Performers on the Streets of Barcelona, Spain

Taking to the Street

One of the things I love when traveling is how I tend to stumble on odd happenings. I am frequently in tourist sorts of areas during my first visit to a place, and I always expect something like this is designed to entertain and empty the pockets of visitors, but it’s still fun none the less! When I arrived in Barcelona I walked up and down La Rambla (a very large pedestrian thoroughfare) and came upon a VERY noisy parade. There were colorful costumes and bands and noise makers of every kind you can imagine. I caught this group of jovial dancers as the whirled and jingled loudly on by.

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 17 February, 2013
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s
  • Title: Performers on the Streets of Barcelona, Spain

The Seat of Knowledge

Travels Through Time

I don’t mean like H.G. Wells, but often my travels involve investigations of antiquity. Looking back near and far, my investigation is not only of other cultures, but other times. This 18th Century medical theater in Barcelona is an great example. Sala Gimbernat made me think, how there are aspect of medicine and science I probably understand better than these experts of their time. Of course our today knowledge is owed to these explorers. I think too of how much we “think” we know of science and the universe in which we live. In 200 years, our crude “contentedness” will seem positively prehistoric in the wake of the Singularity. In many ways our knowledge is perhaps entwined too closely with our vanity, which may only cloud our perception and lead to stagnation. Our hope is to keep on exploring, moving, learning and one day pass on our knowledge to future generations so that we may, in a way, gain immortality.

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 19 February, 2013
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 30s
  • Title: The Seat of Knowledge

The Nave Ceiling of La Sagrada Familia

The Madness of Genius

It’s likely hard to conceptualize what you see in today’s photo. Even when I tell you it’s a ceiling. Even when I tell you it’s the Nave of La Sagrada Familia. Honestly, its difficult standing in the place (or around it). It makes everything in and out see insignificant, puerile even. The brain (soul) that conceived this was far beyond most of our mortal-ness, and must have existed on another plane…perhaps, Gaudi was functionally mad.

The completely overwhelming thing is this is but one SMALL part of an overwhelming creation that will take nearly 144 years to build (even with modern techniques like cranes)…IF they complete on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death as they currently expect. The minor basilica is not my favorite of Gaudi’s works, but no one can deny it’s one of the most significant of his creations and succeeds (and fails) in ways that we might never fully comprehend. It is the manifestation of a truly divine dream, one I am grateful Barcelona has supported and that I have been honored to witness.

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 19 February, 2013
  • Focal length: 27mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/250s
  • Title: The Nave Ceiling of La Sagrada Familia

High Key Ramp

White Ramp

How much of your vacations do you end up leaving to chance?

I found MACBA Museu D’Art Contemporani De Barcelona within walking distance of my hotel in Barcelona. I just wandered to it the first day I was visiting. It was there and I just went in. The space is all gleaming white, I can’t imagine a better blank canvas to display art, but what caught me was the space itself.

When you travel have a plan, but don’t be afraid to abandon it on a whim. Your plan will be there when you return back from your mystical journey in the clouds.

There is a joy in discovery. There is surprise and wonder just waiting for you out there. It’s worth leaving flexibility in your travels. Serendipity is a wonderful muse!

Photo Technical Info

In the Choir of La Catedral

Happy New Year!

As crazy as the last two years was, 2015 looks to be even crazier for me…at least travel wise. I hope the best for all of you in the coming year!

Really Big Churches

I waited outside La Cathedral in Barcelona Spain for some time, while the guy taking money argued with a German backpacker. It was funny really because the cashier at the church seemed to speak only Spanish (or Catalan) while the German argued with him in a mixture of German and English. The backpacker only wanted to see the pamphlet describing the roof walk, but the cashier would only hand one over for 3€. He seemed oddly distrustful for someone working at a church! After paying I let The German look over mine, to which he said thank you but decided the jaunt to the roof wasn’t worth the cash. I guess when you are backpacking around the continent you have to be careful with your funds and sometimes that requires arguing in incompatible languages.

Photo Technical Info

Gaudi Chimney’s and a Blue Sky in Barcelona

The Forms of Gaudi

I have been thinking about Barcelona recently. It’s such a beautiful city and everywhere you turn it seems there is an explosion of art. Random acts of beauty, more-so then you get with most European cities (which is generally quite a bit). Barcelona even takes the time to make it’s subway stations amazing. Obvious placement not withstanding, I often find the little thing the most delightful and it was very much so the case on the roof of Casa Milà, one of the many Antoni Gaudi masterpieces of architecture. These are some of his terracotta chimney designs, something that most designers would overlook, take on a life of their own against the blue Barcelona sky.

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 19 February, 2013
  • Focal length: 17mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Location: 41° 23.7203′ 0″ N 2° 9.718′ 0″ E
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s
  • Title: Gaudi Chimney's and a Blue Sky in Barcelona

Park Guell at the Entrance

A Beautiful Mind

To me, Barcelona is Gaudi. It’s an unfair characterization, but when you have a true artist in your city’s history, one so gifted at seeing what others miss, it’s impossible for me not to find comfort. Gaudi is everywhere, or rather it is perhaps that his style is so impactful, one viewing of a masterpiece and it seems all you have seen. Today’s photo was one of his great failures. That too is unfair. It failed during Gaudi’s time, when I visited it was one of the more popular places in Barcelona. Perhaps this is one of the great lessons for people working or even dabbling in the arts. Even the masters have their critics as it seems in Gaudi’s time no one wanted to live in the Mansions in Parc Güell. I can’t imagine, unless at the time the Park was so far from the city proper, but even then, what views!

Photo Technical Info

Casa Batllo Skylight

Brilliant Design

I cant get over the many ingenious design elements of Antoni Gaudi’s homes. This skylight running through the center of Casa Batllo is a perfect example. The further light has to travel, the weaker it seems. This is something I deal with in photography all the time, but in a multistory home like this it would mean the lower floors would have weak light, while the top floor would be flooded. Gaudi brilliantly used multicolored tiles to counteract this effect. Towards the top the tiles are dark blue. As you get further away from the source of light, the lighter the tiles become. The dark colors absorb more light, the light colored tiles reflect more helping to balance the light to all floors.

Casa Batllo Laundry

Design for All

This area of Casa Batllo is the laundry and servants work area of the home. What’s interesting to me is even in this utilitarian area of the mansion, Antoni Gaudi didn’t stop designing, he didn’t stop the theme. It made me think of a belly of a whale which fits perfectly with the home.

Casa Batllo Laundry
Casa Batllo Laundry by W. Brian Duncan

The Barcelona Crowd

Street Photography

I like all kinds of photography, but one style I have a hard time with is street photography. It’s not that I don’t love the style, but there is a patience needed that I seem to lack. Also when you get right down to it, I hate confrontation. Most people even when they do care won’t chase you down, but even still I generally travel with a wide angle lens and you really have to get up on people.

Strange Group

I love contrasts. This photo was taken in the courtyard around La Cathedral in Barcelona Spain. The place is brimming with people and absolutely gorgeous. The man on the left is absorbed in his book, journaling his experience, but all the while missing everything going on in the world around him. The young woman suns her very pale skin. While worshiping the sun she misses the beauty all around her. The old man on the right seems aloof, but content to watch people, he is turned away from the church. The woman is my favorite. She was very happy to sit and smoke, until she noticed I was taking her picture. I caught her in a moment of surprise. Somehow she seemed the most genuine…perhaps even the most honest to me.