Proposal photographer in Valencia

A proposal is the one session where the photographer must go unnoticed, so the useful question in Valencia is not where it looks best but where someone with a long lens can stand without being seen. The Turia is the good answer: sunk five metres below the street, planted with mature trees, with people running, cycling and sitting about at every hour, so a figure thirty metres away is part of the scenery. The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències at sunrise is the beautiful wrong answer. The water is still and the plaza is empty, and an empty plaza has nowhere to hide anything. The Cabanyal at first light sits between the two, with doorways and corners for cover and neighbours who will look up. We agree the spot and a signal beforehand and walk it once.

When to book in Valencia

In the Turia, the last hour before sunset gives warm light through the trees and enough people around for cover, without crowds. At the Albufera the moment has to land in the last forty minutes before the sun meets the water, which means planning the drive backwards from the sunset time: about half past five in December, after nine in June. The Cabanyal works only in the first two hours of daylight. Spring and autumn are the easiest months; in July and August the evening in the Turia is still pleasant while the coast is sticky. Avoid the Fallas week: the noise and the crowds make a quiet moment impossible, and the centre is closed to cars.