Robert Graves Found ‘Perfect Tranquillity’ in Majorca

The poet and writer, shellshocked after World War I, found a place to write in a village on the northern coast of the Spanish island. See the slideshow on the New York Times

 

On the beach

My photograph was chosen this month for PhotoShelter’s Buyer Homepage slideshow!

Barcelona on the beach

Barcelona’s beaches open again in 2012. Barcelona’s beaches are a major attraction of the city and last year Barcelona was named the best beach city in the world by National Geographic magazine. From the city centre of Barcelona it takes about 10-20 minutes by public transport to get down to the Mediterranean sea and the nine beaches.

On the road with Don Quixote

The lone gentleman and antihero Don Quixote praised crossroads, encounters in inhospitable surroundings and the importance of the journey.
The novel The Ingenous Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miguel de Cervantes, was a predecessor of today’s road movies. So what happens if you take it as a guide and inspiration to a voyage to the settings of the adventures of Don Quixote, in the little known Spanish region of La Mancha? It is a travel across vast vineyards, olive groves and saffron farms to look for the “village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind…”.

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.

36 Hours in San Sebastián

In July I shot for the New York Times “36 hours in San Sebastián,” a town in north Spain “to fall in love” as write Ingrid Williams in the story published in the Travel Section of the paper on August 4, 2011. Please, see the slide show.

Smoke on the plate

Chef Joan Roca lights sawdust in a small black pipe with a hissing sound. With quick moves, he carefully pumps the smoke onto a plate, under a glass cloche. A strong aroma that brings the idea of fire to one's mind accompanies the aubergine soufflé in a sardine marinade. "The burning beech smoke provokes a reflection on memories related to family gatherings where fire has been present," Joan explains.

El Celler de Can Roca, a restaurant in Girona, Spain, has three Michelin stars and was recently chosen as the second-best restaurant in the world by the British Restaurant magazine. It is pioneering what has become known as emotional cuisine. See the feature gallery online.

New pictures from Valencia

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=’G0000BOcmbPO8nGo’ g_name=’Valencia-City-of-Arts-and-Sciences’ f_show_caption=’t’ f_show_slidenum=’t’ img_title=’casc’ pho_credit=’iptc’ f_link=’t’ f_enable_embed_btn=’t’ f_show_watermark=’t’ f_mtrx=’t’ fsvis=’off’ width=’600′ height=’430′ bgcolor=’#AAAAAA’ btype=’old’ bcolor=’#CCCCCC’ crop=’t’ twoup=’t’ trans=’xfade’ tbs=’5000′ f_ap=’t’ bgtrans=’f’ linkdest=’c’ f_fullscreen=’f’ f_constrain=’f’ f_topbar=’f’ f_bbar=’f’ f_bbarbig=” f_htmllinks=’f’ f_send_to_friend_btn=’f’ f_smooth=’f’ f_up=’f’ target=’_self’ ]

New pictures from Valencia shot. See the gallery at http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/01/23/travel/2011123-hours-valencia.html?scp=3&sq=valencia&st=cse

Morir de Amor, la vita di Federico García Lorca

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=’G0000Zc41WYjnXwg’ g_name=’Morir-de-amor-GarcA-a-Lorca-s-short-life’ f_show_caption=’t’ f_show_slidenum=’t’ img_title=’casc’ pho_credit=’iptc’ f_link=’t’ f_enable_embed_btn=’t’ f_show_watermark=’t’ f_mtrx=’t’ fsvis=’off’ width=’600′ height=’430′ bgcolor=’#AAAAAA’ btype=’old’ bcolor=’#CCCCCC’ crop=’t’ twoup=’t’ trans=’xfade’ tbs=’5000′ f_ap=’t’ bgtrans=’f’ linkdest=’c’ f_fullscreen=’f’ f_constrain=’f’ f_topbar=’f’ f_bbar=’f’ f_bbarbig=” f_htmllinks=’f’ f_send_to_friend_btn=’f’ f_smooth=’f’ f_up=’f’ target=’_self’ ]

Un viaggio sentimentale nei luoghi di Federico García Lorca

Un vento di libertà soffia sulla Spagna negli anni venti. I costumi si modernizzano, e anche le istituzioni e la politica si rinnovano. La società sta cambiando e alcuni giovani entusiasti e sensibili si preparano a raccogliere questi fermenti e trasformarli in potente fatto artistico: Pablo Picasso da Malaga, Salvador Dalí da Figueres, Luis Buñuel da Aragona, Rafael Alberti da Cadiz, Joan Miró da Barcellona e tanti altri. Read more