November 30, 2007

Mermaid Human Statue in Las Ramblas, Barcelona

A silver-painted living statue of a mermaid sitting on a box, looking downward with a melancholic expression.

The Little Mermaid's Day Job

Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid. But this wasn't the Disney version singing happy songs; this was a sad and lonely little mermaid, working nine to five out of the water just to make ends meet in Las Ramblas, Barcelona.

You can see it in her posture. She is slumped over, clutching that little purse made of shells, looking completely lost. She probably only wanted to go swim with her father in the deep blue sea a few miles away from the Barcelona port, but let's face the facts: human money is much better than devaluated seashells in her underwater world right now.

A Fish Out of Water

It is a tough life indeed. Imagine wearing all that heavy silver makeup, your scales getting dry in the hot Spanish sun, and having to deal with thousands of stingy, strange creatures with no tails staring at you like you are the school of fish.

The detail on her costume is impressive—from the silver-braided "hair" to the shell bodice—but the real story is in the fatigue. Yeah, it sounds like a fairytale, but human statues in Las Ramblas are real people with real bills. They need the money, so let's give them some coins to take back home because they really deserve it.

Daily Photo Recommendation

On a side note, a picture I really liked today comes from the City Daily Photo group: Free Parking by Hyderabad Daily Photo, India. I really like the silhouette of the road against the sunset and the incredible amount of cars in that huge traffic jam. It makes our traffic here look like nothing!

November 29, 2007

Rafols Hardware Store: Ironwork in Barcelona

Modernist Hardware Store Front Door in Barcelona [enlarge]

Ferreteria Rafols (hardware store) is located at Ronda de Sant Pere, 74. Its façade is catalogued as part of the urban and architectural elements in Barcelona, mainly due to the ironwork which dates back to 1919 and was made by Calixte Tresserras. Wrought iron was commonly used to adorn commercial buildings at the beginnings of last century. Maybe you would like to learn the words on the signs, left: Drugstore, Houseware and right: Nuts, Bolts and Screws; Tools, Lock Work.

Picture I liked today from the City Daily Photo group: Growing Back by Iblowfish from Cleveland Daily Photo, Ohio. I think it has good bw treatment, the title fits perfectly and the image is well composed and powerful.

Useful Link of the Day: The Blogger's Guide to Search Engine Optimization

November 28, 2007

Holy Scene 2 at Pedralbes Monastery

Holy Scene at Pedralbes Monastery

This is my second holy scene taken inside the Pedralbes Monastery.

As you can see it is another miniature representation of a religious passage. The light was dim, but the set as I pointed out in the first holy scene, was spectacular.

I want to remind you and the bots that this blog is not about religion. I prefer to stick to photography which is much more fun as a hobby. Christmas is around the corner so I think this topic is more than suitable and besides, art manifests in many forms that enrich our knowledge in many ways.
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