Interview with Barcelonaphotoblog - Carlos Lorenzo

Today's post is an interview with Carlos Lorenzo about his fantastic Barcelona Photoblog. Carlos captures images in Barcelona like no-one else on the web, and if you're not already subscribing to his feeds I highly recommend you do so - even if you have no interest in photography. I'd like to thank Carlos greatly for agreeing to this interview and giving up his free time to answer my questions.


1. How long have you been interested in photography?

The interest was with me since I was young. Not that I had the camera but I do remember feeling curiosity about photographs, about the result. I remember I felt in love with photography when I first saw Blowup by Antonioni. A classic movie where a fashion photographer accidentally captures a murder scene in the park but he is only aware of that when enlarging pictures in his darkroom. It was a magical experience. Yes, I guess I was aware of photographers and cameras right then. Later on I had a Pentax which still works smoothly. And I also have an old Voigtlander as a family keepsake.



2. What camera do you use?

At the moment I use Nikon. The D70s model which is very similar to D80. I would change it for another Nikon of course. D700 would be great although it is expensive. D3 is too much for my pocket.

3. Why did you start the blog?

Back in 2005 I noticed there was this buzz about creating your own blog, that it was free and fun. I went to Blogger and started thinking about a name and a topic for the new thing. I remember creating about 5 new blogs which I still keep somewhere in limbo.
One of them though was called Barcelona Photoblog. It was a simple title and I had the chance to grab it. It was a stupid thing to do then. There was no rivalry. No one would care about me grabbing that name. The blog had just one post and so it stayed for a year. In 2006 I resumed the activities encouraged by a group of bloggers representing their cities around the world who apparently got the idea from a guy named Eric in Paris. He was the alma mater of the group. I saw what they were doing and wanted to do the same. I had finally found a real purpose, a topic for the blog. I had a problem my small compact camera then was a crap. In spite of that, I set out to explore the city with a lot of energy and completely elated by the nice comments I was receiving and for being a member of such great community. In a way, I felt I could express myself thanks to the camera. It felt good inside doing such a thing. It was like painting or composing. The fact that I had studied English philology made Barcelona Photoblog possible too. I hate maths, I am not good at them but I am not an absolute ignorant when it comes to writing, at least when it comes to small texts. So I could kill two birds with a single shot, writing and shooting. It was fantastic and still is. Later on the blog acquired this touristic connotation which is rather inevitable in Barcelona and it is not a bad thing after all.



4. Are there any places in Barcelona that you think anyone can always get a great picture? (like Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, etc.?)

A great picture is something subjective. The image, the place, the situation is there for you to capture but it depends on you, on your creativity, your intuition, your art, your skill. A good place makes it easier for you to come up with a good picture of course. Las Ramblas is a wonderful place to find interesting spontaneous situations, specially if you like street photography. If you prefer landscapes you have to go to Montjuic castle, the Mirador del Alcalde to have a panoramic view of the city or even better Tibidabo in the afternoon. Everything Gaudi is highly recommended if you like art, colors, whimsical shapes, furniture, architecture. Barcelona's Art Nouveau or Catalan modernisme is unique and a must-see. Gaudi's crypt in Colonia Güell is beautiful and so is Park Güell, but there are hundreds of catalogued buildings in the city which will make a photographer's day. Of course you can take the elevator inside Sagrada Familia's spires and take a picture from up there. That is beautiful but if you have time, go for those nooks and crannies in the city. Take a tripod, go late in the afternoon, watch every angle, innovate, preview the image in your mind before shooting and wish for a little luck. Only then you will have a wonderful photograph. It is an endless learning process. I still have a lot to learn along the way.

5. What would you say is your favourite thing to capture? and the most difficult?

I prefer people, not portraits, but passersby on the street. That's an incredible source of inspiration. Stalking for a snap is thrilling, it is full of art. I feel much more satisfied with randomness, with natural gestures, life as is. Finding a good shot in such chaos is like going hunting with a brush. I mean is not boring, static, studio shooting. That does not mean I stick to street photography. If you check my work you will notice I am rather eclectic. It is the combination of all my images what really makes sense to me. That's when I feel proud about my modest work. As to the most difficult. Hmm, night shots. Oh, am I bad at that!!!

6. You recently moved from blogspot to your own domain. Why?

Oh, that's true. If you have been a blogger, in the sense that you have a blog hosted by Blogger.com, you will agree that the blogspot domain has been and still is a real pain in the arse. Everyone would get rid of that if given an easy choice to do so. To own your domain is essential for good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Although in my case this is not owning a domain with full power. Well, you know how this works. Google gives you the possibility to pay Godaddy for a domain then they do all the "paperwork" for you. I chose another way, I paid Dreamhost for my new domain, which is better than Godaddy for me but not the best, and pointed it to Google. After that Blogger does the rest and the blog is moved from Blogger to Google. Well, it is a complex process. It is worth doing since it will help you getting better SERPs (Search Engine Page Results). Of course much more needs to be done to be in the top positions of your niche.

6. Is there anything you have not captured in your blog so far that you'd really like to?
Let me think, after three years of daily posting it is difficult to say. I guess, I would like to wake up early in the morning and take a sightseeing boat and capture Barcelona skyline when the sun breaks out.

7. Finally, what is your "top tip" for visitors to Barcelona with photography in mind?
Get out of the touristic route. Meet the real Barcelonians. They will give you better leads that will save you time and money. Avoid high season. May, June, September, October are better months. And something very stupid, you will need a plug adapter for your camera!!!

Image kindly reproduced with permission from Carlos at flickr.

Sant Jordi Photos

Although I'm no photographer, I wanted to add a couple of photos to show you what Sant Jordi is all about. The patron Saint of Catalonia is Sant George and it's tradition for a rose to be presented to a woman and a book for a man (if you're curious as to why, check out my last post clicking on the link above!)


This year was really sunny, and a great day for walking around the city centre admiring the bookstalls and florists, especially those on Las Ramblas - which is closed to traffic for the day, too. Some of the flowers on sale were stunning, and multi-coloured, as I tried to show in the first couple of images here.


Everyone participates in the celebration, and there is a real festival feel to the city - kids of all ages from schools and abroad with paintings and pictures, and it's also a multi cultural event embraced by the locals and immigrants alike in the old town Raval for example - the next photo here to your left.



The book stalls on Las Ramblas and all around the city centre were as busy as ever:

The trees on Las Ramblas gave a welcome sahde from the sunshine beating down on the crowds.



Hope you like them!


Cheap Barcelona Apartments

FC Barcelona All Set to Clinch League Title

Last night FC Barcelona - Barça to the fans - made easy work of Sevilla in the fantastic Camp Nou stadium to extend their lead at the top of the Spanish Primera division to move 6 points clear of nearest rivals Real Madrid. Despite resting goal-machine Leo Messi, Pep Guardiola's team eased past Seville beating them 4-0 in front of a packed Camp Nou.



Fierce rivals Madrid are the nearest team challenging for the title, and the pressure seems to be getting to the players, after recent 5 goal thriller against Getafe saw Real's Pepe see red, for giving away a late penalty and then take a swing out with his boot at the Getafe player. Spanish FA have suggested they may make an example of Pepe and ban him for the rest of the season.

All this is leading up to "El Classico" of Real Madrid vs Barça on Sunday 3rd May by which is shaping up to be a fantastic game with all to play for. Previous encounters between the two teams have also seen fans boil over with the incredible image of a pig's head being thrown at Luis Figo during one match - one player who left Barcelona to move to Madrid.

Barcelona are also on course to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League - with only English millionaires Chelsea standing in their way. Barcelona play host to the London club on the 28th April in what is sure to be a classy, but tense affair. Barcelona are favourites to win, but Chealsea can't be dismissed lightly given their recent victory over Premier League rivals Liverpool in the quarter finals, and manager Gus Hiddink's massive experience at European level. It's all shaping up to be an exciting end to the season for Barça fans!

For more information about the city of Barcelona, see this comprehensive Barcelona guide. And for your accommodation needs, try checking out these self-catering apartments for rent in Barcelona as a great alternative to your hotel choices.

Best Bookshops in Barcelona

This week is the feast day of Saint George, and in Barcelona it's a big deal. "San Jordi" is celebrated in style with the exchange of Roses and books being the tradition. The rose represents the blood of the dragon and the books commemorate the anniversary of Cervantes' death. So I thought it might be apt to blog about some great places in Barcelona to find books.

A great place to start is FNAC, which is located at the top of Las Ramblas, inside “El Triangle” at Plaça Catalunya. The French chain store is along the lines of a HMV, or a Virgin Megastore, and stocks DVDs, CDs’ and a fairly impressive bookstore, including a great travel section and a fair amount of English books, too.


Just a short walk away and another great stop for books is “Portal del Angel” street – real fans of Barcelona literature could even take a shortcut through Carrer Santa Ana, which was the home of leading character “Daniel” in Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s bestseller “The Shadow of the Wind”. Here you can find another of Spanish Giant “El Corte Inglés” stores whose book collection also has an impressive English collection of reference and non-fiction. Continue down towards the inner winding walkways of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona and “Happy Books” speaks for itself and has a few shops within the city itself.

Away from the old town into Poble Sec neighbourhood also houses a real gem – Elephant, a second hand English bookstore where you can come and exchange old novels and pick up some great new ones, too.

Moving on to some of the rest of the bookstores in Barcelona (not necessarily English, or with a good English collection), then BCN Books also has a good collection of books over 3 stores in downtown Barcelona, and “Casa del Libro” also dates as far back as 1923. Finally, if it’s travel books you’re looking for, then look no further than Altair on Gran Via, number 616. This extremely central bookstore has everything you can think of with regards to world travel, anthropology, geography and is a great place to compare.

If you want some more information on the bookstores mentioned here and much more, then I suggest you check out Ivan and Sonja's fantastic Bookstore Guide who are tireless in their pursuit of finding the best bookshops around the world, and have a great section in Barcelona, too. Thanks guys!

Also, if you're looking for accommodation in the city, don't forget to check out apartments for rent in Barcelona for some great savings.

Sant Jordi, Books and Roses in Barcelona

This month sees a couple of public holidays in Catalonia, don't you just love April (and September) in Barcelona?! Apart from the Easter break we've just had, there's another perhaps more famous one to come.

The Patron Saint of Catalonia is Saint George, and on the 23rd April falls "Sant Jordi" - Saint George's Day - which is a real festival and celebration in Catalonia, with the capital Barcelona really going to town. Flags are hung out on balconies, hardly anybody goes to work, the bakers fill with "cocas" and it is tradition for boys to present a rose to the girls, representing the blood of the dragon slain by Saint George.

Gaudi himself even paid homage to Saint George on various occasions, with the rooftop of Casa Mila having it's central chimney as a George's cross, and nearby Casa Battló's rooftop having an uncanny resemblance to a dragon's scaly back.

So after the presentation of the rose, the boys receive in return perhaps a strange comparison - a book -until you realise that the 23rd April is also the anniversary of Spain's most famous Author, Miguel Cervantes - Spain's Shakespeare if you like. The days around San Jordi see the streets of Passeig de Gracia and many other open spaces such as Portal del Angel and the Cathedral fill with mobile bookstores, and needless to say Las Ramblas itself is a sea of people with different coloured roses. It's a fantastic spectacle to see, and the local TV stations such as TV3 and 33 often have cameras around the city, or even despite the weather last year in Plaça Catalunya for bird's eye coverage of the celebrations.

Sant Jordi is a great time to visit Barcelona, and if you happen to be visiting the city at this time, I'm sure you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the locals in the streets - it's a real celebration of culture. Why not look into apartments for rent in Barcelona if you're thinking of coming to the city ? If you're lucky enough to get an apartment located withing the old town, near to Las Ramblas, you'll be able to see all the fun from your own apartment balcony or window!

Barcelona Pollution

Today has seen the various press sources cite the very James Bond-sounding "Barcelona Supercomputing Centre" and it's new findings that the traffic in Barcelona contributes to 80% of the levels of Pollution in the city. It's important to point out that this is human-created pollution, and not industry - of which Barcelona's Port is also a big contributor (no surprise there).



Pollution in the city is a bit of a sore topic for Barcelona mayor, Jordi Hereu, after it was revelead that Barcelona is one of the worst polluted cities in Europe. Hereu has authorised many "Green" initiatives such as the Zona Verde which is zonal parking within the city centre but only for residents. The eco-friendly Tramvia was also completed and runs along such main avenues as Diagonal. There is also a no-car day (I think it was September last year? anyone please correct me if I'm wrong) in many of the central avenues of the city, too. Perhaps the most important measure of Herue's Green tactics against car users, was the reduction in 2007 of the speed limit in and around Barcelona to 80kph (much to the annoyance of commuters). This was actually opposed to by the RACC of Catalunya, stating that it would NOT reduce the amount of pollution in the city. It's a tough one, with the same newspapers today announcing the news of reductions for public transport for families of 5 or more (why not everyone?!) - what do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions on the topic. Have you noticed the pollution in the city? Do you think more should be done about it?

For more information on the city, see this great Barcelona Eixample Guide and for your accommodation needs, don't forget Apartments for rent in Barcelona offer great discounts at this time of year, too.