We wake up to thick fog that quickly dissipates. The light and shadows on the craggy mountains are beautiful. We walk down a road unfamiliar to us and find a field full of poppies. With the sun shining on them, it is spectacular, especially with the mountains behind.
We talk about patterns in the poppies and being fusss-sssy (said with a very soft “s”).
A small truck comes by towing an equally small trailer. I hop into our car and back it out of the way, feeling badly that I had blocked him at all.
We continue to photograph, experimenting with different depths of field as a lesson in the process.
After doing some imaging and talking more about what makes a good photograph, we take off for Ronda.
Last year, we watched the training of the horses for the bull fighting in the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain, Plaza de Toros in Ronda.
It is a handsome, beautiful building, and we look forward to returning. We are told, “No, not today, but tomorrow around 11:30.” Outside the Plaza is a caballero, a horseman, in traditional dress.
We ask permission to photograph him, and because he has a license to be photographed, we pay him the one Euro per each of us that is customary.
He is gracious and does what each of us wants. He starts to face me, but I tell him that I don’t want him looking at the camera. When I saw him, he was chatting with a friend, and that was the look that attracted me. The friend thinks I want him in the photo, too.
Tactfully, I tell him no, but thank you. I know he doesn’t have a permit, so I am polite but firm. Phew! Dodged that one!
We wander around a bit in Ronda, then head south to a small village in the mountains to do some photography.
There are old doors and fountains, patterns in the little lanes, flowers adorning walls, and old men, hands always clasped behind their backs. There is no shortage of things to tempt the eye and photograph.
We see roof tops, and they create a nice pattern of zigs and zags. I found some roofs and chimney that worked for me.
There is the obligatory cathedral in its own square. It is a good vantage point for photographing.
We get separated as people find their own scenes to photograph. I hear giggling from one of our group as she talks with Arnie.
People are friendly in these little villages. Stranger or no, everyone greets one another with, “Hola.” A nod of the head or a tip of the hat may go with it. Everyone is content.
We agree to meet back at the car at 8:00 so we can continue on to an overlook.
I sit on the bus-stop bench and see a wonderful gate. Cemetery, I think, so I walk over while waiting for some of the others.
The gate is locked, but I am attracted to the gate shadows.
After people gather, we go to the overlook that Arnie and I particularly like. There, one can look down on the village where we just were. There are also great, panoramic views of the Sierra.
The late-afternoon light comes streaming in. It is glorious.
We head back to our favorite restaurant (at Molino del Puente) for some tapas and go back to Molino del Arco, our lovely hotel, well sated for a good night’s sleep.
We agree to meet at 7:30 to head to an abandoned farm just down the road.
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Margo:
Tell me more about this “license” thing. Am I going to have to avoid shooting people for fear that they have a license to be photographed? I may return to being a landscape photographer while in Spain.
Dave,
I wouldn’t worry unduly about this. In some locations, there are people who are in period dress and pay for a license to sell their wares, in this case modeling fees, if you will.
Generally, if you are photographing people in a public place, and the photographs are not for sale, then you have free access. I am always careful about photographing children for reasons we all can imagine, and always ask permission. Ask Kathy how she would have felt when the kids were young.
So photograph away, and have fun.
Take care,
TBC
Thanks Margo. I will proceed with due care and consideration. Enjoy your travels. Best wishes, Dave
The most important thing in Barcelona is to watch for bait-and-switch thieves. The penalty for theft is a mere $500 as long as they do not threaten you or show a weapon. Thousands of dollars in camera equipment to sell vs. the chance of a $500 fine. Big deal. There is little incentive for thieves to stop a lucrative business.
Someone may speak to you while you are changing lenses and have put something down on a bench for a second. Poof! Gone! You’ll remember Arnie’s saga two years ago right after my mother died and we were exhausted.
As to photographing people, remember, if you don’t make money off them, you really don’t have to worry except for instances with the man at Plaza de Toros or children without parents permission (and that is moral, rather than legal). If the children are in a group, I would’t think anything of it, but a portrait of one or two is a different matter. If faces don’t really show, again, don’t worry.
Take care,
TBC