Barcelona... Finally!

Hey folks,
It's been a long time coming but I've finally found the time and motivation to post pics from the second leg of Gina's and my trip to Europe. I present to you BarTHelona!


On our first day we explored the Barri Gotic which translated means the Gothic Quarter. This is the historical center of Barcelona and where the City was founded. The composition of many of the walls here are like a timeline. The stonework at the base of the building is Roman and the Goths and Catalonian governments built right on top of it hence the varied types of masonry.


Upclose detail of the ancient walls


This is Placa de Sant Jaume. On one side of the plaza is the city hall and on the other is the Palace of the Generalitat. This plaza has been the site of government buildings since Roman times.


La Plaça del Rei.


These are the steps where Columbus presented his findings from the new world to Ferdinand and Isabella.


There were musicians everywhere in the Barri Gotic and because of the acoustics of the narrow streets, it was rare to be without music.


This is the backside of La Cathedral. The reason you're not seeing the front is because it was shrouded in restoration tarps.


Heres Gina reading her guidebook again.


She sure loves a guidebook


The way the light fell onto the narrow streets reminded me of a slot canyon in the desert






Street performers in Barcelona are NO JOKE! The folks on the 3rd St. Promenade could learn a thing or two from these people.


This is the view from the balcony of our room in the late afternoon. Thats right, we stayed in the ghetto.


The thing about the Spanish is that they call it like they see it.

Thats all for now, next week I'll post more including our visit to Park Guell which is one of Gaudi's masterpieces.

Backstage cover shoot

Hey folks, heres the Backstage Magazine cover I recently shot along with some portraits at the top of the article. Click on the images to enlarge


Clockwise from top: Merritt Wever from Nurse Jackie, Josh Stamberg, Julian Sands, Mireille Enos from Big Love, Annette Bening and David Arquette


The article is for "The Female of the Species" which opened at the Geffen Playhouse last week.

Tune in next week for my pics from Barcelona

K&G go to P&B part three

Ok, day... I don't know, all the days started to run together after a few. We took a day trip to Rouen which is a city in Normandy and used to be the capital of France. Cool place with really nice people. I want to live there. It also happens to be the place where Joan of Arc met the British and was subsequently burned at the stake. Remember to click on the images to enlarge.

This cross was erected at the very spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.


Street scene in Rouen. Charming


Not a straight building in the whole place. Makes me wonder what the inside looks like.


There were people selling holly all over the place. Not something you see in the good ole USA.


This was my favorite part of Rouen. This is an art school now but at one time this courtyard was used as a mass grave for bubonic plague victims! Over a third of Rouen's population was buried here during that era.


The detail on the building around the courtyard depicts morticians tools and skulls. Awesome!




This is the strange monument thing in the middle of the "Courtyard of Death!"


At the end of the street is Rouen's city hall


This is inside the Notre Dame of Rouen. What's that you say? There are two Notre Dames, one in paris and one in Rouen. I don't know which came first but the one in Paris is in a lot better condition.


A few years back the saints on the exterior of Rouen's Notre Dame started falling off the structure. So, to ensure the safety of its citizens and the statues, they have been removing and retrofitting each saint. In the meantime, the saints are inside the cathedral lining the walls around the altar. It was fantastic to see them up close.


Those swans are NUTS! It was about 32 F and they were just taking a swim.


Back in Paris checking out the Champs Elysees






This was hilarious. An American food store. Near as I could figure, all they sold was american junk food.


On our last day in Paris, Christmas day, we went to Pere Lachaise cemetery. This is where all the famous folk are buried like, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, etc.


Don't know who this is but I love the tomb.




This is Chopin's tomb.


After we were done looking at dead people we went to the Luxembourg gardens to have our Christmas day picnic. The reason we decided to have a picnic was partially because every restaurant worth eating at was closed. The other reason was because it's cool and how many people can say they had a picnic in Paris on Christmas day.

Gina is feeding a sparrow. Very trusting birds.


Awe, the mini statue of Liberty. Luxembourg gardens has statues all over the place.


Gina met this really cool French pigeon and they really hit it off. Here they are chatting and enjoying the day.


This is the Luxembourg Palace/ French Senate building


I think this may have been this kids first encounter with birds. They were all around him like a swarm of bees.

Later in the evening we hopped on the night train for Barcelona and thats where I'll pick up next week. Have a great weekend.

K&G Go To P&B part deux

Hey folks, I meant to get this up last week but I got a last minute job to shoot Annette Bening and the full cast of The Female of the Species for the cover of Backstage West! Woohoo! So now I bring you day two of our trip. Please enjoy and remember to click on an image to see it enlarged.


We began day two with a trip to the Musee D'Orsay. This is the clock just inside the front entrance to the main hall. Before its reincarnation, this building was the main train station in Paris.


This is the most realistic painting of a vagina I've ever seen. There were tons of people crowded around this one. Hilarious


This is a view from the far end of the main hall. This is also where the trains would come through.


I believe that this is the worlds first horizontal headshot. I would totally cast this guy!


She is very sad because she is trapped in a marble slab


I don't remember the name of this one so I call it tiny dancer






When one looks upon these sculptures, it is hard to comprehend that they are not real people. The detail and emotion in their faces is stunning.


Ok, I don't mean to offend anyone, but as near as I can figure... this is the gay Jesus! Okay, okay thats what I thought until I deciphered the placard which called this "The School of Plato." However, if you google "the gay jesus painting at Musee D'Orsay," you will find others who thought the same thing. Hmm...


This is the grand ballroom which was once part of the hotel that was attached to the train station.


After we left the Musee D'Orsay we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then walked across the bridge to the Jardin des Tuilleries which is the park between the Louve and the Musee de l'Orangerie. At this point it was about 3:30 in the afternoon, in other words, the night sky was approaching!


This is the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel


The Louvre


The Hotel de Louvre on Rue Rivoli


The next day we visited Monmarte and our first stop was Sacre Couer.


Your typical street scene in the Montmarte area



We found some cool steps down the hill that took us past this tiny theatre about half way down


Once we got down off the "Mont" we made our way over to Moulin Rouge. Apparently, if you want to see a show at Moulin Rouge it will cost you 150 euro. So instead we went to the "Erotic Supermarket." Next door was the Porn Warehouse.


Next we headed to the Marais district and I caught these folks walking down a side street with what I'm assuming was there grandson.


Marais street scene


Place des Vosges, yeah pronounce that.


We finished our day in the Marais. Tomorrow we leave the city on a day trip to Rouen in the Normandy region.