Carnival Costumes: Bolivian Devil, Barcelona Carnaval 2008

Now that we can easily distinguish the Bolivian flag next to our character we can dare to say that this is a Bolivian costume. Thanks to this clue and jumping to the conclusion that this must be some devil figure it is not difficult to investigate Bolivian carnival and discover that a devil dance or diablada is suppose to inagurate the famous carnaval in Oruro, Bolivia. The story deviates a little from our subject which is Barcelona but I guess many of you would like to learn about colorful costumes and traditions in South America. Please read the whole article about Bolivian Carnaval here. Today I was not pretty satisfied with the image so I asked my wife: What do you think? No need to say she didn't like it either. I had the hunch. But the figure is so hideous, and to make it worse, the fact that it was on top of a passing truck looked so bizarre and out of context, that I thought, hey, why not!!!. What do you think?

Carnival Costumes: Indian Chief Feather Hat, Barcelona, Spain

Another one for the road, a boy wearing an Indian Chief feather hat during Carnival 2008 celebrations in Barcelona. I am trying to get more colorful pictures, I calibrated my monitor recently but as you know that's not an easy task. My screen is relatively big but not too good in quality. It looks somewhat softer now but I can perceive all the gray scale tonalities. Maybe in my attempt to make my images more contrasty they show too dark on your monitor. Perhaps they look more saturated now. No matter what the final result is I hate dull pictures, at least unintentional dull pictures. We may not be good photographers but at least let's avoid that disgusting washed out look. I know many of you obtain quite colorful images full of contrast, any tips that might help us all enhance our photos?

Barcelona Carnival Costumes: Clowns in the Mirror

Barcelona Carnival costumes detail. Two clowns or is it just one, looking at herself in the mirror? As usual this picture looks better if enlarged. I could have cropped the faces but I wanted to keep the hand gesture and the out of focus clown in the far right to emphasize the fact they are on top of a carnival float. Am I digressing here? Well at least she is cute and those piercings give her quite a modern look. See if you can find her clown nose.

Carnival Costumes: Girl With Mantilla

Another carnival photograph taken in Barcelona. This time, a girl covered with a colorful mantilla or manta cloak. Our Carnival 2008 has been a total success and fortunately it started to rain just when celebrations ended around 11:30 at night.

Carnival Costumes: Three Men In White, Barcelona, Spain

This is my second image about Carnival costumes. As I said most of them are regional clothes mainly from the immigrants, the new Catalans that added the brightest colors to Carnival celebrations in the city of Barcelona. This year a new variant has been introduced in the event: the Rua, that is, all the participants in the parade (about 3000 people) walked along Passeig Maragall, a long avenue in the Nou Barris and Horta Quarters about 20 minutes from the city center (subway or bus). As you can imagine to have such an important event happening in front of your door once in a life time makes all the citizens in this part of town quite happy. No more traffic jams going downtown to find that there's no room to watch the parade and then walk your way back because the subway is packed with people or buses won't stop. It was about time authorities organized Carnivals in other areas of Barcelona. I don't know who the smart guy or girl was, but hey, you can have yourself a couple of drinks, I pay!

Carnival Costumes: Sisters on Fire

With this post I start my Barcelona Carnival series. Most of my coming pictures are costumes, specially regional costumes. But as you can see kids make better images due to their spontaneity and that ability to find magic where our untrained eye hardly sees happiness and beauty.

Carnival Time in Barcelona!

Hereby I want to make clear that this blog is not dead. No way! With this enthusiastic cry of joy I want to declare carnival season open in Barcelona Photoblog. I know many of you wanted to know about this important event in Barcelona so I have a whole set of carnival images coming your way. Please forgive my irregular posting, I think sometimes we need a little break to gasp for some fresh air. By the way this February my photo blog will be two years old. I don't believe in celebrations but I am happy to be around and be able to share some time with you.

Casa Rocamora: Renaissance-Gothic-Inspired Art Nouveau

Casa Rocamora on the corner of carrer Casp and Passeig de Gracia very near Plaça Catalunya. 

Manuel Rocamora belonged to a Catalan bourgeois family that was prosperous making tallow candles and soaps. He was a collector of art thanks to his mother. The family industry of spark plugs and soaps was called Rocamora y Cia, and owes its growth to trade with the Spanish colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico. It was founded as such by Marcos Rocamora in 1845. 

At the end of the 19th century Barcelona appears as the great Spanish soap-making center, and all due to the Rocamora family. Its growth is closely linked to trade with the colonies, for this reason the loss of colonial trade meant the bankruptcy of the factory. The factory will close its doors in 1956.

Casa Rocamora, one of the most beautiful representatives of Catalan Art Nouveau with a touch of Renaissance Gothic influence was built by Bonaventura and Joaquim Bassegoda in 1914. 

It is not the first time I include this house in Barcelona Photoblog but since the last picture was taken with an old camera which didn't favor the building too much I thought, why not giving it a second chance? Please check my original post: Catalan Modernisme: Casa Rocamora

Coach Drivers in Sant Andreu Quarter, Barcelona, Spain

These two coach drivers were taking part of Tres Tombs parade in Sant Andreu quarter recently. Although I decided to add some effects to the picture, both the drivers and the people in the background were really there, I mean there are no tricks as to the scene. I have only played with photo filters over the image in black and white to visually detach both the coach and the onlookers from the background.

Brain Cut at Cosmocaixa Science Museum, Barcelona, Spain

Where did all the knowledge go? In what secret chamber were my feelings stored? Which intricate volutes concealed the mistery of my soul? My nightmares, my childhood, my secrets, all that love, my deja vus, my premonitions, my nostalgy, my fears, is that all erased forever more? My humanity, my morality, my religion, my sense of beauty, my taboos, my sexuality! Oh Lord! What mighty purpose is there behind experiencing life so vividly and having to perish by natural laws?
The brain cut that serves as the inspiration for this philosophical conundrum was photographed inside Cosmocaixa Science Museum. In case you want to know more about your brain take a look at The History of the Brain

Cocoa Fruit and Grains Detail in Chocolate Trade Show, Barcelona

From last Barcelona Chocolate Trade Show is this basket with cocoa grains next to the original fruit. The basket was displayed in a beautiful stall adorned with all sorts of antiques related with the elaboration of chocolate.

Food in Barcelona: Cheese Cake Detail

Food also has a small corner in this blog if it is made in Barcelona of course. This cheese cake I saw during a chocolate trade show some months ago and is coming out of my archives cause I was having a lot of trouble to find more time for my photo tours around the city. We have been moving our office to another quarter and guess what, I am working downtown so luckily I will capture more interesting shots soon.

Modernist Balcony in Barcelona, Spain

This was a dull picture with blown up skies, askew and no size enough to properly crop, but yet it was a beautiful Catalan Art Nouveau (Modernisme) balcony I thought you might like to set eyes on. There are images I shoot so badly that it becomes really hard to use them afterwards. I tried to pretend a soft color, almost black and white with some grain but not on the stained glass windows. Both the balcony and the windows are a little emphasized with some light. I hope you appreciate the architecture in the end which is the main purpose of a wasted hour of image processing.

Strong Horse at Tres Tombs Parade, Sant Andreu, Barcelona, Spain

I swear I had never seen such strong a horse although I am aware of morphology and breeds. This animal in the equine world would be the equivalent of a pro bodybuilder on growth hormones. Look at those legs, that's not only hair! And that in the background is not a cardboard rock. No, that was a huge stone on top of a sturdy cart. It makes no sense to force the beast to handle such a heavy load for such futile purpose but traditions are traditions and Tres Tombs parade is no less.

Horse Closeup At Tres Tombs Parade, Sant Andreu, Barcelona

This is a close shot of a horse during Tres Tombs parade in Sant Andreu district, Barcelona. It was a very bright day but I think it turned out right in spite of the harsh light. Further on I will explain what this parade is about.

Columns at Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

These are some of the 86 Doric columns under the terrace at Park Guell, Barcelona. The place was featured in Barcelona Photoblog a long time ago so here's a link to: Park Guell Columns

Serpentine Bench Detail at Park Guell, Barcelona, Spain

Serpentine bench detail at Park Guell by Antoni Gaudi

A detail of a serpentine bench at Park Guell, Barcelona. Not the first time I show you these modernist benches by Gaudi. Using the trencadis technique he composed curious patterns that not only included color tiles but several other pieces that look like bottle bottoms to me. If you enlarge the picture you will be able to see what I mean.

For those of you who have not visited the park I should say that the undulated benches encircle a big terrace with a view over Barcelona and the sea. More posts about serpentine benches in Barcelona Photoblog: Mosaic Work Called Trencadis by Gaudi, Mosaic Serpentine Benches Landmark of Barcelona and Trencadis Serpentine Bench at Park Guell.

Three Little Pigs Photograph

Three little pigs playing in the straw. I am sorry but it was impossible to catch them all facing the camera, so one of them is clearly being somewhat rude. Those of you craving for more city pictures may be disappointed when I make these abrupt changes of topic. I think it is good to diversify and to create expectations about the future, like, what the heck is gonna show next time? The place, the medieval fair of Suria again. Long time ago, I know, this is from my archives so the poor creatures are not with us anymore.

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 Guell (Olot street). Both buildings were once the houses of the park's keepers. In the picture you can see a narrow spire crowned by a four armed cross as well as a small mushroom-like cupola with some oriental reminiscence and the peculiar battlement around the edge, an ackward combination you only associate with fairy tales or very wild dreams. Notice the impressive trencadis work of the roof, in other words, the mosaic composition created with irregular shards of tiles omnipresent in Gaudian 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.