Berga Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Some people believe that Berga is really Verga. They are wrong because the meaning is very different, do you know?

But what is important: Berga is a village very near of the Pirineo (the big mountains making frontier between Spain, France and... Andorra). It’s in Barcelona and there we make a little TE meeting with Sergio, his wife Nieves and Òscar. I was too, of course.

Òscar and Sergio are good friends since they meet in the prision.
They had only seventeen years and they had a problem with the law.
Sergio stole cars in Castelldefels, but once time he stole the wrong car. He stole a car stopped in a pub where girls offered their body by money to the clients. He stole the car of one of these clients, but that client was the son of an important politic. Well, in fact his father, the important politic, also was there.
Then that politic ordered to all the policemen of the city arrest who stole his car. And they did it.

At the same time, Òscar was arrested because make contraband between the Spanish frontier and Andorra. He bought, in Andorra, Sesam Street teddy bears and after he sold them in Spain (the different taxes are the reason why are cheaper in Andorra and then there is people who make this kind of business).

And when Òscar and Sergio were arrested, they meet for first time in prision. And since then there is a strong friendship between then.

That’s the story of this friendship, but not the story of this photo.

About the photo, in Berga there is a place called Sanctuary of Queralt. Is above a mountain from you could contemplate a wonderful view (if the fog let you).
And we were there. And near of the Sanctuary we followed this path. A beautiful path and a stupid walk (Òscar said that we should follow the path if we want arrive until the Sancturay when we had been before)..
Anyway, we follow the path and we enjoyed that long walk.

We make a few photos and when we thought that we were alone, suddenly someone appear from the fog. That was couple.
Meanwhile I was preparing the camara above the tripod.
I saw them and... I shot.

I hope you like it.

WS (different postprocessing of the same photo)

(Perhaps this story is not truth)

isabela_sor, rezarta, sergio1, Anna--, rl245267, singuanti, pranab, ChrisJ, Click3, raftad, Angelillo, john_c, balatrek, Rinie_Hoff, Rosa_d_MonteLua, nostromo47, isabib, designsoul, manatee, keribar, laxpix, sabyasachi1212 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

isabela_sor (41919) 2006-12-07 8:35

Absolutely magic,I love this shot.All is perfect here:the combination of road, mist,colors,lovely trees,the couple and this superb diffuse light
Thanks for sharing this
All the best
Isabela

anducina (8072) 2006-12-07 9:38

Excellent compo, POV, DOF and light. Very good framing.
TFS,
Andreea

rezarta (109) 2006-12-07 9:45

Nice shot indeed (I like misty moments even thought this one is quite colorful) and I find the note very interesting. Thanks for posting it.

sergio1 (12150) 2006-12-07 11:07

Pero no veas si llegas a tener imaginación... Lo de oscar es cierto pero lo mio no lo es.

Hola carlitos, no me he podido resistir a visitar tu foto por diversos motivos de los cuales no me has fallado.
1: Porque no me esperaba esta foto tan pronto.
2: Por la posible nota que pudieras poner y que no me ha decepcionado nada.
3: Por la propia foto en sí.
La otra noche Oscar me decía que algo bueno de TE era ver fotos de lugares que ya has estado y ciertamente estoy de acuerdo.
El WS??? Por donde anda??
Saludos
Sergio

[2]

Anna-- (7723) 2006-12-07 12:59

Hola Carlos,
... no tuve ganas de hacer críticas... hoy ha sido de veras un día difícil y fui muy triste, pero en galería encontré tu foto y tu historia me divirtió mucho...

La foto tiene una misteriosa atmósfera nebulosa (como de nosotros hoy...), los colores otoñales son bien representados. Óptimo el punto de vista con en primero llano la senda y las personas que vienen verso de nosotros.

Anna

carper (64194) 2006-12-07 13:05

very nice image carlos,
a well seen scene, good point of view, nice quality and technical very good, marvelous job.
gr. jaap

xavshot (61947) 2006-12-07 15:26

Bonsoir Carlos
j'aime beuaocup cette profondeur dans la photo et les teintes qui donnent une très belle ambiance. La présence des personnages est évidemment un énorme plus. Bravo, beau travail
Xavier

t0mmm1 (5434) 2006-12-07 16:06

Hi Carlos,
wonderful autumnal feeling in this picture. I like the fog and overall warm colours. The composition is wonderful with the track that is leading me to meet the couple.
Nice shot,
Have a nice day,
Tomi

singuanti (15240) 2006-12-07 22:16

Hey Carlos. That's about as good a forest shot as you'll find. The fog adds some drama and mystery not to mention it adds a little spookiness. Superb work Carlos. I really like it.

pranab (5354) 2006-12-08 1:20

carlos,
you are quite a storyteller!
i like the saturation of colors(even though i don't like the saturation), nice pov. inclusion of sergio and oscar was a good idea. fog here really creates a mood.

ChrisJ (69618) 2006-12-08 1:33

Hola carlos

I like the horizontal layering & repetition added by the fg planks in the bridge. The 2 people add scale & context, Excellent linear perspective, but watch the oe sky.

michalu (792) 2006-12-08 6:32

Hi !!! It has a very good atmosphere just magic. very good colors and perspective.just great!

Regards Michael

Click3 (1871) 2006-12-08 7:51

Hola Carlos una foto llena de misterio. La atmósfera creada con la luz y densa neblina son alucinantes...y la historia...bueno esa es para una teleserie...!
Dónde está el WS...queremos más !
Un abrazo desde Chile,
Robert

Cretense (54954) 2006-12-08 9:42

Hola Carlos!

Muy hermosa foto, amigo! Muy buenas lineas y perspectiva. Colores muy calidos y agradables con la profundidad de campo diminuyendo por culpa de la niebla. La pareja que sale de esta niebla eleva el nivel de esta foto. Felicidades amigo!

Hercules

PD. Que nota tio. Gracias por avisarnos sobre el "pasado" de nuestros "amigos".

MiguelP (14296) 2006-12-08 15:07

¿Has ido a ver "El laberinto del fauno"? Seguro que no y muy mal hecho, porque esta foto podría ser de esa película (eso sí, se rodó en la provincia de Madrid)... ¿Quienes son los dos de abajo, los policías que detuvieron a Sergio y Oscar? Bueno, menos coñas. Muy bonita foto, la niebla da un toque cojonudo al resultado final. Bueno, happy bridge (o lo que queda de él)

raftad (585) 2006-12-08 16:29

Hola Carlos,
Muy bella imagen por la atmosfera magica creada por la neblina, y la perspectiva que nos muestra un sendero que guia nuestra mirada. Quiza la pareja que parece posar desluce un poco la foto, pero sin dudas es un muy buen trabajo.
Saludos
Rafael
p.s. un buen trabajo tambien es el que realizas ayudando a tu amigos expresidiarios a reintegrarse a la sociedad...

Angelillo (9065) 2006-12-08 18:21

Hola Carlos,

No sé si nuestros amigos ingleses encontrarán "verga" en el diccionario, ya sabes, el argot siempre se esconde. Bueno, ha debido ser un interesante, y sobre todo divertido, TE meeting, ya podéis poneros a escribir guiones y hacer la peli, el problema será elegir al director de fotografía! Bueno, a la foto: me gusta, me gusta la perspectiva, la luz concreta y definida del suelo y la difusa del cielo, gris entre los árboles. Es una foto muy otoñal, muy propia de lugares húmedos, muy "campestre" a pesar de ser urbana. Un saludo, Carlos. Buen fin de semana.

Angel.

nika (0) 2006-12-09 11:17

He pensado lo que Angelillo sobre el titulo ,pero me encanta el lugar que me recuerda al bosque de Sintra(lua o algo asi se llama) . Creo que tienes un pacto con la naturaleza y se alia contigo para ofrecerte sus mejores caras , los atardeceres , colores , nieblas , luces ...Sobre lo de Oscar , pasamos un fin de semana fuera , cruzamos Macastre y aparte de reivindicaciones para el Hospital comarcal , el Fin de anio en la disco Spit (templo de los tripis) , habia carteles con el careto del macastrenio interfecto demandandole por impago de bebidas de todo genero(alcoholicas o no) adeudadas(obviamente) ...Eso ya me explica lo de su huida a Catalunya , pero la policia de Macastre ya ha entablado negociaciones con la Interpol y los Mossos d esquadra para trincar al susodicho huido de la justicia y la recta moral civica

La foto es acojonante

Buen puenting

john_c (24635) 2006-12-09 12:17

Hi Carlos,
Superb ambience captured in this misty shot with the couple strolling along, well seen in the distance. The portrait format is most apropos and I like the way you captured the steps along the path, lending good symmetry to the scene. The lighting is just perfect and the trees alluring. Great work.
John

Kenny10pin (19301) 2006-12-10 5:42

nice shot of the couple, very good dof and also the brown colours too, well done

balatrek (7419) 2006-12-10 11:21

Hola Carlos,

Interesante historia!! ¿Habrá segunda parte?

La foto es muy buena, la luz, la atmósfera, la niebla, la profundidad, la pareja que aporta dinamismo a la escena, etc, etc, eso ya lo sabes, si no no la hubiese puesto, me gusta y te felicito, pero sinceramente, me quedo con la nota ;-)

PD: Dices algo de versiones diferentes en WS, pero no están.

Saludos
José

vbl (1402) 2006-12-10 13:20

Vaya notaza!... claro como yo los conocí un par de años después, no sabia nada de esta historia.
Por si acaso no dejaré mi coche cerca de ellos desprotegido y no compraré nada q me ofrezcan.
La lástima de una nota tan divertida y original, es que roba protagonismo a una foto que por si sola no se merece perder.
Saludos

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2006-12-10 17:44

Hola Carlos, this is lovely. The light is beautiful, the lines of the paths, lying diagonally are very nice and the autumn colors and the couple are really good. Also the atmosphere is very nice. The only thing uis that I would have liked that you turned your camera a little bit more to the left, so that the couple wouldn't be so centered.

Scharan (13951) 2006-12-10 19:20

Olá Carlos
Esta foto é linda demais; um cenário maravilhoso, romântico e encantador... as cores são perfeitas e a neblina ao fundo lhe dá ainda mais beleza. Parabéns.
Grande abraço,
Vera.

vanmidd (144) 2006-12-11 0:37

photo: 9.5/10 story: 10/10

great!

feather (49848) 2006-12-11 13:39

Excellent shot with the perspective of the path carrying the eye into the scene. The misty atmosphere is well conveyed with the gradual emergence of the trees. What luck the couple appeared or was that the untrue part of your story? :)
It's 4 days since you posted this. I wonder if Oscar and Sergio have extracted a terrible revenge.
Kath

nostromo47 (737) 2006-12-12 2:58

Hola Carlos,

la composición de la foto es excelente, y los tonos le dan una atmósfera bucólica y casi mágica... Lo que ya es sencillamente acojonante es esa neblina del fondo que hace que en su tercio superior la foto parezca una pintura romántica. El resultado es... perfecto!!! Un gran trabajo!!!

Un cordial saludo.

barrufeto_77 (25619) 2006-12-12 4:20

Hola Carlitos.

Por qué sacar los trapos sucios de los demás a estas alturas? POr lo menos podrías haber sido un poco más listo y haber dicho como nos conociste tu a nosotros. No te preocupes lo diré yo.

Carlitos era el abogado de oficio que nos tocó. Entre todos los abogados que hay buenos en el mundo nos toca uno que el día del juicio se nos presenta medio borracho, desnudo y lo único que era capaz de decir es "dónde estoy?". Así, claro está, era imposible salir bien parados.

POr supuesto, después de la dura condena donde nos conocimos Sergio y yo, al salir decidimos ir a "agradecer" el trabajo hecho a Carlos. Ahí, el muy cabrito nos lio de mala manera y acabamos medio soportándonos todos.

POr cierto, la foto me gusta, está bien. Bonitos colores y POV. Para un abogado no está nada mal...

Aleeeeeeee
PD: Y mañana, después de haber hablado con Sergio, podréis saber algo más del "oscuro" pasado de Carlitos...

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1504) 2006-12-12 9:41

Hi Carlos!
What an amazing shot with a perfect perspective, excellent framing, good sense of depth, and wonderful colors (with good saturation and contrast levels)!
The luminosity it's perfect, too! And I adore the foggy atmosphere on the back. The couple it's very important in this composition.
TFS and my best regards,
Rosa

isabib (1951) 2006-12-12 17:49

Hi Carlos,

Nice foggy scene. I like the reddish color tone. TFS!

designsoul (21394) 2006-12-13 22:02

I LOVE your story, Carlos! A true friendship, a bit Jarmush style, very cute--to read about smuggling teddybears across the border is itself a fantastic lift to my spirit! :-))) be it truth or not, it has its effect: am beaming with a big smile.

This shot is so beautiful. The atmosphere, the beautiful wood, I can smell the earth and the trees there, hear the silence. Very lovely mist. I wish I had been one of those people walking in it!
Take care and thanks for this story too!

ciao, hola,
sasa

manatee (4279) 2006-12-13 22:52

Me gusta mucho la foto, el color es exelente y la profundidad wow que decir de la niebla, es muy buean en verdad, la pareja al fondo le da un plus a la foto.

Exelente

Elias

keribar (42726) 2006-12-14 0:30

This is the right season for ths kind of pictures and here you managed well what remained of fall colors with this unusual road and the logs . But it is the foggy atmosphere and your little novel which gives life to the picture- Excellent Carlos ,

All the best - Izzet

laxpix (652) 2006-12-18 4:10

Beautiful photo. So nice colors and great atmosfere. A sweet photo.

sabyasachi1212 (19528) 2006-12-18 14:09

Hi Carlos,
Berga or Verga, whatever this place may be called, its really beautiful specially wuith all those fog around and the couple emrging from it.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

[2]

Emiel_Skyfreak (2976) 2006-12-21 13:13

Hi Carlos,

Another nice scene, this time a romantic one. Perfect idea to capture this walking couple in your shot, I can imagine them walking slowly, enjoying the scene and have a good conversation. Maybe just like you did, except that you we're photographing too, good that you captured them!
Lovely warm colours, a bit mysty appearance, which works fine here.
I like the portrait scape, and closure of the frame with the tree on the left, good idea.
The depth is great, and I also like the path in front, with the lighter and darker area's repeating, well seen and captured -> Great POV and DOF aswell.

yanseiler (20) 2006-12-29 0:37

Hi Carlos, a nice misty shot, nice play with the stairs leading to those people. Nice light as well... Would be more terrific with people who would not pose for the picture I think.
Cheers
Yan