Curtain Call: A Backstage Insight

A backstage insight, this was what I wanted to portray when I captured these two artists before the curtain call. How does it feel when your work is rewarded with a big round of applause? How much time is there behind every performance? Rehearsals, blunders, stress and then the big day arrives. Nerves as usual make their best to ruin your act, your stomach becomes your worst enemy and you feel a sudden rush of fear but little by little your will overcomes your insecurity and you manage to seduce the audience with a great performance. And then you are there behind the curtain. You left the stage too fast maybe. Although it was not enough prize, you wait, still thinking things didn't turn out right, and then...they call you back, they ask for an encore with a standing ovation. How did our two artists feel at that very moment? Take a look at their faces, they speak for themselves.

The Harp Player: How to Pull The Right Strings

I was dying about posting a BW picture again in Barcelona Photoblog but I just didn't have enough inspiration to find the right occasion nor the best subject. As a matter of chance, I happened to sit upfront in the small concert hall where my daughter was supposed to play the piano. It was a long program and many kids were to perform each one with their own instrument. What I never expected was to be so close, camera in hand, to this boy and his harp. He played the notes gracefully, with that self confidence only promising musicians of his age would have and not even my imprudent flash was able to deviate his attention or stop him from pulling the right strings on his way to success.
Two good links for the road: The History of the Harp and on a different line of content Harp magazine

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Singers Rehearsing at Colonia Guell, Barcelona

The day we visited Colonia Guell in the outskirts of Barcelona it was a complete surprise to come across these singers rehearsing in front of the entrance to the crypt (the small church built by Gaudi). They were singing traditional Catalan songs and were supposed to walk towards the center of the small town to enter by surprise in bars to entertain clients.

Places I stumbled upon today: Running the Numbers

Topsy-Turvy Confidence

Being upside down, hanging from just one foot and depending on your partner's firm hold to keep your head safe some meters above the ground simply takes guts and a blind confidence in your fellow trapezist. This circus act took place in Terrasa near Barcelona recently (remember my previous post about the Perch Act). I added a vignette action in Photoshop to blur the distracting blue sign on the left.

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Circus: Perch Act. The Human Flag

Talking about being lucky and random photography: We came across this show in Terrassa (in the outskirts of Barcelona) where a small group of artists was performing as part of the public activities organized by local authorities. 

The place was crowded and we were a little at a loss since this was only our second time in town. I took pictures of many artists but one of the acts really caught my eye: there were these two men, one holding a big pole on straps and the other climbing to the top with feline agility, they were doing the Perch Act. 

Notice the impossible pose of this guy, with his legs fully extended like some sort of human flag or vane pointing in the direction of the wind. I managed to take a picture of them backstage and to hear their names over the loudspeaker. Well, now thanks to the magic of the web and the little traces of memory I have left, I found out that these two men are well known in the circus world and the media. Here is their official site and some beautiful pictures. Ladies and gentlemen: Luciano Martin and Kike Aguilera from Zahir Circo. Let the show begin!