Out of the blue my friend Piper asked if I would like to visit her in Valencia.

I have been there once before, maybe 8 years ago, and liked it a lot.

To be honest I have been uninspired to travel much the last couple of years, but I decided to get motivated and booked tickets.

I have been there once before, maybe 8 years ago, and liked it a lot.

Arriving I had the distinct sensation that my senses had been supercharged.

The sky was a vivid blue; everything just looked sharper.

One realises Barcelona is almost always under a veil of something…

I arrived on a Sunday and it was the start of the Falas. The famous festival there.

The plan was to go out in the evening and see the opening ceremony.

I faked enthusiasm because it seems like every month there is a firework display of one kind on another in Barcelona and they always seems a bit half-hearted and… interminable?

We were with Piper’s daughter and her friend.

Everywhere we went we were pursued by local musical bands who hearts belonged in Baton Rouge. The kids were hyperactive and determined to torment us as well.

Mercifully the ceremony was short and actually not too bad.

The Point of The Post

Anyway the point of this probably pointless post is the afternoon I spent at la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias.

I have recently bought a new lens, it’s a very wide angle I got primarily for interiors but think it is also good for events.

I have avoided using them when travelling as I like to stick to one fixed focal length and wide angles make it easy to take dramatic images, sure, but they can start to look a little gimmicky after a while.

My choice for many years has been around the 40mm mark.

This new lens (Laowa) is also a manual focus which takes getting used to, as you tend to forget… to focus.

I have settled on the hyperlocal method and setting the aperture to f5.6. It is a very good idea to tape the lens to stop the focus ring from moving.

My Dutch friend Erik who happens to be living nearby in the hills (and I suspect slowly turning into  a mountain man) turned up.

He promised to be patient while I wandered around taking pictures. I never know why I believe anyone who says this.

Unless you are with another photographer the patience of any companion wears thin pretty quick.

I think the next time I will absolutely insist of being alone; I was photographing on the hoof once again.

Last time I was here I got to shoot at dusk, but Erik was obsessed with eating tacos and stocking up on booze because his one horse village had bugger all options.

At last I admitted defeat and we head off following his rumbling gut… at least the tacos were quite good and they even had Guinness. Weird.

On my last day Piper and I took bikes and cycled to the beaches.

Cycling around Valencia is a really good idea.

The weather was perfect, it was March and hitting 28 degrees, and the beaches? They seemed endless, hard to imagine they could ever be crowded, even in the summer.

And then it was time to go home. I should have stayed longer. Barcelona seemed dirty and chilly.

‘The Great (ish) Escape to Valencia’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Nou Barris, is every day really Sunday here?

I went on Saturday with my friend Tyg, he is leaving Barcelona, returning to Dublin, and wanted to visit his old haunts.

An excuse to wander around like eegits taking photos.

Nou Barris might not seem like the obvious choice, I definitely thought so. I was not keen on it, mostly because I avoid the metro like the plague. But in the end it was quite bearable and even productive.

But  then I have strong opinions about street  photography these days. Essentially what’s the point?

I reckon everyday these days more photos are taken than in the entire history of pre digital photography.

So, even it you take a great image and post it on-line, in a New York minute it will be buried and forgotten under a tsunami of shite.

And I have not even really factored in all the Ai crap starting to bury the tsunami of digital shite that proceeded it.

God we  are all fucked.

But anyway… Nou Barris!

Everyday is Sunday. Like I said.

That’s how it felt last Saturday. Kind of sleepy.

And though one of Barcelona’s more humble barrios, I think quite charming, definitely not run down, far from it.

The purveyors of civic works had a field day here with municipal art installations.

And they are actually quite cool, like giant wooden potato peelers.

The area around the central square was also quite elegant and well maintained. I was quite inspired.

There is also an area that really reminded me of places in Central/South America.

A mini neighbourhood with rows of small houses, all single floor, bugger all activity on the street but secret lives in full swing behind the net curtains.

A kid’s birthday party that sounded it might be worth crashing. You just knew the adults had a stash of booze hidden somewhere.

There are also so pretty eccentric apartment blocks. Something soviet about them.

They could easily work in some low budget dystopian sci-fi film.

The weather was good but there autumn felt present in a much more tangible way than in the centre. There were quite a few trees with leaves turning red and this with the quiet feel of everything was kind of melancholic.

And then my camera battery died and once again I realised that taking photos with an iPhone just isn’t the same, no matter what people tell you.

So time to call it a day and take the underground railroad home.

‘Nou Barris, is every day really Sunday here?’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

It’s a safe bet when people think of Barcelona they think ‘beach.’

That is fine by me, knock yourself out.

Me? Montjuic every time.

Even before the happy years of archery up by the castle, I favoured the hill.

If I wanted to go out and read a book, loose myself for a few hours I would be very unlikely to  choose the beach.

Too many things to consider, too much crap to take with you. 

On Monjuic there is actual grass. 

And trees. 

Want some sun, no problem, need some shade? Roll a few metres left or right and you are under shade, you don’t even need a blanket.

Much more spontaneous. 

Far fewer drunken tourists as well.

The occasional South American birthday parties for kids. 

But they hardly impinges on the peace and quiet.

In the height of summer it always feels fresher up there, the indolent sounds of nature, the city for more distant than it actually is.

So, Montjuic…

…I felt I knew it quite well but lately I have realised ‘nope, not at all.’

I have a friend (Tyg) who does tours in the Botanic Garden, a place I had never been to! 

So I got a free tour. That was nice. 

Lots of new plants with spikes to avoid, new scents to enjoy and there was even honey suckle; that took me back to my silly-serious youth.

They even have a section with Bonsai trees, probably the main reason people go to the garden, I wonder what influencer made that famous… to be honest it’s a bit crap and personally Bonsai trees creep me out.

Whilst up there I said to Tyg we should try the cemetery next time, I had been a couple of times and thought ‘Next time I’ll be the expert guide!’

So the following week we went.

It was then that I realised I had somehow managed to miss a large chunk of it.

And by far the best part.

The new section is ok, if you like your cemeteries like condominiums, or council estates.

But the posh part of town is the best. More trees, more mausoleums, just more.

The rich just can’t help themselves.

Some fancy and some really grotesque places to finally lay down your hat and call home.

I wonder how long before some twat tries to park their yacht up there.

I felt inspired. My long running gripe with graveyards and how to make them work seemed solved.

I just need lots of statues and architecture… The photos basically took themselves.

‘Montjuic, The Gift That Keeps on Giving’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

My first post was about my black and white photography mindset. This one is about my favourite colour scenario. Perhaps counter intuitive but…

Cities, towns, or villages at night. The more messy, chaotic, and underdeveloped, the better.

Big cities like New York pull off a good third-world imitation. Almost anywhere in Asia works perfectly. Havana remains inspirational, the last time I was there at least..

But I first truly understood night’s potential years ago on the Greek island of Astypalaia. I was on holiday with a friend’s family. I often escaped the mayhem to wander the town. I did this several times during the day but one time I tried at night, and the penny dropped.

The mixed lighting there intrigued me. Fluorescent, tungsten, halogen, even some LED. It was a hot mess of conflicting hues. This chaos drove the camera sensor crazy and created bizarre colour palettes.

The atmosphere was everything. Like most Greek island towns, it’s a labyrinth. You can leave a lively nightlife behind with a couple of turns down an alley. Suddenly, you are completely alone. Only the cats remain.

Astypalaia’s famous wind added a spooky atmosphere. I remember seeing a cat in a tree determined to be there despite the wind whipping the branches around like dervish.

So, after my black and white success, I decided to drag myself up to Loulida (locally called Chora). It is definitely a labyrinth with a wonderful sunset. But it did not really offer the opportunities I hoped for. The lighting seemed quite uniform. It’s great for walking and exercise.

I think I would still prefer Astypalaia for photography. I probably just had to work harder for motivation this time. Still, I found a couple of images I really like.

Of course I might just be idealising the past.

‘Finding Beauty in the Urban Night Photography’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

For years, my travel kit included two analogue cameras. One was loaded with colour transparency film for stock agencies. The other held black and white film, dedicated entirely to my personal work.

I spent countless hours in darkrooms, breathing in the chemical fumes of developer as the magic of analogue photography entranced me.

Yet, maybe I am a colourist at heart. My eyes always latch onto vibrant hues first.

My first major trip, driving through Mexico and the USA (with my then-girlfriend, Mu), was a riot of colour. The ease of colour often created a problem: it always took me a day or two to to truly see in monochrome. I’d often worry I’d lost the ability forever.

But I had secret weapon. A deep red filter. It transformed the world into dramatic tones, turning deep blue skies into a velvety black backdrop for puffy white clouds. It was also wonderfully forgiving on blotchy skin!

But this is all backstory. This is about now.

The Modern Monochrome Dilemma

Today, I shoot far less black and white than I’d like.

Why? Partly, I fell into the trap of wanting a consistent, colour-only look for my website and Instagram. Mostly, it’s because we all shoot in RAW—and RAW is colour by default.

So, on a recent trip to the island of Kea, Greece, I decided to play.

I dug into the features of my trusty, decade-old camera. It has a useful function: it can shoot JPEGs with baked-in creative effects alongside the RAW files. I set it to monochrome and started shooting.

The initial results were… okay. I could see the tones, but the inspiration was missing. The old, nagging thought returned: Maybe I’m just bored of taking photos. In an era where a tsunami of shit floods the internet every hour, burying any potential gem, what’s the point?

I asked myself this repeatedly while dragging myself from the comfort of shade and a cold beer to hike under the blazing sun. The whole endeavour felt pointless.

Finding a Theme and Breaking All The Rules

Slowly, almost reluctantly, a theme began to emerge. I grew mildly content. Then came the editing process. I looked at the files and thought, Sod it.

I broke my cardinal rule: I decided to crop.

In my analogue days, cropping was taboo. It represented a failure to compose perfectly in-camera. But perfection is a drag. I challenged myself to make every image work in a 16:9 cinematic format, one I often use for my film work.

A surprising thing happened. I’d expected to use the JPEGs only as a reference to edit the colour RAW files. But I didn’t need to. The in-camera black and white files were perfect. I made only minor tweaks, avoiding the process that usually “breaks” a JPEG’s integrity. Since these will likely never see a printing press, the quality was more than enough.

This is probably part one of my photographic journey in Kea. Next time, I’ll share my favourite way to photograph urban places, especially less modern ones: at night, under the spell of crazy, mixed lighting.

‘From Color to Monochrome: How a 10-Year-Old Camera Rekindled My Love for B&W Photography’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Ahhhh… La Zaida…

Many years ago, on a train in Portugal, we passed a place without stopping and I quipped;

“It was a one horse town… and then they ate the horse.”

La Zaida has that feel; a place with a population of 500 that might easily be called nondescript… except for a large chemical plant sat facing it.

Its looming towers and the constant roar of air compressors are a backdrop to a place that might otherwise have slipped unnoticed into oblivion.

The Evonik chemical plant, I tried to make it look pretty.

So why was I now standing on a platform, in the sweltering heat and wind?

Because I got a call.

An agency in Germany needed a portrait of a guy (Sergio) who worked at the plant.

This all seemed straightforward enough.

Then I looked up the final destination on a map.

3 odd hours into the Spanish interior, my final destination was a village about an hour south of Zaragoza.

The people at the plant seemed to think it was impossible by train, but I was determined to not have to rent a car.

Like the old classic TV ad used to say ‘let the train take the strain.’

I love an excuse to just stare out a window and day-dream.

Anyway, I was in luck. La Zaida has 2 trains a day and that suited me just fine; the timing was close to perfect for the job in hand.

So, after changing at Zaragoza, I arrived.

I was the only person getting off, and no one was getting on. It felt like a scene from a western.

As already mentioned it was bloody hot. But health and safety regulations meant a lot of special gear.

My shorts and trainers were not up to the job so I was leant heavy duty trousers, heavy duty boots… and heavy duty gloves, safely glasses, and of course a helmet.

I insisted on using lighting, so was lugging equipment up and down ladders and gantries, which was hard work in itself, but the oversized trousers did not help.

They were at least a size too big and the pockets were loaded with lenses and a bulky device that warned of imminent explosions, it also had a long dangling tube that made it look like an un-plugged colostomy bag.

The trousers were soon sliding earthward, like those of guests of the DOC and wannabe rappers.

So, for 3 hours with the constant scream of air compressors (ah yes, mandatory earplugs as well), I waddled around, hitching up my pants trying, at the same time, to take photos.

It really was quite intense. You only realise when it stops how overwhelming the heat, noise and smell was.

Afterwards in search of something to eat and drink I was wandered around the La Zaida, slightly stunned.

I had a case for my cameras that looks a little like wheelie luggage, so as I hunted down the only place likely to be open (ever), people must have thought I was a bat-shit crazy tourist.

Everyone rubber-necked whilst driving past like they were witnessing an accident.

I found the bar and they had no food to offer but… they did have Estrella Galicia! So I ‘ate’ 2 of those and reviewed the photos.

Despite all the discomfort it was kind of fun and the place was fascinating;  a labyrinth of pipes and infrastructure. I could happily of spent half a day there treating it as an architectural shoot.

After ‘lunch’ I got the other train back to Barcelona.

Again I was the only person at a station that has been shuttered for years, I waited in the heat and dust.

It arrived and only I got on and no one (probably ever) got off.

It was very slow train, but passed through some amazing countryside you never see on the fast routes to Madrid and the like.

We followed the Ebro river for quite a while and it’s really impressive.

Fed by a lot of recent rain it was in full flow. The scenery was also fantastic, amazing rock formations and very green thanks to the river.

I had a lot of time to day-dream and so that’s what I did.

So a travel job? It did feel kind of like it was.  I had that sensation, for a brief moment, you get the first time you step off a plane into a totally new place, the heat and smell, the general unfamiliar…

Then you end up living there and one day it’s gone.

‘La Zaida and Evonik’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

The Montseny Hike

Too many months of  lock-down. Then a window opened, for a while, and you could almost live a normal life.

My oldest friend by sheer coincidence ended up moving to Barcelona as well. His son was playing at a football academy .

Now Brett loves a hike and occasionally I go along. 

When we were much younger most of our time was spent taking photos and obsessing with photography.

We both ended up working as photographers as well.

However, if you live somewhere long enough the passion to take photos can wane. 

Also, to be honest, after so many months of lockdown I had run out of steam.

In fact I had basically given up.

But Brett called and said lets go to Monseny and I thought “sod it, why not?”

I even took my camera. but I had decided to shoot video as this was something I had got interested in whilst trapped in my apt.

Barcelona Weather and Montseny Weather

The weather was still lovely and warm… In Barcelona; up there on Montseny lovely sure, but decidedly fresher. My dress code was way off.

Most people we came across looked and dressed like pros, I looked like a lost tourist after a stag night .

It’s quite hard to remember the day now. Because I made a short film of it and that has become the memory. 

And this new memory I find utterly charming. I know I pretty much enjoyed the day and was oblivious to the cold, but watching the film makes it better.

Sometimes making the effort to get the camera out and film felt like a chore. I even shot some stuff on the iPhone because it was a hassle.

When I got home, I did not touch the footage for a while as i slipped back in lethargy.

But one day I got my shit together and started to mess around with it and the result is something I am quite proud of. 

Sure technically it is far from perfect, but the music selection was pure genius and that covers up the amateurish footage.

For me this film is a successful case of manufactured nostalgia, it all happened and pretty much in the order it appears but the day is more special because the film exists.

I have always been fascinated by how the best times we have we only realise we had after they are gone.

Sometimes you are having such a nice time that in the moment you don’t even realise it, I am not sure if this is kind of sad or the way it should be. 

Because living in the moment is the best way to live.

‘That Day on Montseny’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

The taxi from the airport took an age, the traffic jam and the torrential rain reduced everything to a crawl; All you could see out of the windows was an en endless smudge of headlights and break-lights into the distance.

Not an auspicious start to a trip but I needed up loving Kuala Lumpur.

I had chosen accommodation pretty much at random in Bukit Bintang and for a first visit the location was a good choice. yes it is very touristy but that usually makes things easy to begin with.

The size of Kuala Lumpur surprised me, it feels quite small and walkable, even if the infrastructure is car centric; I saw the odd cycle lane but cannot recall ever seeing a cyclist.

The city has everything I like when it comes to street photography. I have come to realise that I much prefer the nights and what I love is lurid mixed lighting. This is much more common in developing countries where LEDs etc, are unheard of. So the mix of incandescent, halogen, florescent, etc, etc and lots of humidity and street life is a recipe for success in my books. 

The mix of different cultures and a friendly atmosphere are also major benefits. I was a little thrown with how friendly everyone was.

I think I could spend more time in K.L. It feels like it’s the future, all rough around the edges, chaotic, but full of opportunities. 

A lot cheaper than Hong Kong as well, so you could spend more time there looking for clients… all very tempting, I am feeling restless and feel sure that somewhere in Asia could be the next place I might want to call home.

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‘Kuala Lumpur, A City After the Storm’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

Parisian Elegance Meets Moroccan Mystery

A Palace Reborn: The Splendor of Dar Roumana

Capturing Beauty in the Medina’s Dual Worlds

‘Dar Roumana: A Hidden Gem in the Ancient Labyrinth of Fez’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.

My Third Cuban Journey: Havana Then and Now

This was my third time in Cuba, and once again, Havana greeted me with its faded grandeur and timeless rhythms. Images from my first trip are here. And here are images from this trip.

As always, the first thing I did after arriving was walk to the Malecón at sunrise. The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and stories, while fishermen, already perched on the seawall, cast their lines into the surf—unfazed by the waves that crashed beneath them.

Havana: Then, Now, and Always Familiar

I first visited Cuba in 1998, and again in 2002 for work. That second trip surprised me with how much had already changed. On this return, I braced for a city transformed—but to my surprise, much of Havana remained as I remembered.

Havana Vieja has leaned heavily into tourism, its pastel facades polished for visitors. But step beyond those cobbled lanes and you’ll find a city still steeped in its old rhythms.

What’s changed most, undeniably, is the economy. With more freedom for private enterprise, dining in Havana is now a matter of choice, not desperation. Gone are the days of scouring for something vaguely edible—today, the culinary scene offers a surprising spectrum of quality and creativity.

When the Lights Go Down: The New Glow of Havana Nights

One thing that struck me again, as it had before, was the night light. Or more precisely, its absence. The city still bathes in a curious glow of tungsten and flickering fluorescent bulbs, casting eerie shadows across its crumbling streets.

But now, there’s something new: the white glow of mobile phones. Wi-Fi in Havana remains rare and patchy, but it has introduced a strange new ritual. People gather in silent clusters around public hotspots—drawn together physically, but lost in virtual worlds. It’s a kind of digital communion, with heads bowed to tiny screens rather than to each other.

Photographing Havana’s Digital Awakening

As a photographer, this shift was fascinating. The soft light of phone screens illuminating faces in the dark gave a surreal quality to the scenes. Many didn’t notice me capturing the moment—they were too absorbed, lost in the act of connecting elsewhere.

It gave a fresh twist to the idea of the selfie. These weren’t posed portraits—they were moments of quiet self-absorption, lit from within, surrounded by the decay and dreamlike atmosphere of a sleeping city.

Havana: A City Between Dreams and Disconnection

It’s tempting to see this digital shift as a crack in Cuba’s famously social culture. The old street-corner conversations and domino games replaced by scrolling and silent swipes. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

What I do know is this: walking through Havana at night felt like moving through a dream. A place where reality fades into glow, and a city’s pulse now flickers on LED screens.

‘Waking Up in Havana: Reflections from My Third Trip to Cuba’ first appeared on the Lee Harris Photography website.