365- ENERO/JANUARY

Scrapbook of January, shots taken here and there. You can check them out over on my facebook page here.

365 days / 365 photos

1/365

I am still alive!! Sorry that I've let this blog go a bit, with my last update in October..oh dear.

However that is all to change as I will be updating here EVERY DAY. Yes, thats right everyday.
I started a 365 project for 2011. I will take one photo for every day of the year, where ever and what ever I am doing to document my life a bit more in my favourite medium, photography. There will be no theme to this other than my daily surroundings. I find it quite interesting to peek into others lives and see what they see.
I shall be updating this blog every day with the 365 photos so be sure to keep checking, or add it to your readers!

I also have some big news coming, and many future projects planned so just pop back soon to find out what.

Happy new year!

Festes de Poble Nou

Every year, normally towards the end of the summer, different neighborhoods in Barcelona throw street parties. However I think that saying that they are street parties is putting it quite lightly...
These events are planned all year, decorations are made, music and other things are also prepared and everyone looks forwards them with great excitement.
This is my first year of living in the neighborhood of Poble Nou, I will probably go into more detail later about this area (one that I am VERY fond of.)
The parties started last saturday and the streets have been filled with decorations strung from building to building, smells of food cooking in the open air, long tables stretched where roads should be and of course music. The other night I even saw a mass Bingo session taking place where a main road normally is. And I can't really speak about "las fiestas" without mentioning the "CorreFoc", which is basically a fire parade (corre= run foc= fire)..complete with masked devils and dragons spitting fire and fireworks and wreaking mayhem in the streets, its both insanely fun but terrifying at the same time.
The thing I really love about these parties, and especially the ones in this area, is the sense of community and fun. The sense of belonging and pride in being where you are from and also welcoming those who are not from here. Everyone in the street come rain or sunshine enjoying the parties. You may have noticed some photos on my website with fire and decorations, they were taken in Gracia parties (the biggest street parties/festival in Barcelona).
I wanted to capture these scenes quickly, so enjoy a little insite to these parties and my neighborhood.




Walking around this area, enjoying the people and sites, has given me a few project ideas. So be sure to check it out soon!
I am pleased to introduce something a little more personal to the blog, and I have a few more posts lined up on that note as well... again just comment here if there is anything you'd like to know!

Welcome to Espaiñ

Hello!
I kick started my first post talking about one of my favourite photographers from Spain... and carrying on from that I would like to talk about yet another Spanish photographer; Jordi Bernadó (Born in Lleida 1966. Lives and works in Barcelona).

I first discovered this photographer by this very book actually, it was given to me as a birthday gift along with another book (that is a whole other post though!). I am hoping to one day have a large library of fascinating beautiful photography/art/designer books. I believe that books leave a great legacy and are an amazing investment, and I love being able to have that keepsake of an amazing piece of art.

So onto the book, and the photographer that is Jordi Bernadó.. You'll be able to find his photography here: Jordi Bernado. I must admit I don't know much more of his work beyond this book really. However, from what I gather, he has dipped his brush in quite a few different inks within the creative industry. One major one being Architecture. I think this is what pleases me about his photography, something which I also love to incorporate within my photography.

Welcome to Espaiñ is an almost an satiric parody look of life in Spain, you can see this even down to the title of the book. The images are bright and gaudy, almost dated back in time. They also have an essence of middle America, a lot of the places deserted and lost and forlorn looking.
Being from Spain myself, I like this view as its something I know and recognise. I suppose a lot of the time Spain is viewed as a cheap holiday destination under the sun, people not really getting to see. I think it is this mix of providing for that culture and the very traditional values that Spain adheres too, and this is what is depicted for me in the photos, that strange mix. I like it because it shows the forgotten side of Spain, the parts that are not usually readily available to tourists to see. It also portrays a large part of how the Spanish culture is and works.
One reason I love these photographs is because it manages to show Spain in a different way that really shows the character of this enormous diverse country.

Esteve Lucerón: An inspiration.

Fuente de las fotos : http://www.agenda-upifc.org/
Photo source: http://www.agenda-upifc.org/


Nada mejor para empezar con este blog que con este fotografo conocido para algunos, desconocido para muchos. Esteve Lucerón fue un descubrimiento muy positivo y popularmente conocido por sus magníficas fotografias en el asentamiento de barracas conocido como "La Perona" entre los años 1980 y 1989. Retratando todas aquellas personas que vivian en la marginidad dentro del respeto que merece quien no tiene nada. En lo personal, sentimientos encontrados al recordar viejos tiempos de como lejos parecen aquellos recuerdos buenos y malos de lo que un dia fue mi barrio.

I could think of nothing better than starting this blog with this photographer, known to a few and unknown by most. The discovery of Esteve Lucerón was a very positive find for me, and quite an inspirational one at that, a treasure of a find that I am glad about. Esteve Lucerón is known for his amazing vivid photos depicting the settlements of "barracas" (little huts) that were known as "La Perona", the photos show the era of Barcelona in the 1980-1989.
He took portraits of all of the characters that lived there, who had next to nothing, always obtaining the upmost respect for subjects in which he was depicting. The ability to show this life in an honest clear way, without painting the scene in a glamorous or condensing light. On a personal note, the photographs took me back to a time where I was living in this area (I am from this district). They made me remember the old times of this area and life, memories that are quite hard to reach as they feel so far from what is now. The good and the bad memories that made my neighborhood exactly what it once was.