Abstract

Salamanca Green

1 Comment

Some images of Ranunculus drawn out in the flow of the Rio Tormes at Salamanca. These were shot from the Roman bridge, using a polarising filter to cut out the reflections from the water and boost the saturation. The 3D-like effect comes from the variation in depth of the plant within the river. We are not entirely sure what the exact plant species is. Some of the white speckles are in reality small white-petaled blossom, but it was difficult to get close enough to inspect the flowers. However, this is almost certainly Ranunculus fluitans, […]

Read More →

Nature

El Garraf

4 Comments

A set of images from a full-day hike in El Garraf, Catalunya. The Garraf is a calcareous range of hills on the coast just south of Barcelona, and one of the few natural areas that can be reached easily and quickly by train from the city. It is not particularly mountainous, raising from sea level to a little over 600m altitude, but lack of shade and the Mediterranean heat can make the hike harder than you might expect.

Read More →

Photography

Encants I – La Fira de Bellcaire

4 Comments

A short set of images from the Encants market at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona. Somewhat ironically, the “square of the Catalan glories” was originally redeveloped as a multi-level motorway junction, as can be seen under construction on this wonderful poster for a recent exhibition. Today, the area is being extensively modernised, and the roads being replaced by parkland and new constructions such as the Diseny Hub and the new I  dels Encants. The market is in an amazing building with mirrored ceilings (there must be a joke there, but I […]

Read More →

Photography

Cripta de la Colònia Güell

Leave a Comment

Coloured windows at the Cripta de la Colònia Güell, just outside of Barcelona. Colònia Güell was an artificial community founded in 1890 that combined both living facilities with work in a factory producing textiles. It is an example of social changes at the end of the 19th century that increasingly led to the idea that providing for workers was both a social imperative as well as a means to improve production. The church for the site was designed by Gaudí and constructed between 1898 and 1915 using his trademark style that combines a […]

Read More →

Photography

Pi d’en Xandri

1 Comment

The Pi d’en Xandri, on the edge of the Collserola. The pine tree is more than 240 years old, and has become an important symbol associated with the nearby town of Sant Cugat del Vallès. Leica M7 with 21mm SEM fitted with a dark red filter and shot on Ilford Delta 100.

Read More →

Photography

The Fishing Boats at Port Vell, Barcelona

Leave a Comment

A short set of image galleries taken at the fishing harbour, Port Vell, Barcelona – click on an image, below, to open the corresponding gallery. Port Vell (the old port) is today mostly known for its shopping centre and luxury yachts. However, sandwiched between the Vela hotel and the Maremagnum there is still a small but important fishing harbour that exists in a bubble of time that has so far remained protected from all the luxury developments around. These photographs were taken during one of many excellent Barcelona 48H Open House sessions, […]

Read More →

Photography

The Streets of Lahore

7 Comments

Some shots from the streets of Lahore, inside of the walled city. Finally, somewhere that makes Barcelona look quiet ;-) I really like the disorganised organisation of a South Asian bazaar. Everything happens at the same time at the same place and in some cases seemingly and unseemingly crushing and confronting. Human behaviour at its most raw, unfiltered and unconstrained (or at least so it seems). All this action is accompanied by a strong stimulation of all senses (beyond the visual), noise can be deafening and smells overpowering. However, the […]

Read More →

Photography

Mughal Lahore

3 Comments

Recently I was in Lahore at the invitation of the Punjab government for an archaeological conference. This was a nice occasion to revisit one of the most beautiful cities in South Asia (well, once you do not focus too much on the engulfing traffic and pollution), which I last saw some 15 years ago. One of the most interesting aspects of the city is its collection of fine Mughal architecture (1524 to 1752). The walled city with the old fort and the many mosques still preserve the flavour of grandeur and refinement for which the Mughal […]

Read More →

Landscape

Cataratas del Iguazú

Leave a Comment

Another couple of days off from work and a chance to revisit the Cataratas del Iguazú. These amazing waterfalls lie along the border between Brazil and Argentina and are surrounded by a beautiful tropical forest, which in the 19th century once covered almost the entirety of this region. The falls can be visited from both Argentina and Brazil – and  both sides are just awesome. All images were shot with an Olympus E-M10II and 12-50mm kit zoom.

Read More →

Photography

Sitges – and Lens Cast Corrections in Capture One

1 Comment

A short set of images taken on a walk in Sitges. Shot on digital using a 35mm lens and polarising filter.   Incidentally, the vignetting on some of these images is completely natural, although perhaps exaggerated slightly by the skies and polariser. The lens is a Zeiss ZM 1,4/35 (35mm f1.4), which is nice and small and incredibly sharp, but which pays for that to some extent with dark corners shot wide open – a common problem with Leica lenses shot on digital rather than film. Here is a gratuitous […]

Read More →