This oversized “Rubik’s Cube” is a feature of the Pompidou Gallery in Malaga. It’s quite a striking sight from without, and I expect that it’s equally interesting to look at from within (the gallery is below this paved area, although I didn’t go inside).
The structure above ground is hollow, but you can see people walking past on the opposite side to where you stand, filtered by various colours of glass.
The first shot visualises why polarising filters on wider-angled lenses can have an adverse effect – the sky changing from a deep to light shade of blue as the polarisation effect changes across the scene.
The second picture, shot through the cube, has an almost cross-processed look. To be honest I’m not sure if it’s an accurate representation of what I photographed, or if it’s one of those wildcard images that Negative Lab Pro goes a bit crazy with. I like it though.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Gold. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
This photo is one of those examples where I focused on one thing, while completely missing something else that was right before my eyes.
The thing I took a picture of was the street art, with the narrow street vanishing into the distance with a lone figure approaching. I spotted the wooden pole with the cables and thought it framed the scene nicely.
What I didn’t notice at all until I scanned the negative what what was affixed to the pole – namely a pair of divers flippers, what might be some stuffed leggings, and a sign which reads “Si el pais se hunde estamos preparados” which translates to the English phrase “If the country sinks we are prepared“. I like it when I spot these little hidden surprises in photographs (although maybe I should more time seeing, rather than just looking when I’m composing a photograph).
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Gold. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
I feel like I’ve been posting pictures from my trip to Malaga for aaages, especially give the holiday was almost three months ago now. I still have a full roll of un-posted images too, although I won’t be posting all of them and will try to bundle some together, as with today’s post showing another selection of streets that I photographed while wandering the city in the heat of the afternoon.
As well as getting a bunch of pictures on these walks, I also benefitted from treating myself to gelato, which was a nice little reward for venturing out in the mid-afternoon heat. 🙂
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Gold. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
A couple of namesakes which, while close, are not directly adjacent to one another. I’m making the assumption that they’re named after the author of Don Quixote.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
I’m sat here wondering what to write for today’s blog post and I’m just drawing a blank. I spent some time staring at my Flickr stream to see if anything caught my eye that I might write about. A couple did, but the things I’d like to write would take longer than I have time for this evening, so those might wait until another day.
So, in lieu of just posting a picture and writing nothing at all (which I do do on occasion), I’m posting a couple of pictures of cafes, one of which seems to be doing better than the other. The worse-off cafe makes for a better picture though.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
I’m not sure why, but the scans from this roll of Portra 400 are extremely grainy. The film wasn’t underexposed, and I’ve done nothing unusual in my scanning process, so I’m uncertain as to the cause. I wonder if the high heat might have had an effect? Or maybe the airport scanners (although I’ve had no issues with taking Portra 400 through an airport in the past)
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
Perhaps not a beautiful place, but the colours of the algae and stains on the concrete bed of this river channel in Malaga, made for an interesting picture.
I was curious as to why the river, The Gudalmedina, looks like this where it flows practically beside the beautiful old town of the city, and the reason is largely down to a devastating flood that occurred in 1907 which resulted in water levels several metres higher than normal, and the loss of lives and property.
Through the 20th century a variety of systems such as dams, dykes, and re-planting of trees were implemented to prevent a reoccurrence of the flooding. However, it became apparent later in the century that these were still not sufficient to protect the city and a new reservoir was constructed to help prevent further floods and also to provide drinking water.
As a result of this, the river channel through the city is dry much of the time and has become something of an eyesore. Although there have been plans to develop the channel into a more attractive site, these have not come to fruition (although there is evidence of trees planted on the left-hand bank in my photograph).
I found a video on Youtube that gives more information on the history of the river and why it became what it is today.
The video was uploaded in March 2023, so I guess some activities to improve the site must have taken place since then, and while I was taking my picture I noticed a refuse truck removing rubbish from the river bed.
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
Today I learnt something about graffiti. I was going to write about how most of the time it looks a mess, but I thought I’d look into the reasons for tagging because, for all I know one person’s mess is another’s hidden world.
I discovered that there are different forms of graffiti tags and that, while graffiti and making an individual’s mark on something has been around for centuries, tagging is a much more recent addition to the form, originating in the US in the 1960s and 1970s, with Darryl McCray of Philadelphia (going by the psudonym “Cornbread”) being widely seen as the first modern graffiti artist .
Tagging in it’s most basic form tends to be 2-dimensional designs, usually small in scale, and made with marker pens or spray paint. These are generally the pseudonym of the artist. Tags are usually quick to apply due to the often illegal nature of the activity and they are considered to be vandalism by many rather than having artistic intent. Most tags are unique, being distinguished by the artists style. Some take the form of “one-liners” where the tag is formed from a single stroke. Sometimes stickers containing the tag are used and these are known as “slap-ons”.
“Throw Ups” are a more elaborate version of the tagging form. These tend to be more detailed and greater in scale. They often take the form of bubble-letters, sometimes with a 3D relief incorporated into the design. Again, they are quick to apply and most often use spray paint.
“Pieces” are the most elaborate of these forms. Pieces being short for masterpieces. These take things to another level, often being carefully planned artworks consisting of coloured fills and intricate designs, often incorporating graphical features beyond the pseudonym of the artist. These are probably seen as the most acceptable form of graffiti and are sometimes used as commissioned pieces to discourage other less welcome forms of graffiti or sometimes to advertise businesses. Pieces originated in the 1980s on New York Subway trains.
While the picture today didn’t have graffiti as it’s primary focus when I shot it, the fact that tags and throw-ups can be sen on the walls beside the door led me to wonder about their meaning when coming to write today’s post. Every day’s a school-day!
Nikon F80, Nikkor 28-80mm f.3.5-5.6 AF-D & Kodak Portra 400. Lab developed. Home scanned and converted with Negative Lab Pro
Steel City Snapper photography 