Not much to tell about these images, except that this was where the man in the previous post was looking at.

Compared to yesterday's post this image is closer to technical perfection. It also is transporting a moment of emotions and feelings.

...who cares about technical perfection? Photography sometimes is nothing more as transporting a moment of emotions and feelings.

Dreaming of the new collection for this autumn...

A wonderful graffiti on a corner in Barcelona...

... taken outside of Barcelona Airport

I am playing already a longer time to try some black and white film... in a dusty box I store my work from 25 years ago and this Sunday afternoon I installed the scanner and scanned some images from that time.

Found those negatives and scanned a few... to get from a technical point of view reasonable results out of them was so easy. I remember hours and hours in the dark room, now just some levels and curves that's it.

With this image as a young student, I won the first price in a competition, it still has some charm to me therefore worth to share some of my very old work here.

Today some images quite different from my usual style. It is good to experiment from time to time and leave the comfortable path where you know what you do. These have been made in the hospital were my wife had to stay a few days (she is fine again now). After long looking at the light I decided it was worth a try..

one more from Barcelona, some highly artistic gratify...

I have been traveling last days and just returned home... no exiting long trip far away... to compensate my silence a first impression from Barcelona Airport.

.. these are two of the few portraits I took in Barcelona...

I am looking back at a productive photographic year, after Mali in 2007 I continued to take portraits in India and Europe. Next year will start with a trip to Cuba, probably a good place to take some photographs.

I do wish all visitors a wonderful 2009!

Yesterday afternoon I was at the "Herbstmesse" in Basel - Switzerland. I had my camera with the intention to take some portraits.

When I arrived there, I was surprised about how silent it was. It was totally crowded but no music, no people laughing. I expected more noise, more action.. I came home with just one shot.

more on the website of Just Jazz.

Portraits still are my main passion. This afternoon, on a short walk in the village I met this man. I saw him more than once before, warm or cold; always with a hat and a jacket.

He was sitting on a bench in front of a white wall. I said "bonsoir" and tried to speak some french. I asked if he wants to be photographed and his answer was clear. When I took the camera he was so proud. I took two photographs, the first one was not sharp and promised him to give him a print next time I see him.

In the blog entry of September 24th I have discussed about the limitation of having only a 50mm lens. Today another photograph of that experience:

Spain - September 2008

again, 2 photographs from my trip with just a 50mm lens in the bag.

another photograph from my short visit to Barcelona:

Last months I re-discovered my 50mm lens. To use that is a refreshment with inspiration rather than a limitation. I will try to explain what is happening and give some idea about my experience. Last week I have been in Barcelona only with the 50mm lens in the bag.

Photography is about seeing and recognizing the subject. Having a camera with a zoom lens the eyes of the photographer also are in "zoom mode".

When using only 50mm lens for weeks the eyes will be adapted to non zoom mode. The effect of not zooming with the brain helps to see the scene better.

Sure, there is always the question, what do I put in my bag.. leaving home with only a 50mm lens can be a bit scary. In the beginning you will feel that you missed opportunities because not having zoom lenses in the bag. After a while you don´t have that feeling anymore....

Making the composition in the viewfinder with the limitation not beeing able to zoom requires more concentration but with less parameters focus gets even stronger on seeing.

No zoom means, one parameter more to play with. I found this gave place to another parameter while taking the photograph. Since I started to use 50mm almost exclusively I am much more aware of apenture and the resulting DOF.

It seems with the 50mm lens to master technique became more easy and the burden to find subjects is lower since eyes are not zooming in and out. I can recommend to get a 50 mm lens and see the world in a much simpler way.

"Castells" is a Catalonian word that means castles- they are a cultural phenomenon particular to Catalonia and consist of erecting human towers. This tradition originated at the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called "colles", began to compete in constructing the different kinds of human towers that we recognize nowadays.

I am leaving for a short visit to Barcelona, the photograph above was taken in 2005 with a bag full of equipment. This time I take just a DSLR with a 50mm lens.

Candid photography is not what I do normally, these are an exception.

My portrait taken by my wife Montse:

The 2nd portrait of my wife for the Blog.

-- last night my grandmother passed away.

I am writing to her in Dutch, one time Dutch on my blog...

Oma,

u heeft gewacht, dagen, uren, minuten..

...tot uw dochter en schoonzoon terug kwamen van vacantie,

sterk zoals altijd, u wist het...
... één dezer dagen is het voorbij

... laatste kracht heeft u verzameld, ze nog een keer te horen,

ook hun een laatste teken te geven...

rust zacht lieve oma!

Vincent en Montse

As promised yesterday, part 2 of a difficult self assignment. This is my dad and yesterday I showed a portrait of my mother. Both where taken during my visit to them at the location where they take vacation for years already. I think it is clear, they do feel at home.

I find it extremely difficult to take good portraits of people I know closely, in special my family. Nevertheless I am happy with these two portraits. I am even more happy to receive your feedback, check out the "leave comment link" just bellow the photographs or give stars to express your opinion.

This was a difficult portrait to be taken. I tried this more than once but last weekend I got this. Next days part 2 where I explain why I found this self assignment difficult...

I did not manage to make a lot of photographs in Barcelona, for some reasons I was not motivated enough to fulfill my self assignment to take some portraits.

Taking portraits in Europe is not that simple at least that is my feeling. There seems to be an invisible border to be crossed. Last October I took the chance and made a series of a man playing his saxophone just in front of our door. Today we had a walk and I saw this man. When we came home just in front of our door I took this portrait.

Last two photographs, they clearly show that you not need to make a long trip to make portraits. Those where taken just in front of our house between 2 lampposts.

When I came back at my PC the memory card was put in the PC. I just transferred the files to my PC then the doorbell was ringing. The man had a wish, he wanted some more photographs to be taken with his sunglasses...

As promised yesterday some more photographs from last night.

Last weeks I was not too productive when it comes to photography, the camera stayed in the bag. That changed quickly just an hour ago.

I was at home in the living room, the window was open it was a nice warm autumn evening. Then saxophone music came from the street. It did not stop and I looked out of the window. I saw a man going from lamppost to lamppost, playing on his saxophone. No time for long considerations, I took a camera and went down. Made some portraits then we had a chat. The man lives in our small village, I said him he could pick-up some prints. We took some more photographs.

After that I directly went to the PC to see what was taken. The shot bellow is the first one. More to follow next days.

Of course my wife Montse appears often on my photographs. This one has been approved for web usage.