet bench by the Guadalquivir. You live the moment; I make sure it's kept.