Testimonials

Monday, October 31, 2016

"Whither Thou Goest", "You Got Me Singing"

"Whither Thou Goest", "You Got Me Singing"


Why Don't You Try to Take This Longing I have, to meet you.

Here It Is, If It Be Your Will to wear the Famous Blue Raincoat that Everybody Knows Ain't No Cure For Love.

Hallelujah. It's Closing Time.

Ok. Ok. Before you think me so clever and talented, admittingly, I cheated and used the titles of Leonard Cohen's songs to jumpstart a story for this photograph.

I wish you could've seen the man in the picture in real life. Yes ... while he looks like the "mature" Cohen of today, it is not only the way he holds his jacket over the shoulder with ONE finger --- how cool is that ---but the slow, deliberate strut of a confident man ... a Cohen strut.

And, by the way, I believe he knew his photo is being taken. No one could walk any slower than he … each step seemed to hum, I’m Your Man, but he really Really isn't. No. It’s true.

But … It Just Feels that way.


Friday, October 28, 2016

Hair of many colors

Hair of many colors


I never saw her face and that's okay with me.

She is the reason why I like the streets and the reason I love photography.

Her hair, dress are different from the average folk and her walk is sassy and confident.

I like those attributes.

How about YOU?

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

The Belle is Wringing is being revisited

The Belle is Wringing is being revisited


I've been going through my photos I've posted and I came across one of my favorite shots.

She was at my favorite plaça, a plaça I sadly don't seem to frequent anymore.

But, the few times I'm there, I think of her.

She should be in her early twenties now. She could be in college, married with a child, or running for government office.

Many of the children are no longer children.

But come to think of it, I, who was then, am not the same now.

Are you?

Do YOU have any favorite photos of yours? Let me know I'd love to share them on my blog.
______________________________________

Original POST:

... I could drink ice-cold gazpacho and have sugary lemonade.

I could delight in water balloon fights and be a victim of modern warfare.

This is what happened to the little girl in the green dress. Some lads sprayed not only her but also any child that passed by with the Banzai ....

To read the entire post click on the link below:

barcalunacy.blogspot.com/2008/08/belle-is-wringing.html


Monday, October 24, 2016

Do YOU pine for the good old days?

Do YOU pine for the good old days?


I can't believe my eyes. The young girl with the pink pig-tails passes me.

She makes me feel forlorn and nostalgic for all those stockings I threw out that didn't fit or had a 'run'.

Actually, upon musing, I was one of the first on line, in the old old days, to throw the garter belt out the window. And I felt FREE!!

Why hasn't anyone taken notice and shown interest in her?

I like what I see. She's funky but in a quiet and unobtrusive way.

Has the quirky become the new norm?



Thursday, October 20, 2016

The Art of Negotiation

The Art of Negotiaton


For anyone and everyone, finding peace and quiet in this tumultuous world can be difficult.

And, for the cute little girl who was sitting on the ledge, content and happy, her time of peace and quiet was invaded by the loud demand of a little boy wanting to take her space.

She stood her ground, but after much hand waving, cajoling and whining, the little boy won but not before he gave her some candy.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Out of the box

Out of the box, barcalunacy


She's red ... that's what I notice.

The day is after 5 pm and the sky is slightly overcast. We're walking down Passeig de Gràcia and I'm thinking that for shooting photos, this is going to be a dull day.

As I cross the street, my eyes perceive some bits of outstanding color. And, there she is.

I like the way she is sitting, I like the way the skirt drapes over her legs.

She has a complete unawareness of anyone or anything around her, (I wonder why)

And the color RED on her clothing KNOCKS my eyes out of their sockets. She's so RED!!!!

I did hardly any processing ... just a bit of cropping and I increased the exposure just a tad,

And the rest of the photo was out of the box (the camera).

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Their hero

Their hero


While I was walking towards my favorite mercado, I heard a commotion of adult and children voices in front of the Restaurant Corea Gayagum, well known in la vila de Gràcia neighborhood.

There was this fellow trying to hoist a balloon to the kids on the balcony but the balloon kept slipping from the children's grasp.

I saw this scene unfolding for 20 minutes or so. I have no idea the length of time the actors in this play were involved before I came.

As I clicked, I kept wondering why the man didn't bring the balloon upstairs, or why they didn't come downstairs.

No matter - they were all having fun.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Little magenta riding hood

Little magenta riding hood (see description)

Her shimmering hair ... you call it magenta , i call it little 160 23 21 (pantone) riding hood.

Can YOU think of a better title?

If you've read this, HONK!!

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The magic of a setting sun

The magic of a setting sun (see description)


It's 17:56:44 on a weekday (thank goodness for EXIF data) and I am at plaça Sant Miquel for one thing and one thing only ... the SUN!

The plaça is tucked in the middle of a barrio with trees surrounding its perimeter.

The tree's branches have separated allowing the sun to filter through in that romantic way ... like a man first experiencing the separation of his hair fleeting through his fingers.

The ambiance of the plaça and its light tricks you. For a brief while, you are a professional photographer. Every shot you take is magic.


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Teen with tattered jeans

Teen with tattered jeans (see description)


I'm no Johannes Vermeer but when I first saw this girl I was blown away by the color of her hair and her porcelain skin -- a striking contrast to the tattered jeans.

She also stood out in a town (not unlike any other big city) where just about everyone has some shade of tan, plasticized boobs, big lips, and botoxed brows (not that any of the aforementioned adjectives are BAD.)

Unknowingly, she became my "Girl with a Pearl Earring".

For some reason, I can picture a demand for her by the artists of Vermeer's time.

I can't know for sure, but I would be surprised if Vermeer himself would disagree with me.

What are your thoughts?

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

I TOTALLY love depth of field!

I TOTALLY love depth of field!

The photo above is about as perfect as I can get.

Why? Well, look at the colors, the saturation, the exposure, white balance, highlights and my favorite, depth of field.

I tweaked very little, added a gradient fill and no sharpening.

Yes! It was a very good day indeed.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Cuteness munching on La Rambla

Cuteness munching on La Rambla


La Rambla is a tree lined pedestrian sidewalk with streets on its sides.

There are all sorts of kiosks selling flowers, ice cream, souvenirs and many many restaurants for your gastronomical pleasure.

So, it's not unusual to see (ALL THE TIME) and hear, (NOT SERIOUS) people crunching and munching, but what makes her interesting to me and,

Why she caught my eye, is that she never veered her attention from the plate.

What ever she was eating must be surely good and she is certainly cute!

Monday, October 03, 2016

The candidate

The candidate (see description)


He's tall, towering over just about everybody with a style of dress and that look stands out.

I literally follow him for about a half a block as he walks with a composed air, towering those around him.

Doesn't he look self-assured, confident, and positive?

I snap the photo, he turns and gives me the biggest smile (not caught on camera) and I,

I was bowled over like a little school girl.

Hmm ... I cast my vote for him for president of the United States as a write-in candidate.