In the most recent issue of Elska, a bi-monthly magazine that offers a glimpse at the real lives of GBT+ men around the world, queer locals from Madrid, Spain, opened up about their lived experiences through candid storytelling and insightful photography of Spain’s capital city.

Liam Campbell, the editor and chief photographer for Elska, offers readers worldwide an intimate glance at the lives of 16 “ordinary men from the Spanish capital,” as they discuss their style, their mood, and their bodies alongside a series of personal photographs taken in their homes and throughout Madrid.

Speaking on the magazine’s latest issue, Campbell wrote: “Elska: Madrid has become the forty-sixth issue in a project that’s been thriving for over eight years, and I know many will be perplexed as to why it took us this long to finally get to Spain. 

“We certainly weren’t trying to avoid Span, I suppose it was more a case of think that a Spanish issue would be a breeze to make and that we’d keep it in the back pocket until someday we’d feel ready to treat ourselves,” Campbell continued.

“It proved true that it was a treat to make our Madrid issue, but the resulting issue surprised us, especially in how moving it was,” continued Liam. “Like all Elska issues, much of people’s personalities and bodies are shared, but particularly in this issue so much heart was revealed. I cried at least three times when I first read the issue, and teared up several more times during the editing process. I expected Madrid to be a happy-go-lucky sort of city, with stories that might be light to the point of banality, but that was far from what we got. It makes me want to return to Spain again very soon.”

If you are interested in getting to know the city of Madrid and the queer men who live there, check out the latest edition of Elska: Madrid, which can be found on their website.

Make sure to also check out their stunning Dublin issue to view their stunning portraits of queer men in the Irish capital.