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Jan 15

Photos from Venezia: Capturing a city

I defy even the most inexperienced of photographers not to start snapping away, be it on a traditional camera or on a mobile telephone, when they go to Venice. It is, I would venture to guess, almost scientifically impossible for a visitor to the city not to become captivated by the beauty which exists at every corner, to fall under the spell of its utterly unique character, and to therefore attempt to capture themselves a little piece of the city, be it through photos or souvenirs (or usually both).

Regular readers of The Daily Norm have probably already noticed that I took a fair number of photos on my recent trip to Venice, even though it meant defying the cold and taking off my new comfy rabbit-lined gloves (bought on the Rialto Bridge) in order to do so. But despite the so often gloomy winter weather, it will come as no surprise that Venice inspired an entire flurry of photos, and I have plenty still to share in addition to those already posted.

And so in this last post looking back over my recent Venetian adventure, I am including a miscellany of photos which do, I think, effectively capture something of the essence of the place. Through the textures of the city – from crumbling walls to luxurious golden silk, and through the colours – ocres, yellows, the turquoise green water and of course the characteristic Venetian red; through its historical palaces, and even a shop filled with old waterlogged books…This is a selection of photos which is innately Venetian, transporting me back to that foggy, watery wonderland where a part of my heart remains firmly captured by the city in turn.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2016 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Dec 31

2015: My year in photos (Part 2 – Beyond Paradise)

Living in Mallorca, there can be no doubt that we are utterly spoilt, for all around us, from the city of Palma to the beaches and mountains beyond, we cannot help but discover unhampered beauty wherever we go. And yet while we could quite easily have indulged ourselves for a year’s worth of admiration of the island, the travel obligations of work, a long planned weekend to Paris, and the most life changing of events – our wedding – took us further afield, to enjoy the incredible beauty of the world beyond Mallorca.

And so, in this second of my two photographic reviews back over the year of 2015, I feature just a few of my favourite shots of the incredible surroundings beyond the Balearics. For 2015 was significant not just for its being our first year in Mallorca, but also for the opportunity it gave us to finally tie the knot after almost 6 years of engagement. The honeymoon which followed made for the most unique of holidays, with a stay in the famous Riviera paradise of La Colombe d’Or in St-Paul de Vence rivalled only by a short but sweet spell in bustling Barcelona, and an acquaintance with the chic seaside spots of Cannes and Antibes.

But it did not end there, for months before our wedding, a trip to the world’s primary city of love enabled us a further reconnaissance with our most adored Paris, while post-marriage and still revealing in the new blushes of marital bliss, we were able to rest on the beaches of Marbella, indulge in the new cultural hotspot of Malaga, and drop into Madrid, onto Ibiza and back home again for the most magical of Mallorcan Christmases.

It’s been a magical year. Thank goodness I can relive it all in photos. Until the next… Happy New Year!!!

: Christmas comes home

: Greenery, Ibiza

: Cannes

: The ultimate Paris shot

: Love and marriage

: The best day of my life

: St Paul de Vence

: Ibiza sunset

: Botanic garden, Malaga

: Ibiza ceramic

: Fresh produce, France

: Geometric baroque, Barcelona

: The Gothic Quarter, Barcelona

: Dusky pink, Ibiza

: The glamour of the Riviera

: Africa viewed from Marbella

: Autumn in the Retiro, Madrid

: Cibeles Palace, Madrid

: Sunset over Ibiza Town

: Leger mural at La Colombe d’Or

: The town of Vence

: The Puerta Alcala, Madrid

: Biot

: Talamanca Beach, Ibiza

: A friendly visitor, Ibiza

: Returning to Barcelona

: Getting married

: Big Wheel, Paris

: Three muses, Paris

: Calder ripples

: Sunset over the Riviera

: Madrid rooftops

: Church detail, Madrid

: Summer sunset, Provence

: Calder’s pool

: Flying over the Riviera

: Jasmine in shadow

: A very summery wedding cake

: Getting ready for a Spanish Christmas

: Fallen petals at the Colombe d’Or

: Unique rooftop, La Colombe d’Or

: Putting out the laundry, Marbella

: The Tulleries

: Sunbathing in the shadows of Alexander Calder

: Marbella shadows

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Dec 30

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2015: My year in photos (Part 1 – Mallorca)

Ever since I started The Daily Norm I have ended the year with a look back at my year in photos – in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 – and here I go again. Every year I found the exercise not only intensely enjoyable, being able to relive my favourite moments of the last 12 months through some of my best shots, but also extremely rewarding. For in surveying just how much I manage to have done in each year, I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen, smelt, breathed and experienced all I have.

And this year is no exception, for 2015 has been a year of significant change for me, not only because I have been following a completely different career path, but because it is the first complete year I have spent living in a completely different place… the paradise island of Mallorca.

Photos can communicate so much better than any words just quite how beautiful an experience it has been living a year on this Mediterranean island. From the consistent days of winter sunshine, when a glass of wine caught outside by the sea in January felt like I was cheating the seasons, to the incredible pink almond blossom which filled the mountainsides in the Spring. From the endless inspiration which the charming trees of the old town of Palma de Mallorca provided, to those sumptuous days of summer spent on beaches of turquoise waters and powdery white sands.

My year in Mallorca has exposed me to some incredible sights; the rippling craggy Tramuntana, the Cap de Formentor; the Caves of Drach and the awe-inspiring mountain village of Deia, and while I have also seen some wonderful places outside of the island this year, such was the level of beauty seen in Mallorca itself that this year my photographic review had to be split in two. This first part looks back on my year in Mallorca. A true paradise which brought a glimpse of joy every day.

: The monastery of Miramar

: Soller lemons

: A stay at the Son Viscos Hotel, Valldemossa

: Bay at the Cala Figueres

: Reflection and ripples in the heart of Palma

: The office of Robert Graves

: Semana Santa

: Olive trees seen in white

: Painting purple

: September sunset, Palma

: Citrus planes, Fornalutx

: Son Marroig

: Harvest time for the grape pickers

: Ceramic sensation, Fornalutx

: Sheep in the inner planes

: Furry Caterpillar alongside the Cuber Lake

: Bathers at the Cala Deia

: Mallorca´s natural residents

: The Valley of Fornalutx

: The old town of Alcudia

: Looking across to the Tramuntana

: The mysterious Caves of Drach

: The Jardins of Alfabia

: Beauty in death

: Day of the Dead, La Rambla

: Shadows, Palma

: Mallorquin Lenguas

: The stunning landscape of Formentor

: Autumn colours

: Alfabia pondlife

: Seascape, Mallorca

: The Playa de Formentor

: Mountain resident

: The kiss, Pollensa Bay

: The Cuber Lake

: Ribbon Road, Cap de Formentor

: Boats at Pollensa

: The cemetery of Deia

: Spring lilies

: Sa Forada

: Winter drink, Palma

: Orange harvest

: One of Mallorca’s many windmills

: The Bay of Palma

: Sunshine on New Year’s Day

: Treasures of the Bellver Castle

: Goats galor

: Colours of the island’s traditional fabric crafts

: Palma’s beloved cathedral

: Fishing at the embarcadero of S’Estaca

: Sunset in Pollensa

: Mountain planes near LLuc

: Traditional pottery

: Sunset over the Cala Deia

: Colour Climax

: Rippled waters, Andratx

: Biblical landscape, Orient

: Fishermen paraphernalia, Puerto Andratx

: The almond blossom season

: Stone signals, Deia

: Franciscan Monastery, Palma

: The thinker’s chair, Pollensa

: The festival of San Sebastian

: Pinks and purples, Bunyola

: Architectural abstract

: Rugged landscape, Cala St Vincenc

: The incredible serenity of S’Estaca

: Palma’s hidden subterranean world

: Fresh summer produce

: Grasses and reeds, Andratx

: Autumn sunshine

: Tramuntana tomato vines

: Shadows descend, Deia

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Aug 14

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Discovering Mallorca: Palma’s secret city

Regular readers of The Daily Norm will remember that I am utterly captivated by the charms of a cemetery. It’s not a morbid fascination – far from it. For me, cemeteries are amongst the most beautiful and thought-provoking places you can visit. Somewhere to escape the noise of life, to reflect on the emotional strength of people’s devotion to their families, and to admire some of the most startling sculptures you are likely to see in a small compact space. I have been to many cemeteries in my time, not least here in Spain where the mix of sunshine strained through shady cypress trees is particularly poetic. But if the cemeteries I have seen here before were works of poetry, the municipal cemetery in Palma de Mallorca was nothing short of a masterpiece of theatre.

Located close to the outer ring road, the cemetery is not exactly walkable from the centre of town, and as a result, it was not until now, with a hire care at our disposal, that we were able to pass by. But this cemetery was worth the wait. Never in all my life have I ever seen such a vast collection of intricately crafted, magnificently devotional sculpture and stunning architecture in such a compact space. The cemetery is probably the biggest I have ever been in, but it is also amongst the most crowded, and row after row and row after row of tombstones are loaded not with simple flat graves, but elegantly and theatrically decorated with stone crosses, angels and other elaborate sculptures so that the result is a veritable forest of ancient stone.

And most magnificently of all are the series of lavish little side chapels which line the perimeters of the cemetery. Utterly elaborate, constructed in a number of styles from baroque to classical and even 20th century modernist, this collection of buildings looks like an ancient empire, resembling the kind of spectacle which may have been found when entering a roman forum lined with temples.

But that was not all. For beneath ground level, a secret staircase led down into what was probably the most spectacular aspect of the whole cemetery – a vast double horseshoe-shaped catacomb itself lined with tombs from floor to ceiling, flooded with light from holes in the ceiling, and slowly sprinkled with dust gently falling in the rays of sunshine. It was like something from Indiana Jones, and with road names engraved in latin we felt like we have been catapulted centuries back to an ancient civilisation.

It was only when we emerged back into the heat of the Mallorca day, the sounds of the nearby ring-road resounding nearby, that we realised we had just found Palma’s secret city.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Apr 7

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The Daily Norm photo of the week: Swan lake

A new working week has begun after a few days’ happy Easter explorations, and with that week comes a new opportunity to show off a photo or two with which I am especially excited. And today’s photo (and its two accompanying shots) is certainly worth a post all of its own. It depicts one of two swans who live in the locality of Palma de Mallorca’s magnificent cathedral and ancient Moorish Palace. Swimming around in a sunlit pool all of their own, the swans look the very picture of grace at the best of times, but with their feathers so beautifully arched as they were when this photo was taken, and with the sun shining upon the water, they made for a stunning photographic vision.

I love the fact that in addition to the sunlight shining through the green waters of the small lake, this photo also benefits from the rippled reflection of a nearby historical arch, adding interest to this enchanting composition. The perfect vision of a swan, and a lake.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Feb 4

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The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Table reflection

There’s nothing quite so nice as a glass of wine – the richly perfumed smells of an oak-barrelled bodega, the scent of flowers and vanilla, the luxurious taste as the liquid rolls over the tongue, and the slightly woozy sensation as the first sip shoots straight to the head. But for me, wine is even more enjoyable at lunchtime, when it still feels ever so naughty, even at the weekend.

As this week’s Daily Norm Photo of the Week suggests, this was a photo taken when we had been indulging in just that – day time wine, although to be precise, it was my partner who had polished off both of these glasses, since I was driving, and therefore miserably confined to sparkling water. But let us put that melancholy moment asides. For in this photo, all the joys of daytime drinking are expressed in a reflective impression of bright light, blue sky and those two elegant wine glasses. I particularly enjoy the fact that the focus of this photo is on the reflection rather than the wine glasses in reality, and that the glasses, normally characterised by their crisp transparency, now appear all the more opaque and nebulous.

A bit like one’s head afterwards…

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jan 14

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The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Borne Tortoise

The year hasn’t long started, but as far as photographs go, this has to be my favourite of the year so far. Created in a moment of pure suspension of time, this tortoise, one of four holding up an obelisk at the end of the Paseo Borne (Passeig del Born) in the centre of Palma, is happily basking in the Winter sunshine, while beside him, the water from the fountain spurting energetically all around has dissipated and separated; atomised into what appear half way between gelatinous forms and glass beads. It’s a shot whose success owes itself to a huge amount of luck and less to skill, but I am particularly thrilled with the composition, and the shapes which have emerged – particularly the crossing of the water, and the hint of Christmas decorations and autumn leaves in soft focus in the background.

There can be no doubt that this photo deserves its place as The Daily Norm Photo of the Week.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2015 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Oct 2

The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Il Grillo Parlante

Whenever The Daily Norm focuses in on a particular photo, that photo is more often than not a nature shot. For there is nothing quite so beautifully complex as the work of mother nature, especially the little beasties that she has gathered around the earth. And this week’s offering is no exception, for following hot on the heels of my Tuscany exposé is a spectacular little resident of the region who we happened to meet one sunny morning over coffee in the town of Campiglia Marittima. Meet Jiminy Cricket himself, a right royal example of this bandy legged wonder, sat aloofly in a lush leafy plant neighbouring our table as we sat nonchalantly sipping cappuccino in the sun.

With his large oval eyes casting side glances at the viewer, and dappled wings whose complex pattern looks like a cracked ceramic tile or a Roman mosaic, this insect is truly a beauty, and I was delighted to achieve this closeup without the said spectacle jumping swiftly out of sight. But I also love other aspects of the photo too, such as the soft defocus of the cobweb in the immediate foreground which has the appearance of rainbow electrics shooting through the air.

It seems appropriate that this marvellous cricket should have been found in amongst the verdant landscape of Italy, for Jiminy Cricket himself, perhaps the most famous cricket of them all and illustrated character of Disney’s Pinocchio was of course based on a character of Italian author Carlo Collodi‘s original Pinocchio tales, a character whose simple name, The Talking Cricket (Il Grillo Parlanate) takes the name of this post.

Aug 4

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The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Capri Lizard

Poking his head up over the rough dusty ground of Capri, is a sly little lizard, eyes fixed on the viewer who finds him. His tongue sticks out slightly from his shiny scaled face, but still his eyes stay fixed on yours, as behind that steely gaze, a tiny mind calculates whether it is better to flee or attack. Yet in the apparent calm of his contemplation, who would have known that right behind him was a vertiginous drop, several hundred metres down to the crystal blue sea of the Mediterranean.

This week’s Daily Norm photo of the week features a very mischievous little lizard, caught in a moment of fleeting movement as this incredible scaly creature ran alongside the edge of a sharp cliff edge plunging down to the sea alongside the vast limestone Arco Naturale in Capri. Despite their not insignificant population in this hot rocky land of Capri, many of whom would be caught in the corner of an eye scattering across our path, it’s always difficult to capture a lizard up close – after all, they move at the speed of lightening, and usually into the shade away from human sight. And that is why I was so pleased to have captured this image – a fleeting glimpse into this speedy creature’s life.

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Jul 29

The Daily Norm Photo of the Week: Corked Ladybird

Some animals in this world are so perfectly beautiful that one can only assume that an artist was at play that week that the world was created. Stripy zebras, haphazardly spotted dalmatians, elegantly aesthetic peacocks, rich blood orange butterflies and multicoloured parrots – all bear the hallmark of the creative touch; a natural beauty worthy of the Paris catwalks rather than an African pasture or worse, a cage.

Symmetrical beauty, coupled with rich contrasting colours are two things that nature does best, no more so than in the ladybird, surely the most beautiful insect of the lot. For in its black and red spotted back, the ladybird recalls both the joyful dance of a flamenco polka, while exuding the contemporary style of a fine sports car or high gloss handbag. It is this innate beauty, and the feeling that these creatures somehow represent luckyness, that I have always been attracted to ladybirds, finding that their appearance somehow enhances my life, no matter how short the duration of our encounter.

One such discovery is captured on my Daily Norm photo of the week today, an instance which occurred in the Chelsea Physic garden upon the spongey bark of an old cork tree. The resulting photo is a fusion not just of the spotted retro ladybird, but also of the rippling irregular forms of the cork around it. Another wonder of nature, and one that is growing rarer by the day. Surely it’s worth settling for a screw cap wine bottle when this beautiful tree is saved as a result?

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2014 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.