A Tailor-Made program in Barcelona

Federica runs a business in communication and management skills in English

Federica Biondi runs a business in communication and management skills in English, advising professional women who use English for work. She provides solutions ranging from improving presentation skills and fluency, to ensuring that the web content in English is up to scratch, to assisting in the preparation and presentation of balance sheets in English.

Her activity is mainly focused on professional women, but she moves in all professional areas. She aims to generate resources that add value to women’s entrepreneurship and professionalism, through understanding their needs and designing tailor-made programs that aim to improve those skills crucial to their career.

Get in contact with Federica:

http://tailormadebarcelona.com

Shooting till the Sun Comes Up: the Primavera Sound

It’s always a pleasure shooting for The New York Times, this time it was in Barcelona covering The Primavera Sound, one of the biggest summer music festivals in Europe. Take a look to the slideshow.

Sister Teresa, Ora et Labora

The phrase Ora et Labora, “pray and work” refers to the monastic practice of working and praying, its use in the Rule of St. Benedict. Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action. So, Sister Teresa Forcades, a Spanish medical doctor and a Benedictine nun, sees her mission.

In 2013, she coauthored “Manifesto for the convening of a constituent process in Catalonia”, with economist Arcadi Oliveres. In it they propose achieving independence for Catalonia through new political and social model based on self-organization and social mobilization.

Teresa has emerged as one of the most outspoken – and atypical – leaders in Europe also giving her help in the campaign against the  H1N1 vaccine.

There’s Something About Mobile

The big screen in the stand of Nokia at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona.
Barcelona celebrates the seventh edition of the Mobile World Congress and it will be the first edition launched in the city since Barcelona was elected as Mobile World Capital last July. The MWC was first launched in Barcelona in 2006 with 51.000 visitors and the figure has been growing since then, so, this year it is expected to beat the record of 60.000 visitors. I’m one of them, working for the Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat.

A way of understanding life

tickets

TICKETS Restaurant in Barcelona is the Tapas Bar of Albert Adrià, the young brother of Ferran Adrià. This project was started by Albert, and then he involved Ferran, who was really excited about it because of its cultural importance. Albert Adrià also involved Iglesias’s brothers -Juan Carlos, Borja and Pedro-, owners of Rías de Galicia, which is an emblematic seafood restaurant in Barcelona. Johanna and me had the opportunity to visit the TICKETS Restaurant and we enjoyed the hospitality of Albert and the whole staff. As they say on their web: “For us, la vida tapa is a global concept, a way of understanding life through gastronomy.”
If you want to book a table, you have to do it online 60 days before the date, at www.ticketsbar.es, and follow the instructions.

If you are interested in seeing more pictures, please contact the photographer Stefano Buonamici.

Land and Freedom

Javier Ballestreros working at at the occupied Somonte farm in Palma del Rio, Spain

‘Somonte Resiste’ is written with rocks in enormous letters at the main entrance, readable from the air. And I’m pretty sure that Somonte will keep resisting… Spanish Revolution. The Somonte farm has been occupied by members of the Syndicato Andalucia Trabajadores (SAT) since March 4th 2012. These actions represent a platform for the struggle against the commodification and privatization of natural resources: the land belongs to those who cultivate it.

The photographs has been published on Helsinki Sanomat to illustrate a story by Johanna Kippo.

Decalogo per fotografi

Aug 28, 2012 Ovvero dieci comportamenti per una vita liberata dalla schiavitù, ancora prima di scattare belle fotografie.

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Barcelona e-motions

Barcelona e-motions is a photography service for tourists during their stay  in Barcelona, whereby a photographer follows the tourist around the city, taking pictures along the way. The client and the photographer agree on the itinerary prior to the tour, which includes visiting monuments and tourist spots: recreational, cultural and gastronomic highlights of the city. The photographer’s role is  to capture special moments against photogenic backdrops, when the lightning and atmosphere are at their best. The photographer makes the most of each opportunity to photograph the most spontaneous and unpredictable moments of the visit.

The tour lasts around half a day, and three different places are photographed. At the client’s request, the photographer can also  arrange other services through authorised organisations (such as hiring a car, tour guide, etc). The techniques used ensure the best fine-art printing results, offering top image reproduction and maintenance.

The photos come in two sizes: 24×30 and 30×40 (at different prices). The photographs are presented in a specially handcrafted folder (album), of a high quality suitable for preserving and protecting the photos. The intermediary’s (hotel or agency) logo can be used on the folder.

The folder includes:

  • 15 photos printed in the chosen format.
  • A letter describing the experience (written in the client’s chosen language).
  • A DVD of the original photos in high resolution.
  •  The photographer’s biography.

The product will be given to the client or posted to the client’s address. The client receives a unique, artistic and once-in-a-lifetime souvenir, which forms part of a very personal experience. The client also receives the legal rights to use the images, which can be kept in a folder or framed, printed from the DVD and/or sent to friends and family by email or published on social networking websites.

Who this is aimed at:

Tourists and visitors to the city: couples, families, groups of friends or work groups. This service is aimed at whoever wants to keep a memory of their visit to Barcelona but who wants something more than just a standard souvenir – an original product, developed from their personal interests or wishes. The client gets a new and exclusive product that makes them feel good about themselves or is just a memory of a special experience.

Sales:

Sold through the most exclusive hotels, travel agencies, tour guide agencies,  escort services or marketing and communication agencies.

Promotion:

Promoted through web galleries, photo exhibitions in hotels and direct marketing.

Any doubt  or questions about the price? Please contact Stefano directly at [email protected]

My own Country

The beginning of a nice day in Spring, in the Chianti hills in Tuscany, not far from Florence.

If you would like to see more pictures, please visit the Organic Tuscany cooking classes web site. Organic Tuscany offers organic cooking classes in Il Paluffo, a 15th century historical building which has been beautifully restored respecting tradition with a touch of Italian design. There are also beautiful walks in the area, and plenty of time to relax.

Photographers Cannot Work for Free

A text by Tony Wu.

Dear potential photo buyer,

If you have been directed to this page, it is likely that you have requested the use of an image or images for free or minimal compensation.

As professional photographers, we receive requests for free images on a regular basis. In a perfect world, each of us would love to be able to respond in a positive manner and assist, especially with projects or efforts related to areas such as education, social issues, and conservation of natural resources. It is fair to say that in many cases, we wish we had the time and resources to do more to assist than just send photographs. Read more