Tag Archives: photography

Stony & Textural Black & White in Barcelona, Spain

Even in sunny Spain, there are cold, wet, and gloomy days when the colour of the sky is flat and bright shades of clothing or advertising are muted and subdued. What better time to switch to black and white photography which actually enhances the image since you are looking at the bones, the structure, or the texture instead of being wowed by snappy-bright colour.

These are from Barcelona on a wet but wonderful Sunday. The building is the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, the city museum of Barcelona. This 15th Century palace was moved, stone by stone, from its original location in 1931 due to the upcoming construction of a roadway. When the new site on Placa del Rei was being excavated and prepared for the rebuilding of the palace, there was a stunning archaeological find — a large section of the old Roman city was still lying beneath the city streets of Barcelona!

I will have a slide show from the interior of this museum in the coming days.

Enjoy!

Upper exterior of the dramatically gloomy 15th Century building housing the Barcelona History Museum. This historic palace is built atop part of an excavated Roman city.

Gargoyles ring the upper part of the history museum in Barcelona

Entry to the imposing 15th Century stone palace housing the Barcelona History Museum. An excavated section of the former Roman city is on view in the lower levels.

One last picture — a glimpse through a narrow passageway which is down the street from the museum.

View down a narrow passage in Barcelona, Spain

Too Full Of Noise? Perhaps Not!

This photo of the day will not be sent to my stock agencies for one big reason — noise artifacts in spite of using noise removal in my Lightroom 4 software. But at a smaller resolution, it still packs a punch of funny energy! It was taken in quite low light and actually looked almost black before I worked on it. But bringing up the image also meant bringing out the grain and the surface noise. Ah well — at least I can share it with you.

We were in a very dark cafe in the Barri Gotic district of Barcelona a few weeks ago and this man was sleeping soundly in spite of the dishes clattering and the people coming and going through that door right next to him. His wife sat there reading her Spanish daily newspaper — and he slept and slept and slept for the 20 minutes that we were in there having a cup of tea.

Enjoy!

Napping man with black beret in a cafe in Barcelona, Spain.

Inside the Salvadore Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain

You’ve seen my previous articles and photo essays — the goddess atop the Cadillac — followed by the eggs adorning the exterior facade. So now it’s time to have a wee peek inside the museum.

As I mentioned before, the Salvadore Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain is spread out over 6 levels accessed by stairs, stairs, stairs. So do be prepared for that!

Many of the items on display are either framed and behind glass, surrounded by reflective surfaces, encased within glass boxes, or were completely obstructed by other people in the way. All of those factors limited the amount of photos that I could take which would have even been worth trying to post online. But I think that this sprinkling of images will give you a small bit of insight into a very complicated mind. Whether it was drawing, painting, sculpture, film, or jewels — Dali seems to have been inspired to work in a variety of artistic mediums.

The final photograph was taken in a room full of jewelery and small carved objects — and I found it rather poignant that he chose to be there at the end, surrounded by the work that he created with love.

Take your time when you go to this museum — there is quite a lot to see and absorb.

Nose of the black Cadillac within the central courtyard

Goddess riding atop the Cadillac in Dali’s courtyard

Another view of the always busy courtyard

Sculpture niches in the courtyard of the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain

Dali’s humour on display in this vast ‘Sistine Chapel’ ceiling

The chairs which appear to be so small beneath the painting actually reveal the massive scale of this work of art by Salvadore Dali.

A very large and very lovely painting of women comprised of rock shapes

Dali’s “Soft Self Portrait’

Dali’s tomb within a wall of his museum in Figueres, Spain

Come back soon for more articles and photos of Barcelona and Figueres.

Eggs, Anyone? Dali Can Help!

Walking up the streets of Figueres, Spain on a clear and sunny winter’s day, we came around a corner and were only half way down the block when I saw huge eggs atop a the upper edges of a pinkish-orange building. I laughed and said to Mark, “That has to be the Dali Museum!”

The photos below show the striking and crayon-strong colours of the building and sky on that day. This is the side of the museum where you enter the Dali Jewels Museum.

Huge decorative egg shapes alternate with golden statues on pedestals atop the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

Closer view of the huge decorative egg shapes & golden statues on pedestals atop the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

Huge decorative egg shapes atop the round tower of the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time I was taking these photos. The whole building just gives off an energy of amusement! And how wonderfully flamboyant are those Academy Award style statues which alternate with the eggs? Genius!

Eggs are a favourite repeating motif of Salvadore Dali. “The egg is another common Dalíesque image. He connects the egg to the prenatal and intrauterine, thus using it to symbolize hope and love.”

The courtyard side below is the main entry into the 6 level (yes, you read that correctly) Dali Theatre Museum. And isn’t the soft colour palette of this more classical facade an interesting contrast to the other side of the building.

Inside the museum there are stairs, some quite steep and circular, and no elevators. So this is definitely not a place for anyone with mobility issues. It was a fascinating place to visit, but after hours and hours of trekking up and down flights of stairs, I have to admit that I was quite exhausted.

Front entry of the Salvadore Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

This church tower is directly opposite the Dali Museum entry that you see above. It was the Dali family’s church, Salvadore Dali was baptised here, and it has been reconstructed following severe damage during the Spanish Civil War.

St. Pere Church (10th-14th Century) tower directly across from the Salvadore Dali Museum entrance in Figueres, Spain. This was Dali’s family church and he was baptised here.

My next post will show you some of the glorious things inside the museum — so come back soon.

Days Out In Barcelona: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera – Part 2

Constructed between 1905 to 1910, Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, is an interesting mix of almost futuristic exterior, as seen in yesterday’s rooftop sculptures post, and the very traditional interiors that certainly reflect the time in which the house was built.

Mark on the fascinating sculptural rooftop of Casa Mila — La Pedrera.

An example of the custom furniture Antoni Gaudi made is seen in this settee on display in the Casa Mila — La Pedrera.

The slide show below may be a surprise to some people who think of Gaudi as an architect of the fantastic and futuristic.

We need to remember that this was a commission for a family home and that the family surrounded themselves with the type of furniture, fabrics, and accessories that would have felt familiar and comfortable in the early years of the 1900s. You even get a tiny peek at the work spaces for the family’s housemaid.

One additional thing to note, this is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and should be high on the list of places to visit in Barcelona for anyone who is interested in the history of architecture.

The pictures begin in the amazing vaulted brick-tile attic space where there are displays of Gaudi’s building miniatures, discussions of his methodology in film segments, and exhibits of his unique furniture and hardware designs.

Enjoy!

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Barcelona Days Out: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera

You know you have arrived at one of the more popular tourism sites for art and architecture in Barcelona, Spain when the Barcelona Bus Turistic is parked outside.

The Barcelona Bus Turistic parked outside the very popular Casa Mila, better known as La Pedrera, in Barcelona, Spain.

Casa Mila — which is also known as La Pedrera — is one of Antoni Gaudi’s most beloved architectural creations. Built as a private residence for the Mila family, there was strong objection to Gaudi’s designs and overt religious symbolism at the time of construction and many of the details had to be scaled back to comply with what the governing board deemed acceptable.

We were lucky enough to tour the rooftop area during one of the two ‘golden light’ periods of the day, just before dusk. Although we were jostled constantly by other tourists, I did manage to get several good shots that weren’t cluttered with people.

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A visual link to Gaudi’s masterpiece church, the Sagrada Familia, is available from the rooftop view from Casa Mila – La Pedrera in Barcelona.

My next article will be on the interior of the building including the period furnishings that are in place and the architectural details that Gaudi designed. This building is still lived in on several floors, so although the museum floors of the Casa Mila are open to the paying public, many other places are private and only for the use of the residents.

Hope you are enjoying these glimpses of Barcelona!

Barcelona Days Out: Street Photography

Sometimes a single image says rather a lot and since I started my photographic life as a journalist, street photography still appeals to me.

On a Saturday afternoon in Barcelona, Spain, two women spend their afternoon in very different ways. I stood and watched for several minutes, and neither of them appeared to notice or acknowledge the presence of the other one. It was, however, an interesting juxtaposition of day-to-day action and lifestyle.

One further somewhat surprising note, I noticed quite a few people taking pictures with an iPad on this trip!

Two women in Barcelona, Spain spend their Saturday afternoon in very different ways.

POSTSCRIPT
I’ll be back in 24-48 hours with some stunning architectural shots from Gaudi’s Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera. The late afternoon light atop the rooftop terrace with its alien-like chimneys and vents was glorious!

Alien-like chimneys and vents adorn the rooftop terraces of Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera.

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey

Tag Archives: photography

Stony & Textural Black & White in Barcelona, Spain

Too Full Of Noise? Perhaps Not!

Inside the Salvadore Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain

Eggs, Anyone? Dali Can Help!

Days Out In Barcelona: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera – Part 2

Barcelona Days Out: Gaudi’s Casa Mila aka La Pedrera

Barcelona Days Out: Street Photography