"Viva Barcelona" by day and night....

[neil_r]

I had about 6 hours to capture the place, I would have had longer but an unfortunate incident with a couple of would be thieves resulted in my be taken to the police station for an hour or three.

There are more pictures from Barcelona HERE (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/list.php?exhibition=201&ee_lang=eng) but a WARNING the gallery contains a couple of full frontal male nudes as there was an old guy walking across a crowded square with his shopping completely at peace with the world despite the fact he was wearing nothing more than his sandals, his watch and his tattoos!

If you want to see a larger version of the picture just click on it.....

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/small/_NHR8843.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR8843.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR8881.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR8881.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR8887.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR8887.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR8924.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR8924.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR8971.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR8971.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9014.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR9014.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9081.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR9081.jpg)

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9151.jpg (http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/large/_NHR9151.jpg)

[ccc_javier]

nice series

[stuartie]

Great colours.

I'll admit I had to see the man with his shopping.....nice tan :-)

[garibaldi]

Nice set of images, that looks fake to me, I mean his of the naked shopper.

[condyk]

Interesting ... been there a few times now and never spent time down at the sea front.

[neil_r]

Nice set of images, that looks fake to me, I mean his of the naked shopper.

Not sure what you mean by "Fake" I just pointed the camera at what I saw. However if you mean fake in that he has a prosthetic then I would also like to feel that is true as it could potentially make one feel inadiquate.

[advaitin]

I have shots from 2007 of the same man, I suspect. He was not down by the sea when I saw him, but right on the top shopping street above las Ramblas. He does appear more--ahem--aroused, than when I was there. Then, however, he had a couple of heavy rings dangling from his appendage, rather like the south sea natives who suspend stones from the part to make it longer. Must have worked!

[BigBlueDodge]

I just want to know what the old man saw in between frames 8959 and 8961 that...errr... got him excited, lol! Maybe you shouldn't have been taking pictures of the old man, but rather what he was looking at, becuase it appears that it must have been really interesting.

And, is it legal to walk around naked in Barcelona?

[Cyclop]

Beautiful captures!

[poppie guy]

Another very nice series Neil!

[advaitin]

I just want to know what the old man saw in between frames 8959 and 8961 that...errr... got him excited, lol! Maybe you shouldn't have been taking pictures of the old man, but rather what he was looking at, becuase it appears that it must have been really interesting.

And, is it legal to walk around naked in Barcelona?


Barcelona is a very easy-going city!!! I don't know what it takes to get the attention of the cops, unless it's putting graffiti on their car windshield--while they are in it!

[neil_r]

I just want to know what the old man saw in between frames 8959 and 8961 that...errr...

I think it was swinging rather than rising, but still surprising all the same


And, is it legal to walk around naked in Barcelona?


I have no Idea, but I was not going to put it to the test

[advaitin]

I had to hunt for it, but here is a image from August 2007. I was in a moving bus, shooting through the window, so excuse the quality. This is one of the few shots that is suitable for display here, but let me assure you he had one heck of a big piece of metal ring and weight hanging from his unowhat and there was no swinging up and out.

I think this should answer the question of what you can do in Barca. If you aren't hurting someone you can do pretty much what you want. Certainly go swimming at the beach nude, if you like.

[neil_r]

I had to hunt for it, but here is a image from August 2007. I was in a moving bus, shooting through the window, so excuse the quality. This is one of the few shots that is suitable for display here, but let me assure you he had one heck of a big piece of metal ring and weight hanging from his unowhat and there was no swinging up and out.

I think this should answer the question of what you can do in Barca. If you aren't hurting someone you can do pretty much what you want. Certainly go swimming at the beach nude, if you like.

Someone must have stolen his backpack, he has a plastic carrier bag now :-)

[Roy Mathers]

The last time I was in Barcelona, I saw a man (younger than this one) walking around in the busy streets off Las Ramblas in a similar state of undress, and no-one batted an eyelid. He even walked within feet of a policeman who, similarly, took no notice. It seems it is not uncommon there!

[chopper5654]

neil, is #7 handheld or shot off a tripod?

i have a few "market" shots that are hand held, but yours is really crisp. just curious.

nice series. for 6 hours, looks like you caught the city pretty well.

[neil_r]

neil, is #7 handheld or shot off a tripod?

i have a few "market" shots that are hand held, but yours is really crisp. just curious.

nice series. for 6 hours, looks like you caught the city pretty well.

The market shots were hand held with the ISO cranked up and me bracing against any available non movable object No7 was at
shutter speed: 1/60s | aperture: f/6.3 | ISO: 1000 | shooting mode: Manual |

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9076.jpg
shutter speed: 1/40s | aperture: f/6.3 | ISO: 800 | shooting mode: Manual

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9124.jpg
shutter speed: 1/100s | aperture: f/4.5 | ISO: 1600 | shooting mode: Tv

http://www.ambrosiabbs.com/gallery/photo/medium/_NHR9102.jpg
shutter speed: 1/80s | aperture: f/4.5 | ISO: 800 | shooting mode: Manual

[chopper5654]

thanks, and i appreciate the "bonus material."

[advaitin]

Someone must have stolen his backpack, he has a plastic carrier bag now :-)

I wouldn't be surprised. I was there on May 1 and witnessed a purse snatching in plain view where an unsuspecting Japanese woman dining under a restaurant veranda near an alley at the corner of Plaza Real (pardon the spelling) was pulled completely out of her chair and thrown to the pavement by the violence with which the thief snatched the purse on the fly.

[peatoire]

Really nicely composed shots, I love Barca, go there quite a bit. Haven't seen the old dude though, I'm surprised he's not been arrested for carrying a lethal weapon.
He could end up taking someone's eye out with that ;-)

[neil_r]

I wouldn't be surprised. I was there on May 1 and witnessed a purse snatching in plain view where an unsuspecting Japanese woman dining under a restaurant veranda near an alley at the corner of Plaza Real (pardon the spelling) was pulled completely out of her chair and thrown to the pavement by the violence with which the thief snatched the purse on the fly.

The unfortunate incident that I referred to in my OP was an attempt to steal my camera by covering me in supposed bird sh1t and then grabbing my camera bag. End result was me being in a police cell for 3 hours and one of the would be thieves in hospital with a broken nose and cheek bone. I still have all my camera gear.

[advaitin]

Similar event happened to me on my first visit. I was working for a catalog/documentation of video shoot of children's fashion in 2004. My one and only fashion job as a favor for a friend--he wanted a journalistic shooter.

I had a few hours to myself and was going to do a little sightseeing walking up Muntaner in the business and residential area toward Tibidabo where the funicular goes up--safest part of town, I had been told.

Guys taps me on the shoulder and points to some brown glop on my Domke vest (Yep. Vest and two cameras hanging off me). He pulls out a paper napkin and a water bottle and gestures that he wants to help clean it off. Points to top of building somehow imparting that a bird did it. He rubs but it gets worse, he gestures that I should go in the foyer of an apartment building. At this point I'm gullibly thinking he lives there.

Nope, he just wanted the privacy while he kept trying to help remove the glop--which seemed to be increasing, some is even on my jeans by that time. I remove the vest and put the cameras down on top of it, between my legs. This makes it easier for the guy to see how my truckers wallet was chained to my belt, which is what he was working on the whole time!

At that moment a well-dressed man comes down the stairs and goes to a row of mailboxes and opens one. Suddenly I (finally) sense something's wrong. I turn toward my friendly helper and he's going out the door and I realize my wallet is also gone.

I ask the man at the mailbox if he speaks English. He says, "yes." I ask will you watch my cameras for me--that fellow stole my wallet. He says, "yes."

I run out the door and look right. There's the guy leaning against the wall like he's waiting for a bus. Blue jacket, blue pants, kind of swarthy complected, like Gypsies or Arabs. I walk up to him and stand facing him. He looks befuddled. I put my hand out in the universal sign of "give me."

He holds his hands out to the sides like, "what?" My wallet chain falls out of the jacket and dangles below the hem. I point to it. He shrugs and pulls out the wallet and hands it back. He starts walking away and I return to the apartment building foyer rather than worry about him because it occurs to me that it was strange he gave it back so easily.

The resident gentleman is standing over my vest and cameras, hands on hips, glaring at a skinny young guy who looks a lot like he could be the thief's younger brother. As soon as I walk in, the kid leaves. I regain my stuff. Apparently the glop was a mixture of water and chocolate and there were stains for quite a while on the vest from the incident. The resident told me to be careful, saying, "ess Barcelona!"

I saw a cop car within a minute after I walked out and I waved it down. Fortunately one of the cops spoke English. I told him about the incident. he asked, "what did you lose?" I said, "nothing, I made the guy give it back." The cop said that I was very lucky, but "ess Barcelona!" They humored me and took a description, but I could tell that they weren't really concerned.

And I was both stupid and lucky that day. If they had got away with the wallet, I wouldn't have been out any money, that and my credit cards were in a card wallet in my shirt where most folks put a pack of cigarettes, but my passport would have been gone. Likewise if I had run after the guy without picking up my equipment. Never afterward have I assumed that because I was out of the tourist area, I could let down my guard.

Needless to say I didn't make it up to Tibidabo that trip. I went back to where the crew was staying and told the story to their amusement.

[Flo]

Beautifully done Neil.I always love the sharpness and vividness of your photos.


Now I have to wait and see if Roy posts that guy in Celebrity;)

[Roy Mathers]

I didn't get a shot of him Gail.

[snyderman]

Fabulous shots. And thanks for posting the second set with camera settings.

what lens took the market shots, please?

dave

[neil_r]

what lens took the market shots, please

All taken with a 1Ds Mk III and a 24-70 f/2.8 L