My Photography Year in Review - 2016

2016 was a good year for me, photographically and generally.

On January 1, I retired from my position as a College administrator.  This gives me more time for photography.

In March I traveled to Spain to photograph the Holy Week traditions in León.  I also had the opportunity to eat lots of tapas, and blog about my experiences during my stay.

In the Fall, I had a photography show with a number of my works on display at the Yellow Moon Cafe, through the Anthill Gallery.

Below are some to the highlights from this year.

The Eyes of Santa Nonia is an image from my coverage of the Holy Week in León.  This photo was selected as a finalist in the prestigious Black & White Spider Awards. It was also part of my Fall exhibition.

If you're interested in the traditions of the Spanish Holy Week, check out the 10 blog entries I wrote in March and April of 2016, starting here.

I also wrote about and photographed Spanish tapas.

Spanish street scenes are always fun.

I also photographed scenes closer to home.  This is from my hometown just before the 4th of July.

Another Illinois scene not too far from home.

I found this while checking out local back roads.

The Headrest Barbershop on Michigan Avenue in Chicago was a street photography find as I was walking with my family.

Please feel free to check out posting from my blog from 2016 or any of the past years.  You might also enjoy viewing my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

More Artistic Celebrations of Holy Week in León, Spain

In my last entry, I shared some photographs of an amazing window display celebrating Holy Week in León, made with Legos. 

Many businesses in León get into the act with their own window displays around Easter time. 

This display in a drugstore window was popular with passersby.  It used pharmaceuticals to represent some of the Holy Week pasos (floats).  You can click on photos in this blog for a closer view.  Use the Escape button to exit.

A close-up of some of the figures in the drugstore window.

 

 



The display in another window uses dolls for some of the figures.

Although this fabric store was closed when I went by, I believe that its Holy Week items were for sale.

While this is probably the last blog entry for the miniature Holy Week displays, in the upcoming days I'll be posting more photos of the real processions, and maybe another entry or two on one of my favorite Spanish subjects:  tapas.

You can view my earlier entries on Spain and Holy Week by viewing the archives from March and April.

My website is at:  www.tombellart.com. 

 

The Holy Week Processions of León -- Faith and Optimism for the Future

At 81 years of age, Eduardo de Paz is known as a gentleman of quiet and profound faith.  The twelve brotherhoods he serves respect him as a leader, a source of knowledge, wisdom, and strength.  Over the years, he has witnessed decades of change: sometimes for better, sometimes worse.  

 Eduardo de Paz has been a member of the religious brotherhoods of Spain for 69 years.  He is a member of six brotherhoods in León, two in Malaga, two in Seville, one in Madrid and one in Saragosa.  He founded one of the most important brotherhoods in 1962. (You can click on photos in this blog for a larger view.)

“We are now in a bad time,” he says.  “There is a lack of religion.” 

Then, just as quickly, he expresses optimism. “In time, people will be more involved,” he pronounces.  “Of that, I am certain.”  He explains that the processions he has been a part of since the age of 12 are tools for teaching.  In centuries past, the gigantic religious floats (pasos) portraying the Biblical story of death and resurrection were the media of their time.  They told the story of Easter in a way that mere words could never express.  Today, he says, they continue to serve the same purpose.  They create an excitement and inspire people to participate; they introduce people to the brotherhoods and traditions.

Many hours are spent preparing, cleaning, repairing, and assembling pasos (floats) for the processions.

Those who become members of the brotherhoods treasure the experience.  A father often registers his son into the brotherhood upon his birth.  One of Eduardo’s son’s, Eduardo has achieved the honor of Hermano de Oro (Brother of Gold) for 50 years in the brotherhood.  The other son, José Luis will achieve the honor next year when he turns 50, also having a half century in the brotherhood.

 Eduardo's grandson, Jorge de Paz helps his grandfather into the robes that are unique to his brotherhood. Jorge was registered into the brotherhood upon his birth by his father, José Luis.

Eduardo poses in front of the Basilica of San Isodoro with Gonzalo González Cayón, the Abad (President) of another brotherhood, founded in 1572.

Eduardo, who founded the Cofradía de las Siete Palabras de Jesús en la Cruz (Brotherhood of the Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross) in 1962, says that the people of León take the processions very seriously.  Almost every family will have someone involved.  Thousands, young and old, men and women, will march in the processions. Those who participate will not only help bear a float or play a musical instrument, they will also have an opportunity to pray and become more involved in religion.  Spectators, too, continue to be drawn to the spectacle of a procession, with some drawing tens of thousands of onlookers.  Holy Week is the busiest time of the year in León.

 This paso being prepared for a procession is dedicated to Eduardo, who was the first Abad (President) of his brotherhood. He remain an honorary Abad.

A plaque on the processions honors Eduardo for his service to the brotherhood.

Eduardo explains that the processions of Malaga and Seville are flashier, with many pasos displaying an excess of Baroque gilding, silver, and embellishments. Maybe, he says, this is why the processions of the South are better known. In the North, he declares, people are more serious and tend to favor less ornate pasos.  While still having its share of golden platforms and ostentation, the pasos of León are just as often made of beautifully carved wood without the excess of ornamentation.

Thirty-six processions are conducted over the ten days of la Semana Santa (Holy Week), some small with only a few hundred participants, others huge with many thousands actively involved.  When I asked Eduardo about the future, he was as optimistic as ever.  While the brotherhoods and processions evolve to meet the needs of their times, he does not see a time when processions will not continue to serve the faithful.  

 

A moonlight procession much as it might have looked one hundred years ago, and as it may appear one hundred years from now.

When I asked Eduardo if processions will still be flourishing in 100 years, he responded, “Certainly!”

I will continue reporting on Holy Week in León as the week progresses.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Holy Week in León -- Family, Tradition & Food

Holy Week in León is an event -- a family affair -- something that cannot be ignored. It is a week filled with ancient and modern traditions. Thousands, sometimes ten of thousands spill into the streets to witness some of the thirty-six processions conducted during the ten days of Holy Week. While some processions are small with only a few hundred participants, others are huge, with several thousand people marching through the streets in traditional costumes, some bearing gigantic religious floats (pasos), others playing musical instruments or simply playing their part by marching along.

Those who march in the processions are of all ages.  This younger participant
is on the way to the Church of Santa Nonia, where he will take part in the three hour
Procesión de la Pasión along with three thousand other marchers.  (You

can click on images for a larger view.)

Children proudly pose in front of the Church of Santa Nonia before the procession.

An hour before the procession, members of the brotherhood are already taking their places around the early 17th century paso.

A Lady prepares for the procession in the loft of the Church.

  

One of the three pasos dates to the 16th century.

 Crowds stand for more than an hour to view the three pasos leave the church.  Most processions, like this one are at night.

About two hours into the procession, the float still has about an hour to go before it returns to the Church of Santa Nonia.  The Baroque detail is typical of the 17th century.

Detail from the 17th century paso.  A cherub helps bear the weight of

Christ carrying the cross.

After a procession ends at ten or eleven at night, sometimes later, participants spill into the bars and restaurants for drinks and tapas. Bars in Spain are family-friendly, but are open through the wee hours of the morning.



A glass of wine accompanied by a cup of garlic soup as a tapa at the Camarote Madrid helps to warm one up after a procession.  Note the variety of olives in the background.  They are also excellent tapas.

As Holy Week in León progresses, I'll have more insight and more images during the upcoming days.  If you missed yesterday's overview of Holy Week in  León, you can find it here.

You can view my website at www.tombellart.com.



Preparing for Easter Week (Semana Santa) in León, Spain – An Unexpected Surprise of Tradition, Legos, Family, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Drink

This is an overview of Easter Week in León, Spain.  I will have much more information and photographs in subsequent posts as Holy Week progresses.

Maybe you’re familiar with the famous Holy Week activities of Seville or Malaga, or Antigua, Guatemala.  If so, you know that thousands gather to watch amazing religious processions as hundreds march through the streets, often in medieval habits or costumes carrying gigantic floats that depict the passion of Christ.  Many of the floats (pasos) date from the Baroque era and have been carried in the same procession year-after-year for centuries.  If you’ve seen one of these you’re very lucky.

Lesser known, but just as amazing are the processions of León.  It’s a small city in the north of Spain, maybe best known for its beautiful Gothic cathedral.

The Gothic cathedral in  León is known as one of the most beautiful in the world.  This photograph is from three years ago. My wife is in the middle.  She is with her cousin and his wife.  You can click on any of the photographs in this blog for a larger view.

León is also known as the best city in Spain for tapas, those generous portions of Spanish ham, or garlic soup, blood sausage, potato omelet, or a thousand other typical foods you get for free every time you order a drink in one of the city’s famous bars.  I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s worth coming to León just to wander the medieval streets of the barrio húmedo (drinking district) and have a cerveza (beer) or vino tinto (red wine) along with one of the many tapas that are given to you with the drink.  However, in the weeks around Easter, you should be aware that Limonada is the drink to have.  Every bar has its own version during the Easter season, but except for the examples that have a slice of lemon or orange, I can’t find any evidence of citrus.  It seems to be a mixture of red wine, in some cases a strong liquor, a bit of sugar, and who knows what else. It's much like sangría, but I think a bit stronger.  The locals warn you, don’t be fooled by its mild nature.  Two or three are plenty.

Limonada and tapas.  Three servings of limonada, an order of Russian salad and two pots of salmorejo. Salmorejo is similar to gazpacho, but thicker.  It is topped with bits of fried Spanish ham. The total cost was about US$5.00.

The Processions start on Friday the week before Easter, with as many as seven processions in a single day, everything ending on Easter Sunday.  They are sponsored by Catholic brotherhoods, many of them very ancient.  Young and old participate, and women also now actively take part in the processions.

A woman in traditional head-wear in a  Friday procession.

This Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) procession is organized by the Brotherhood of Our Lord Jesus the Redeemer.  It stops in front of the Gothic cathedral as thousand watch. The float is typical of those in the Easter week processions.

 

At the time I took this photography, I didn't know its family significance.  My wife's Grandfather, my mother-in-law's father, Gonzalo de Paz purchased this Palm Sunday paso in the 1940s as President (Abad) of the Cofradía del Dulce Nombre de Jesús Nazareno (Brotherhood of the Sweet Name of Jesus of Nazareth). 

The modern mixes with the new, as Sponge Bob looks on as the procession rounds the Cathedral plaza.

It's amazing at how much pride the people of  León take in their Easter processions.  Store windows compete for the most amazing representation of Holy Week.

Pasos are represented by pharmaceutical packaging in the pharmacy window.

This is one of the most amazing Legos creations I've ever seen. In an embroidery shop window, hundreds of Legos people and objects depict a procession in the Plaza Mayor.

Legos spectators enjoy a procession.  Despite the umbrellas, a procession will be called off  if there is more than a small shower.  The pasos are generally made of wood and are very old.  They are easily damaged by water.

The Legos scenes are extremely detailed.

The Legos window is very popular and draws many passersby unable to resist the creativity and detail of the scene.

This is my first blog post on Easter week in León.  More will be coming in the days ahead.

You can view my website at www.tombellart.com.