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  • Barcelona Holi Colour Festival 2013

    Sunday 14th saw the Holi Colour Festival in Rambla de Carmel, Barcelona. Indian-inspired and international, the idea was to cover others with brightly coloured powders. We went up there to teach, and make lots of pictures. It seemed like every photographer in Barcelona saw the event as a ‘must-see’ – so it was very busy, and there were lots of cameras!

    Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Holi Festival Barcelona 2013 CarmelHoli Festival Barcelona 2013 CarmelHoli Festival Barcelona 2013 CarmelHoli Festival Barcelona 2013 CarmelBarcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013Barcelona Holi Color Festival 2013

    All photos of the Holi Colour Festival in Barcelona taken with the Nikon D3 and Nikkor 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.4 and 180mm f2.8 prime lenses and polished with Color (sic!) Efex Pro 2 or Silver Efex Pro by Nik Software/Google.

    Thanks to www.HoliBarcelona.com for organising the festival!

  • The Fuji X-Pro1 vs The X-E1

    Barcelona Photography Courses Fuji Xpro1

    The Fuji X-Pro1

     

    Like most photographers, we love our gear. It’s definitely not essential for beautiful Barcelona pictures, but a good camera can change the way you photograph. We’ve been reviewing the Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1 (Sexy One) separately and thought we’d make a video comparing the two to see how they compare.

    Holistic Photography focusses on the beauty of light; Barcelona Pictures

    The Beauty of Light

     

     

    Photo picture of  Plaça del Rei, Barcelona in the Blue Hour

    Plaça del Rei, Barcelona in the Blue Hour

     

     

    A big thank you to Marian and Fujifilm Spain for the loan of their cameras!

  • Placa Sant Felip de Neri, Barcelona

    Barcelona’s Placa Sant Felip de Neri is incredibly photogenic, which is why it’s been the backdrop for many books and films, such as ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’, Zafón’s ‘The Shadow of the Wind’, and an Evanescence music video. It’s become a must-see in several guide books and websites about Barcelona.

    Perhaps thankfully, it can be quite difficult to find for the first-time visitor. This gives an initial impression of serendipity, usually at the end of an enjoying walk through the Barri Gotico’s (Gothic Quarter’s) narrow streets.

    For the best pictures of Barcelona, it’s important to know not just how to get there, but also the best time to visit for the right light. The sun can be harsh at some times, giving the hard shadows necessary to capture the textures. At other times, the square is lit indirectly through the foliage of Acacia trees and the light is softer, often requiring a tripod or higher ISOs.

    barcelona-pictures-photography-courses-placa-sant-felip-neri

    Flowers in the Fountain

    At night, the street lights are LEDs which can burn out the highlights if you’re not careful. Don’t worry – if you want pictures of Placa Sant Felip Neri for your portfolio while you’re here, we’ll work with you to make sure you get them.

    It’s as well to say something of the troubled past of Placa Sant Felip Neri. It was built on a mediaeval cemetery, the Montjuic del Bisbe. Antoni Gaudi, the famous Catalan Modernist architect was coming here when he was hit by a tram.

    But most obvious are the pockmarked scars on the walls of the Baroque church, ‘San Felip Neri’. It was built in the 18th century, but sustained the damage in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War after a bomb was dropped on the square. Tragically, 42 people, including 20 children were killed in the bombardment.

    Unmentioned by most is the living history of this horrific past. Brave judge Baltasar Garzon, who had Chilean dictator General Pinochet arrested in London, has attempted to look into the villains and victims of the Franco era.

    For his efforts he was put on trial in 2012 for violating the 1977 ‘amnesty’ in which the past of Franco-era unexplained disappearances was locked up and deemed irreproachable. Tellingly, someone has written ‘Always Remember The Victims Of Fascist Regimes’ on the the church wall, and a memorial plaque has been put up in 2007.

    The square feels charming however, and is certainly one of the most attractive locations in the city. It’s fountain is calming, and the temperature is generally warmer in winter and cooler in summer than elsewhere.

    There’s now a Catalan school in Placa Sant Felipe de Neri, and playtime is incredibly ‘lively’. The little square fills with laughing, running children who play football and splash one another with water from the fountain.

    Placa-sant-felip-neri-barri-gotico-school-children-Barcelona-pictures-DSCF9292ts

    Children Play In Sant Felip Neri

    It was redesigned in the Fifties by an architect called Adolf Florensa, who sought to create an ancient-looking square. The city’s Museu del Calçat or Barcelona’s Shoe Museum is here.

    If you’re planning a photoshoot in the square after seeing the Woody Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, bear in mind that the umbrellas in the little cafe (Hotel Neri H&R) which used to be red are bright blue now.

    Placa Sant Felip de Neri also has a merry cast of local chaps who like to play football, argue amongst themselves and occasionally sing boisterously after drinks. I’m grateful for one such fellow for this photo, made completely in-camera (no Photoshop).

    Barcelona-Sant-Felip-Neri-Naked-Fountain-Shower-Photo_Barri Gotico

    Enjoying A Bath

    Address: Plaça Sant Felip Neri, 08002 Barcelona

  • Photography Competition: Leica Award

    May be of interest to our pro-photographer clients.

    Leica M Luxury Rangefinder Camera
    Eligibility: Professional Photographers

    What: ‘The relationship between man and the environment … in a sequence of a minimum of 10 up to a maximum of 12 images. Entry submissions must be a self-contained series of images (about) the interaction between man and the environment with acute vision and contemporary visual style – creative, groundbreaking and unintrusive.’

    Prize: A Leica M camera and a lens worth 10.000 Euros and a cash prize of 5,000 Euros.

    When: 15 January and 1 March 2013.

    How: http://www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/

  • Girona Photography Daytrip

    On Saturday we headed up to teach a travel photography masterclass in Girona; a beautiful city North of Barcelona. The light was incredible, and Girona was buzzing with their Girona10 weekend. Here are some photos from the day!

  • 2013 Website Redesign

    Gaudi girl in Barcelona Pictures Casa Mila

    Fresh for 2013, Barcelona Photography Courses has been redesigned. We’ve got more pictures of Barcelona, a greater focus on what we teach, Holistic Photography, instead of where we teach it, and a blog to share what we’ve been up to. We’d be interested to hear what you think!

    Oh, and if you can find a mistake, we’ll give you a photography eBook as thanks!

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