A piece of advice

The more things you like, the more you will enjoy life.

This has to be the best piece of advice I’ve ever received. Hubby said it to me a long time ago, and his father was the one who shared it with him first. So, in a way, even if I didn’t have the opportunity to meet him, is like he said it to me :).

If many things make you happy, if you enjoy sunsets, if you enjoy the breeze while walking to work, if you like many types of music and food, if you enjoy the little things, rather than criticize all and finding flaws with everything, the more you will enjoy life!

So like as many things as you can and enjoy life!

This is my first contribution to the Discover Challenge, hope you liked it!

Photography Expeditions

Since I arrived to Barcelona, ​​as I mentioned in my First Post, my life, of routine, has had close to nothing. However, taking weekend expeditions has becomed a delicious habit.

I’ve had the opportunity to know different towns and beaches away from the center of the city. And, besides being extremely fun, these trips have given me the opportunity to photograph stunning sceneries.

Therefore, I decided to share some of the pictures I’ve taken during these excursions.

I took this photograph in Sitges, a small and very beautiful seaside town south of Barcelona. I loved the contrast between the small and bright flower on the immense blue ocean.

My second destination was the city of Tarragona. Also located south of Barcelona, among its beaches and rich historical content,  this city becomes an excellent tourist target.

The way the sun streamed through the leafy branches of this tinitaria was spectacular. The breeze, the colors and the lighting conveyed a sense of unmatched calm.

This image is an HDR of the amphitheater. I decided to take it with this technique, hoping that the result was as faithful as possible to reality. I think I succeeded!

After visiting many beaches, it was the mountain turn . My third destination, Rupit, was the chosen destination.

With this spectacular image the town received me. Completely built in stone structures, a suspension bridge, a river and flowers in all balconies, Rupit makes us feel as if we travel to the past to take part of a wonderful story.

 

Bugs also have their role in this story

On the road leading to the hermitage of Santa Magdalena,  a variety of the most  colorful wildflowers  I’ve seen, decorate the trail

 

That same day, the adventure ended in the town of Besalu. I’ll let this images speak for me.

 

 

And to end this collection of photographs and experiences, I would like to share the last trip I did.

Walking up to the Tibidabo is amazing. My experience tells me that, if you have the opportunity to visit this place, the best option is to do it on foot. The possibility of mixing with nature, and still being so close to the city, is unique.

 

 

Always take your camera wherever you go. Remember to have a point of interest in all your photos. Do not rush, take your time to press the shutter. And above all, enjoy!

A Different Eye

“Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary”

This phrase may be more easily digested in paper than in practice. However, I think it’s not as utopian as it seems. Let me tell you why. This I’ve learn through photography.

I think we have all experienced the famous “block” at least one time in our lifes. We get stunned and keep trying the same thing we’ve been doing expecting different results or, we stay put staring at the emptiness waiting for some kind of muse to come and rescues us from our mental paralysis.

We don’t realize that what all we need is a different approach, a bit of fresh air, if you will. And here is where the ordinary can save our lives. A slight change in the point of view can create something wonderful.

Whatever it is, look at it from different angle, jump, crouch, climb on a chair, flip it, look for an unusual association and escape the commonplace.

With photography we are usually advised to leave the house, explore, go beyond our four walls. However, I recommend the opposite. Stay home and, as an exercise, take what’s most common to your eyes, whatever you think would be the most boring and ordinary thing to photograph, take it’s picture and have fun with it. Try to see it in a different way.

And this apllies, not only to photography, but to many other things. I would dare to say you can aply this line of thought in any aspect of your life. For example, in advertising, many of the best  campaigns have used this practice, very effectively, to give an original approach to their communications and stand out from the bunch.

So, here is my advice. Train your eyes and your mind to see the uniqueness of things and use their essence to the fullest. Apply it to your life entirely. In your work, your hobbies, your problems and find the extraordinary in the ordinary.