Park Guell, Barcelona - Entrance Tower With Spire And Trencadis Work

This is a detail of one of the two towers at the main entrance to Park Güell on Carrer d’Olot, the fairytale gatehouses that once served as homes for the park’s keepers.

In the picture you can see a very slender spire crowned by a four‑armed cross, a small mushroom‑like cupola with a faintly oriental air, and the peculiar battlement running around the edge of the roof, an unlikely combination you would normally associate with storybooks or very wild dreams.

Notice the impressive trencadís work on the roof, the shimmering mosaic created from irregular shards of ceramic tile that has become one of Gaudí’s most recognizable signatures throughout Park Güell and the rest of his Barcelona architecture.

Collier Making Charcoal - Medieval Occupations at Suria

This collier making charcoal, is a black and white picture rescued from my archives and taken long ago in the annual medieval fair of a town called Suria. The man, a neighbor of this fortress village, was impersonating a coal burner next to this sort of rudimentary pit kiln. Back in medieval times there were lots of occupations which are long forgotten now or that have considerably changed. Read more and check pictures of old trades in my previous posts about Suria: The Potter, The Stonecutter and The Basket Weaver. Today's image looks better if enlarged.

Children Photography: Tres Tombs Parade, Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Spain

This two children were driving a small coach in the Cavalcada dels Tres Tombs (Tres Tombs parade) in Sant Andreu district, Barcelona. I won't give you details about the parade because I want to concentrate on the kids' pose and due to the fact that I will post many more related images next week. I have pointed out sometimes in this blog that I love the way children behave in front of the camera showing that part of the soul we stubbornly try to hide every single day of the year. Take a look at each of them, dressed in elegant aristocrat costumes...the boy is concentrated so much on the reins that nothing in this world could distract him away from such magic experience; and what about the little girl, with that stern look, half conceited, half irritated and still finding some time to wave a hand with noble grace. Children can always surprise you with the most spontaneus gesture and they almost always look great in pictures, but still there are ways to take the most out of that sudden improvisation. Here are some tips about children photography:
The Complete Guide to Children Photography: This is a good course to get a general idea about how to approach a child in photography to get the best results in your pictures.
Depth of Field: DOF is used consciously or by chance but to make the best out of it we must know how it works in detail. Discover this excellent tutorial about DOF.

Boats on Sant Pol de Mar Beach Near Barcelona, Spain

A glimpse of Sant Pol with some fishermen boats lined up on the sand in the middle of the winter it is always a pleasure to the eyes. To know more about this beach and its town visit my previous posts: Sant Pol de Mar, Maresme Coast, Catalonia, Spain and Sant Pol de Mar, Maresme Coast, near Barcelona.

Sant Jaume Square: View of Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain

Sant Jaume square with Palau de la Generalitat in the background, a place many of you will remember if you've ever been to Barcelona. In case you haven't, you ought to know that Palau de la Generalitat is the headquarters of the Government of Catalonia and of the Presidency of the Generalitat. The building was originally designed by architect Marc Safont and erected under his supervision in XV c. over a previous property bought by the Council, further undergoing important structure transformation and blending of architectural periods. The façade and two important sections are of renaissance style but once the Courts took over the building in the XVIIIth century the chapel was extended and the bell tower was crowned according to the predominant Gothic style. In 1914 a major restoration was carried out to recover the palace to its original preservation state right before the occupation by the Courts. Those works were directed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the prolific modernist architect many times featured in this blog as for example in my post: La Diputació (Barcelona Provincial Government) not to be mistaken with La Generalitat!.

Modernist Balcony, Ali Bei Street, Barcelona

Catalan Art Nouveau also called Modernisme treasures real beauties when it comes to balconies. Take a look at this building for example at carrer Ali Bei with protruding windows covering part of the main balcony. A long time ago another building on the same block (about two doors away) was featured in Barcelona Photoblog: Art Nouveau Balcony

Butterfly Shot to Welcome the New Year

To celebrate the start of a new year and though this poor white lepidopteran aka butterfly is long gone since I took this picture in Sant Pol de Mar last October, I decided to show you something fresh that mitigates the sad and transcendental mood portrayed in the previous post, that is, last year!

Sunset Farewell at Barcelona Port

 

To kiss goodbye 2007 I should have published this image in due time. As it is written somewhere in the stars that my daily posting mission is too heavy a cross to carry sometimes, I come to you from the future to talk about the end of the year.

I had chosen this elder couple looking far away in the distance, perhaps taking their last pictures of Barcelona before turning back home, to make some kind of allegory about time, age, hope and whatever good thoughts this image may inspire. I let you with them watching the sun slowly set over Montjuic mountain. Tomorrow it will be just another day on earth, let's take the most out of it.

Guardia Civil Patrol Boat at Barcelona Port

A sunset image taken at Barcelona Port with a close look on a Guardia Civil patrol boat. Besides the Spanish police boat, the World Trade Center building in the background and the Jaume I cable car tower are also worth mentioning.

Ecuadorian Dancers Wearing Traditional Costumes

These dancers wearing traditional costumes of Ecuador were part of an event organized in Nou Barris quarter some months ago. The picture I recovered from my archives since I forgot to show you in this previous post called Bolivian dancers.

Sarcophagus in Pedralbes Monastery

Although part of the tomb of Queen Elisenda de Montcada which you can see in the Pedralbes Monastery Museum site, this one is a small sarcophagus where the Queen is represented as an abbess and not wearing the crown as the sculpture on the main tomb.

Violin Player or Fiddler

This man was playing the violin in a clear country music style. I think the beard totally characterizes this fiddler in his role so I decided to post it for you.

Musician Playing Celtic Melodies

This woman was playing celtic tunes with this beautiful anglo concertina in Sant Iscle de Vallalta near Barcelona.

Portrait of Miguel by Lourdes Martin, A Powerful Image I liked in 2007

Miguel by Lourdes Martin Cabrero was the portrait I liked the most in 2007. Lourdes Martin was awarded the Silver Lux Award in the Portrait category by AFP (Pro Photographers Association). Lux are one of the most prestigious photography awards in Spain. The ceremony was held during past Sonimagfoto 2007 event at Fira de Barcelona, Montjuic. This image belongs to Lourdes Martin. I just wanted to express my admiration for her portrait and in a way promote the most recent work of Spanish photographers. Check the AFP site and specially 'Miguel'. See other posts about Sonimagfoto 2007.

Branch Fantasy

In this one, I just liked the way these branches hung, the overlapping of the many flowers, and the happy mood they created in my soul some time last autumn under the bright morning sun. I believe these are bougainvilleas although they look wilder than the garden vine.

Australopithecus Afarensis: Lucy at Cosmocaixa Science Museum

Australopithecus Afarensis, in this case the female called Lucy as part of the Civilized Matter exhibition in Cosmocaixa Science Museum, in other words, a narration about the evolution of man in the last 100.000 years (more at the official Cosmocaixa site, although not in English). Perhaps you want to know about australopithecus or even the story of Lucy itself so I recommend this site where you can admire another reproduction of the famous afarensis that goes by the name of Lucy.

Fallen Leaves

Just some fallen leaves on someone's swimming pool. Nothing more to say today. My thoughts went blank on this one. I like the red leaves though.

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Lepiota Procera or Parasol Mushroom, Sant Iscle Mushroom Fair, Barcelona, Spain

This species of mushroom or bolet known as the Parasol Mushroom (lepiota procera) I photographed at Sant Iscle de Vallalta Mushroom Fair near Barcelona. Remember to check my previous post about this fair called Gathering Wild Mushrooms or Bolets in Catalonia.

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Holy Scene: Prayer

To follow with my holy scenes series I will let you alone with this intimate moment of reflection and prayers.

No matter what your religion is or even in case you don't have any, I think it is easy to admire revolutionary men like this, call him with whatever name you choose, that someday, somewhere in time, decided to sacrifice for the sake of his fellowmen.

Check other post here: Holy Scene at Pedralbes Monastery Exhibition

Priest Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

To complete the scene here is the other religious icon located to the right of the sculpture in my previous post: Religious Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

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