FROM REHEARSAL TO PROCESSION

The procession is what people see. The story begins long before it reaches the street.

I was granted access to document the Cofradía Virgen de las Angustias, an all-women sisterhood, in the weeks leading up to Semana Santa, following the women from rehearsals and preparation through to the procession itself.

The women are the float bearers, carrying the paso through the streets, a demanding physical and emotional commitment requiring strength, discipline, concentration and endurance.

My knowledge of Spain, fluent Spanish and English, and ability to build relationships naturally allowed me to work within the sisterhood rather than simply photograph the procession from the outside. That access meant I could document the quieter moments of preparation, the physical effort, the fatigue, the concentration and the relationships between the women that are invisible once the procession reaches the street.

Behind the spectacle is a community carrying a centuries-old tradition forward through work, devotion and shared purpose.

This is a story about the people behind the procession, and the access that makes it possible to photograph what happens before the public ever sees it.