IMDonehere

No, Madrid is a capital city and Barcelona a provincial one.

If you live by the dictionary it is, otherwise Barcelona is one of the great cities of Europe.

elisgriffiths

Thanks for the feedback Ozarksbill - that is a very good point you have made about the lack of people in the pictures, and something I will certainly consider on my next trip! Although I have traveled a lot since I was young, I am relatively new to travel writing and as such appreciate all the advice I can get. It is a real shame that the weather was awful whilst I was in Copenhagen, so there wasn't anyone brave enough to sit outside in Nyhavn, in fear of being battered by the wind and snow!
I didn't get chance to visit Prada, but from what I've heard from others I wish I had! I would love to come to Boston, I've never ventured the other side of the pond before! Elis

IMDonehere

Here is some unsolicited advice.

People always say they take pictures and write for themselves but then post them on public fora. A bit of a contradiction which conceals the fear of what others will say and write.

Read travel writers, not guide book writers. Conde Nast was nice enough to compile a list of their favorites. NB: I have not read every writer on the list, but the ones with whom I familiar are more than just travel writers. It is a more complex and interesting than a litany of wheres and whens, and considerably harder to write.

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/20...ks-of-all-time

Look at what other photographers are shooting. Try not to be the the million and one take that shot. If you want to shoot well known sights, try different angles, different perspectives. Look for people and things that are interesting. Go the gold standard of travel photography National Geographic and see what they shoot and learn about the mechanics of photography.

If you truly want to keep a record for yourself, that is one thing, but if you want others to read it you need to elevate your writing and photography by investing time and effort and learn what has preceded you.

Ozarksbill

Yes, good advice from IMDonehere, and thinking about the objectives of your photography and various angles. And good that you can accept good advice. Many are quite expert and post photos on blogs. Myself, I just want to have remembrances of trips.

I do look for the unusual or human element, e.g., in Cordoba while walking along narrow streets I snapped photos of a ornate residence door, a guitarist, a residence courtyard through an iron grate, then the marvelous interior pillars and arches of the Moorish La Mezquita. And during a lunchtime tortilla and beer snack a christening party was thee also and down the street a bride and groom departed in a limo. So I will remember that narrow cobblestone street barely wide enough for a vehicle. These photos plus impressive bridge and city view, etc.

kja

Before going out to take a lot of pictures of people, you might want to give some thought to the murky ethical issues involved in doing so. Here's a recent thread on the topic:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ing-people.cfm

danon

I stopped taking pictures long time ago , but when I did I was always mindful of invading
other people's privacy.
Would not appreciate tourists taking pictures of my home ,family event outdoors etc.
Long time ago , a poster suggested taking pic. of people on public transit...Who gave her / him
the permission.

Ozarksbill

I see your point, kja. One should be respectful and maybe Americans but also Japanese or others are apt to stick a camera in someones' face. My "people picts" are pretty general like where everyone is celebrating a wedding. Or at a distance. Or if a family or child with persmission. But I do want to go beyond just buildings and scenery.

BumbleB6

Thank you for your blog post! We are visiting Madrid in March for the first time, and this was quite informative.

elisgriffiths

Hope you have a fantastic time, I'm sure you will love it just as much as I did!