“Some people see my photos and say, ‘this isn’t real’”: Antonio García captures the night skies of Ibiza and Formentera in his latest exhibition

Antonio García arrived in Ibiza from Lucena, Córdoba, when he was six years old and today, at 49, he feels the island is his own. Although he works professionally as an installer at Servicios Palau, since 2018 photography has become one of his great passions. He is now presenting his first photography exhibition, Pitiusas: el tiempo en pausa, a collection of his most special images of Ibiza and Formentera, in which the moon, the Milky Way, lighthouses, windmills and night skies take centre stage.

The exhibition brings together landscape photographs and astrophotography taken over recent years. Among them are compositions of the Castle and the Cathedral with the full moon, images of Formentera such as Molí Vell de la Mola beneath the Milky Way, scenes of the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse, es Vedrà and the sa Conillera lighthouse. “I want to show a different Ibiza and Formentera, not just the islands of beach tourism or partying, but also islands with beautiful landscapes and fairly dark night skies, perfect for photography and stargazing”, he explains.

His work is not the result of chance. García insists that many of his images are the product of months, and even years, of planning. “My strength is finding the perfect moment, the perfect alignment with the Moon, the Milky Way or the Sun”, he says. Some photographs can only be taken once or twice a year, and only if the weather allows. “I have a moonset over es Vedrà from Formentera that I had been planning for a year. If it is cloudy that day, it is ruined and you have to wait for another opportunity”, he says.

The image before the photograph

The process, he explains, always begins with imagination. First, he visualises the image he wants to achieve and then checks whether it is possible using specialised apps such as PhotoPills, developed in Menorca. With this tool, he calculates the exact spot from which he needs to position himself, as well as the date, time and trajectory of the Moon, the Sun or the Milky Way. “Everything starts with an idea in your head. Then you put it into the planner and get the position, the date, the day, the month, the year and the exact time”, he summarises.

His interest in photography began simply, by taking photos with his mobile phone. From the start, however, he was looking for a different perspective. “If you go to the es Vedrà viewpoint and take a photo standing up with your phone, it will probably be beautiful, but there will be a hundred people with the same image. I am not looking for that photo, I am looking for another perspective: from a cave, close to the ground or with a different frame”, he explains. At the end of 2017, he bought his first camera and began training. First, he took an introductory course in Ibiza and later specialised in night photography with photographer Mario Rubio. He then travelled to Belchite, in Zaragoza, to continue learning about night photography and planning.

Since then, he says, his progress has been “huge”. “I put a lot of passion into it. When I really put my mind to something, I give it everything”, he says. That dedication has led him to spend entire nights searching for the image he wants. In the case of the Milky Way, sessions can begin in the early hours and last until dawn. “Sometimes you get up at one in the morning and go to the location. Since you are already awake, you make the most of every frame and location you can”, he comments.

The exhibition includes images that, he admits, often surprise viewers. “Some people say: ‘This isn’t real’. But the camera captures more light than our eyes. With planning, you can achieve a very striking photograph,” he explains. On the use of artificial intelligence, García makes clear that he does not use it to add elements or falsify scenes. He does use editing tools to reduce noise in night photographs or to remove small distracting elements, such as a cable or a bottle. “I do not use artificial intelligence to place a moon where it does not belong. I rely on technology to improve the final quality, not to invent the photograph”, he states.

New projects, from Norway to Iceland

Although this exhibition is dedicated to the Pityusic Islands, García is already looking towards new landscapes. He has photographed the Northern Lights in the Lofoten Islands, in Norway, and is preparing a trip to Iceland for next year. Even so, Ibiza and Formentera continue to occupy a central place in his work. “Here there are unique moments of light, sunrises, sunsets and skies that many people do not see”, he says.

Looking ahead to the eclipse on 12 August, García has already decided on the location from which he will try to capture the image, although he prefers not to reveal the place. “I’m not going to say, because otherwise it will fill up with people”, he jokes. He explains that he considered several plans, including a lighthouse and Dalt Vila, but has finally chosen a third option.

Antonio García values perseverance as the key to learning something new: “In anything you put effort and time into, you will improve”, he says. With Pitiusas: el tiempo en pausa, he fulfils his dream of sharing his personal view of Ibiza and Formentera in an exhibition that can be visited from 28 April to 21 May 2026 at the Jesús Cultural Centre, from Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 1.30pm and from 4pm to 8pm. García has also shared his knowledge in courses on night photography, editing and planning alongside other colleagues under the name Tu Foto de Ibiza. Although the workshops have been occasional, he admits that he enjoys teaching others to look at the landscape with greater intention, from technique to the search for that different frame that makes all the difference.