Are Tapas Evolving?

If you follow my blog, you know that I'm very fond of tapas. So you can imagine how excited I got when I discovered that tapas may be evolving into something even better. Tapas are those little tastes of Spain you get every time you order a drink, especially in León.  For less than US$2.00 in most cases, you get a glass of wine or beer and a plate of typical Spanish food.


The Camarote Madrid is probably my favorite tapas bar in León.  The drinks are slightly more expensive than in most, but there's tons of atmosphere.

Salmorejo is one of the excellent tapas at the Camarote Madrid. 

Jamón Jamón is still my second-place tapas bar winner, and sometimes I would rate it as the best.

There's no choice of tapas at Jamón Jamón.   It's always a slice of bread with jamón serrano (arguably the best ham in the world), two types of sausage, and a wedge of manchego cheese. A glass of wine with the tapas is about US$1.30.  Despite the lack of variety, it's delicious every time.



Now there's a new kid on one of León's blocks, challenging what it means to be a tapas bar.  During my time in  León I've been surprised by what you can get for under US$2.00.  That being said, I was SHOCKED when I stopped by Las Tapas.



Las Tapas, not being in the main part of the barrio húmedo (drinking district),  lacks a little of the atmosphere of some of the other bars.  It, however, makes up for it with it's selection of tapas.



I saw this plate when I first walked into Las Tapas.  I first thought it was an order of appetizers off a menu.  However, I soon learned that it was the tapas that came with two white wines.  The couple who ordered it was kind enough to let the strange American photograph their food before they tore into it.  The cost for the wine and tapas was less than US$4.00.

 

I ordered a red wine.  With it I got a fried egg, morcilla (blood sausage) French fries, and bread.

I like the way the trend in tapas is going -- more food -- high quality -- extraordinary prices.   With competition like that provided by Las Tapas, maybe it won't be long before the tapas I get with my glass of red wine are the Spanish equivalent of a 16 oz. aged ribeye steak, a baked potato, grilled asparagus, and a house salad.  If that happens, I'll be there for the grand opening.

I've been blogging from Spain for the past couple of weeks, including Holy Week.  Please take a look at my previous posts.

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



My Photography Year in Review - 2015

Every year brings new opportunities for photography.

2015 was no exception.

This year I added both quality and quantity to my fine art photography portfolio.  I also totally redesigned my fine art photography website:  www.tombellart.com.

I totally redesigned my website late in 2015.  Take a look if you get a chance:  www.tombellart.com.

My other big announcement is that effective January 1, 2016, I'm retiring from my long-time position as a college administrator and educator to devote full time to photography.  I'll have more time for international travel and to take on the projects that really interest me.

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A SHORT YEAR IN REVIEW

 In January of 2015, I traveled to Guatemala again with my family.  It was a great opportunity for street photography and capturing images of people being comfortable in their own environments.

Pepsi Man.  This Mayan Indian man was enjoying a soda in the busy market of Santiago Atitlan.  This may be my favorite image of the year.  You can click on images for a larger view.

Here's the same gentleman in color.

I believe that these men were father and son.  Again, from the market of Santiago Atitlan.

These shrimp in the marketplace looked appetizing.

Now, jumping to Illinois, I found these images of an old farmstead when I took a detour around a delay on the Interstate:

The old farmhouse is just west of Nashville, Illinois.

I also liked the wide shot with the barn in back.

An old out building also stood out among the rows of corn.

Take a look at older posts from my blog and you'll see these and many other photographs that helped inspire a creative 2015.

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

Exhibition Reminder - Opens Saturday Night

This is a reminder with information from my previous blog entry:

My photo Lady of Antigua will be one of 38 featured photographs by 36 different artist to be exhibited at the Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon, Illinois at part of the 2012 Shrode Photography Competition.  The judge of the competition is well-known photographer, writer, and educator William Sawalich.

Lady of Antigua

If you're in the area, here's the information for the show:

The top award winners will be announced at the Opening Reception, Saturday, October 27, 2012, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend! Cedarhurst members are admitted for free, non-members $5 admission. Exhibiting photographers will receive free admission plus one additional ticket for their spouse or friend. Tickets will arrive in the mail in the following weeks. The evening will begin with a live glass blowing demonstration outside the Mitchell Museum by students and faculty from SIU-C! This special event is in conjunction with the opening of The Joy Thorton-Walter and John Walter Collection of Contemporary Glass Art in the Main Gallery at Cedarhurst. The photography awards will be announced in the Mitchell Museum at 7:00 p.m. We will gather at the Shrode Art Center shortly thereafter to present the checks and certificates. Complimentary hor’devours are provided; alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.

You might also be interested in Mr. Sawalich's judge's statement:

JUDGE’S STATEMENT

FOR SHRODE ART CENTER PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

BY WILLIAM SAWALICH

Great photographs frequently make the common appear uncommon, and that is certainly the case with my selections for this exhibition. I’m especially drawn to simplicity, graphic strength, and a clear, concise visual statement. But I’m also particularly drawn to photographs that are uniquely about the medium itself; motion blurs, time lapses, patterns of light and shadow… compositions that are inherently “photographic” in nature are sure to impress me.

This also means that I give preference to images that are primarily made “in camera” rather than via a peculiar post-processing effect. That said, clicking the shutter is only part of the challenge, and good post-production refinements—processing, retouching, contrast, color correction—are integral to a photograph’s success. When these simple technical elements come together with a strong composition, at the perfect moment and with just the right light, it’s the perfect storm that creates a tremendous photograph. Add to that a bit of artistic vision and the results become truly special.  

Because of the democratization of photography (easy access to improved tools has spawned tremendous growth in the medium) it’s no longer enough to simply create a technically correct photograph. To stand out in the sea of images we encounter every day, aesthetics, composition and vision matter more than ever. And with so many great photographs in the world—and in the entries to this competition—technical perfection becomes a relative baseline.

In the end, I found the photographs that elicited my strongest response drew some connection—intentional or not—to the masters of the medium. Whether it’s the cinematic drama of Gregory Crewdson, the documentary portraiture of Steve McCurry, or the simple beauty of an Aaron Siskind abstraction, the standout photographs in this exhibition are directly connected to the larger history of photography. These photographers are clearly working deliberately, and their photographs are exciting, inspiring and simply very well done. 

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

The Mayan Beauty

The image below is one that I shot several years ago.  Another image of the same lady that I shot only a few seconds after this one has won numerous awards; its the photo I use on the entrance page to my website.  However, I recently came across this image in my files and I like it about as much as the one that has received so much attention.  Let me know what you think.

Another version of Mayan Beauty.  I met her when stopped to shoot a waterfall near Panajachel, Guatermala.  Her car had broken down.  Click on the image for a larger view.

My website features this image of Mayan Beauty.

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

From my Website to Bauhaus and Back!

Last week, I totally redesigned my website.  The idea was to provide an attractive, user-friendly gallery.  The site skipped the homepage altogether and went directly to the gallery.

My original homepage design is back!

After multiple questions about what happened to my old homepage, it's back!  The gallery is still new and far more user-friendly than the previous one, but the classic look of the original homepage is back.  I agree with the complainers:  the old homepage still works best as a gateway to the new gallery.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.tombellart.com/

From My Website to Bauhaus

I'll keep this post short.

I've totally redesigned my website. 

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

My website is at: http://www.tombellart.com 

Paintings of Antigua, Guatemala

I though I'd post a few more paintings from my recent trip to Guatemala.  You can click on the images for a larger view.  Navigate between the images with the left and right arrow keys. Press the escape key to return to the blog screen.

Agua Volcano from Antigua, Guatemala.

Cart, Hotel Quinta de las Flores.  Antigua, Guatemala.

Antique Chair.  Hotel Quinta de las Flores, Antigua, Guatemala.

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

PX3 - People's Choice Award

I just received word that my "Mayan Women" series won 2nd place in the Portrait category of the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) People's Choice Awards.  Congratulations to all the winners.

You can see all the People's Choice Award winners at:  http://px3.fr/winners/2011/public.php

My website is at:  http://www.tombellart.com/

WPGA Pollux Awards Announced

I was pleased to learn that my portfolio of Guatemala portraits won first place in the non-professional division of the Worldwide Photographic Gala Awards/Pollux Awards.

There were 18,912 entries from 65 countries.  Congratulations to all of the winners and honorable mentions.

The winners announcement can be seen at:  http://www.thegalaawards.net/announcements/2010-pollux-awards-awardees

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

Children are the Best Photographic Subjects

Most of the time, I don't really want people staring into the lens of my camera.  With children, it doesn't really matter -- because you get an honest image that tells something about the subject.  My example is below:  Mayan Indian children at a rural school in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.  As school children, they are curious as school children should be.  Their curiosity is reflected in every face.  Who is this with a camera?  What is he doing at my school?  What is this all about?  Why is he taking our picture?

Click on the photo for a larger image.

I'm very pleased with the above photograph, not because it's technically a masterpiece or anywhere close -- but it tells a great story-- an after all, isn't that what photography is about?


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

Boredom Can Save Images from Oblivion

It's 8 degrees Farenheit outdoors at my home in Illinois.  I'm off work because snow and ice have closed down the College where I work. 

It's really a perfect time to go through my archives of old photos that weren't good enough for me to take a second look at until I  got bored.  Sometimes, they're just not interesting in color, so I take the time to imagine them in black & white.  That's when I see the mistake I made in putting them aside in the first place.

Arch of Santa Catalina, Antigua, Guatemala

El Sitio, Antigua, Guatemala

Lily Pond, Antigua, Guatemala



The three images above sat on my hard drive for years before I took a serious look.  I'll be more careful before I put away images.

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

Some of my more recent images are on my National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) portfolio:  http://www.photoshopuser.com/members/portfolios/view/gallery/1263242.

Getting the Shot with the Right Lens

Nikon’s AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED is about the only lens I use anymore. There’s a good reason. If I’m walking through the market in Chichicastenango or Almolonga with a standard zoom, maybe an 18-70mm, and I need to switch lenses for a super close-up, I’ve probably already missed the shot.

The photographs I shoot are fleeting. A versatile lens gives me the ability to instantly decide if I want a close-up portrait with a narrow depth of field, or a wide shot showing activities in the background. Within a second, I can adjust the focal length and be shooting. If I want various focal lengths of the same scene, it's done in a snap.

If I knew in advance that I was only looking to shoot portraits, then it’s fine to use a long, fast lens. However, I have to give up anything that I see that doesn’t fit the capability of the lens.

By the way, the VR (vibration reduction) really does make the versatility of the lens shine through. There are other similar lenses out there. If it fits your shooting style, it might be worth a look.

Take a look at my website:  tombellart.com.

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by Nikon.