Location Scouting in Granada

I spent most of last week location scouting in Granada and the white villages refining the routes for the workshops we’re running next April and May.

My friend Jerry Webb, who is leading the Granada Street Photography workshop came over and we walked the proposed routes, noting the light and the photo opportunities. Naturally there was time to sit and drink coffee and discuss the finer points of life!

Part of the output of the week, on top of a small mountain of photographs was this video, where Jerry gives some fascinating insights into the way he approaches street photography, techniques and methods born of more than twenty years experience.

Street Photography is very different to landscape photography, it’s an art I’ve always enjoyed looking at but as a landscape and architectural photographer, I’m not so geared to the critical moment, using light and shade to bring drama and depth to my photographs. The appearance of people in my images is a welcome addition, but I rarely go out of my way to cultivate those skills. Perhaps I should.

This is one of my better shots from the week. I spotted the light and shade on the old buildings and composed my frame. All I needed was somebody to walk into the space to balance the orange plants hanging outside the cafe. It only took a couple of minutes, the red coat perfectly complements the image.

The routes we settled on worked really well, the graffiti walk out to Placeta Joe Strummer is a wonderful walk and the graffiti is outstanding and original, unique to Granada.

There are three routes in all, centred around the old town and the districts of Realejo, Albayzin and St Matias, we visit the best tapas street in Granada, see the iconic views of the Alhambra from St. Nicolas plaza and a number of other locations that are unique to our workshop.

The ideas is, as this workshop combines architecture and street photography, in the sense that we encourage people to use the backdrop of Granada to convey the sense of this multicultural, vibrant city. When we go out to the white villages we’ll be visiting a place that hasn’t substantially changed in hundreds of years and of course that yields its own dramas and contrasts – the white houses are iconic, the challenge is different to Granada, the landscape is huge, the colours vibrant and the people very friendly.

So the workshop will consist of two days in Granada city and one in the white villages. we’ll all be staying in central Granada so there will be ample opportunity to do night time photography after we’ve enjoyed the best tapas in Spain!

If you’re interested in this workshop, check out our website – eightpeaks.photography and start the conversation. We’re really looking forward to this one, Granada is not awash with photographers for reasons unknown, its simply not on the instagram trail – and all the better for it, you’re guaranteed some unique images!