Parc Guell, Barcelona
Nov, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken on 1st April 2014 during a second visit to Gaudi's Parc Güell, Barcelona, Spain.Time
This was a late afternoon visit, when the crowds had thinned out, though I can remember waiting a while for the right moment to capture this image. I had headed up there with a recently acquired Nikon 24mm 1.4, having decided to try to shoot from a wider perspective (I enjoy landscape photography but take more portraits).Lighting
The light was fairly low under the cloisters so I used a wide aperture (1.6) to maintain an iso of 100 which allowed me a shutter speed of 200. I wanted the photo to convey the mood of the cloisters as if one were there; the intricately crafted columns, ceiling and earth pathway contrast beautifully. I prefer to shoot with natural light only and the evening light and shadow combined with the wide aperture led me to aim to take a photograph that would draw the viewer into it with a real feel for the Parc Güell.Equipment
I used my Nikon D800E with the Nikon 24mm 1.4g ED lens, hand-held at a wide aperture.Inspiration
I find Gaudi’s Parc Güell hugely inspirational but not particularly easy to photograph due to the crowds. I wanted to capture the feeling of just being there, able to immerse oneself in the sensation of walking amongst Gaudi’s work. It was important to me to be able to be able to capture an image through which I could recall that privilege.Editing
I used minimal post processing to enhance the shadow detail. The image is not cropped; I prefer to compose my shots as accurately as possible in camera and still use my Nikon F6 35mm film camera to maintain this discipline.In my camera bag
I currently use a Nikon D800E, Nikon Coolpix A and Nikon F6. The lenses I most use are the Nikon 85mm 1.4g for portraiture and the Nikon 35mm 1.4, interchanging these between the D800E and F6. The Coolpix A is a great go anywhere camera and is surprisingly high quality with its fixed 18mm lens on a DX 16mp sensor.Feedback
For me photography requires a certain degree of relaxation; it is a release from everyday work and allows me to free my mind and connect with the place I am photographing. If a particular composition feels right, it is invariably successful. The advice which I would give is to follow one’s gut feeling, and if you know that you want to capture a specific photograph, to wait for the right moment, even if it means, in my case, going back to Barcelona in search of Gaudi!
