Hi y'all,

Just came back from a wonderul weekend in Sevilla. ¡Qué tesoro! I will post details of the visit later, but onr thing rankled me that I have to get off of my chest: the use of flash photography. Arrrggghhh!!!

We were in the grand Cathedral on Sunday with about a zillion other tourists. While there were signs posted prohibiting flash photography, hundreds of tourists, most of them senior citizens who should know better, were gleefully using their flash cameras! Sorry, but it really pissed me off. I brought my old Canon AE-1 without a flash for this very reason. And ironically a pestering French couple were adamant about me not taking pictures (WITHOUT a flash) while their countrymen and bus loads of German tourists were running around with cameras flashing left and right. You know my opinions of the Franco German alliance. Though I saw locals just as guilty, the predominance of my favorite people and their cameras made the travesty all the worse.

I talked to the guard, and he matter of factly said "well, we would have to either confiscate cameras at the door or hire hundreds more people to make sure no one took flash pictures." Rather simplisitic and dead wrong. I half-jokingly suggested the FLASH police. When I was in Firenze many years ago, I seem to recall that the Italian museum keepers did an excellent job and controlling flash happy ignoramuses. It would not take but a few people and some enforcement of the rules.

The combination of new technology, Spain's booming tourism industry, and the unfettered access to Spain's artistic treasures requires a proportional response....before it is too late. Even when visiting the Reina Sofia and Picasso's Guernica, folks were flashing their bulbs left and right. Hire school kids or something. The paint WILL discolor and do so rather rapidly.

Spain's treasures are only now being exposed to throngs tourists in HUGE numbers. Italy has been dealing with related issues for years.

So for all the tourists out there, please refrain from taking using a flash picture that is unlikely to come out anyway at the expense of reducing the life of Spain's art treasures for future generations.

For locals, if you saw what I saw, you would be aghast for the future. These are your national treasures. Maybe a letter writing campaign or some journalistic piece would call to attention this potentially devastating problem.

Cheers, A

What I do is bring a light sensative iso 800 one time use camera for indoors (27 pictures) - and reserve my 35mm for more appropriate venues. I've been told that sometimes the airport x-rays screw it up, but I haven't seen it.

Fup

Fupanier...
EXACTLY...but it is like a knife in the heart to see literally hundreds of people taking note of the signage and blatantly ignoring it. And not to mention treating the church as a relic rather than as a living community (which was the case for the main church in Pureto de Santa Maria during Holy Week)

Policy change would not need to be profound, but the current policy of "whatever," will have terrible long term consequences for the preservation of Spanish art.

almohada, what an exasperating experience and I know exactly what you mean. Now, with digital cameras so (more or less) inexpensive and common people shouldn't NEED flash if they know how to use their cameras - I understand that many DON'T.

I might have mentioned in another thread that I was in the grand cathedral in Segovia last month and taking photos WITHOUT FLASH, with a mini-tripod, and the CAMERA POLICE (i.e. an attendant) asked me NOT to take photos. SHOCKED, I asked him in Spanish "It doesn't matter that I'm not using FLASH??" and he said NO. NO PHOTOS AT ALL! WHAT??!?!?!?!?? Now I'm even more amazed that one can take photos in (arguably) Spain's most important cathedral in Sevilla without flash but one cannot take ANY PHOTOS in the cathedral in Segovia?? That's ridiculous. The photos I was able to take, 5 or 6 before the attendant came, turned out quite well after adjusting the lighting/timing of the capture. I use this digital camera in all churches/cathedrals and with a steady surface - or a shoulder pressed against a pillar - the photos turn out well. Digital camera are great for this.

Sorry to hear of your experience. That's a shame.

Saludos, MadridMan
(after a good dinner - ALL ALONE - of pasta and a tomato & seafood (squid, octopus, mussels, shrimp) sauce along with some Pinot Grigio white wine from Italy.. Mmmmmm)

MadridMan,

The switch to no pictures at all is being done because of those who are violating the rules, and using flash. They not only could care less about the value of the art they are exposing, but could care less that they are destroying what privileges those of us who followed the simple rules flash enjoyed in the past.

I'd guess that within a few short years there will be no pictures allowed in any of the great museums, churches, and cathedrals because of the violators.

What was said about the Germans...... I saw it myself, and when a guard approached them, and told them flash wasn't allowed, they essentially told him to go to hell, they would do what they wanted. They were Germans.

Apparently they believe they rule Europe.

Wolf

MM,
I got so busy after seeing you, I forgot to post that it was a pleasure. You have a nice following here and deservedly so...

For some reason, your post made me think of one restaurant/tapas bar we went to in Sevilla: The Belmonte (after the famous matador). Had Salmorejo (divine) and calamares a la Riojana (beautifuly done). I have no idea how well this place is regarded, but the great thing (applies to 90% of Spain) is that it does not matter!!! So tasty!!

And on the flash photography, I will write a letter before I leave. Hopefully others will do the same and one of these letters gets through to the right person in the new government. In some ways, not high on the prioity list. In other ways, right at the top.

But how about the Goya of Santa Justa and Santa Ruffina? Imagine such a beautiful painting losing its lustre. ¡Qué horrible!

The camera has been here about 100 years. A lot of people don`t still haven`t the finest idea how it works, I mean things like how much is needed light to get that "scene" to become a negative. I dont think that "we all" have to know "everything" about photography, but I think that maybe it would be nicer if somebody (an employer maybe) could teach at least to guards what is a FLASH. A camera is a wonderful, special invention in our world, but normally people just take them - without a reason - I mean there are moments where our memories are just enough.

I will be the first in line to join the FLASH POLICE. I'll wear nothing but a trenchcoat, and as soon as somebody even thinks about taking a picture, I FLASH them. You know, as a reminder.