Section Jump
Grey Heron and Moorhen chick © Adrian Henderson + Purple Heron and Ladder Snake © James King http://gallery.me.com/james_r_king#100116

Grey Heron and Moorhen chick © Adrian Henderson + Purple Heron and Ladder Snake © James King http://gallery.me.com/james_r_king#100116

“We had visited Spain several times before but after our trip I think we would only return to Catalonia. The range of habitats and scenery we experienced in this wonderful corner of Spain is worth the trip alone, not to mention the great wildlife and such impressive birds available. We will be back.”
Jonathan and Robert Prochera, UK, September 2010

But don’t take their word for it. If, having read the Introduction to Photography in Spain, you only have to decide in which particular region to take a photography trip, here is a vouch for Catalonia in the North East.

Cities, People, Culture and History

The mere mention of Barcelona is enough to make any photographer reach for their camera if only to capture the lines and imagery of Gaudi and Dali, whose influential fingers stretch far deeper into Catalan culture than merely its art and architecture.

The Catalan people are fiercely proud of their famous sons, along with their independent identity, an enigma that provides much in the way of photographic subject matter despite, or because of, being forged over centuries of dominance by Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and, more recently, the particularly raw sting that still remains after Franco’s dictatorship.

Not surprising then, once you learn the football stadium was the only place Catalans felt safe speaking their own language (which was banned under Franco along with many other aspects of their culture), that the FC Barcelona football team also takes pride of place at the head of modern Catalan culture and is worth a little shutter-time in itself.

Climate

Whilst this might be viewed generically when thinking of Spain, it’s worth considering that although the quality of light is indeed superb throughout the country, the heat is far less problematic in the north-east, where a more temperate climate and shorter summers mean you can spend more time in the field and over a greater portion of the year.

Nature and Landscapes.

Clearly, the greater the number, variety and density of wildlife there is on offer, the greater the chance you have of actually catching something in action — witness the adjacent heron photos from James King and Adrian Henderson — and Catalonia, even set within the context of Spain’s table-topping position in Europe, can officially boast the highest number of breeding bird species of any region on the Iberian peninsular.

The simple reason for this is that Catalonia, along with Andalucia, has officially the highest number of habitat-types in the whole of Spain, a fact that also goes someway to promising an ever-changing backdrop of picturesque landscapes at which to point your lens.

“We had a great experience photographing birds in Catalonia. The variety of species all with in short distances was fantastic and being able to shoot a lot from the vehicle was also a great asset. We saw so much more than we had expected and cannot wait to come back.”
Alister Lynn, Blair Morrison, UK, February 2010

Accessibility

Logistically, Catalonia not only has the massive advantage that it squeezes all it has to offer in a very small package (at about a third of the size of Andalucia or, for comparison, a quarter the size of England), it can also claim to have the country’s most advanced network of roads, reserves and information.

“Catalonia pretty much has it all. The Pyrenees, Lleida Steppes and the Ebro Delta make it one of the “must visit” locations in Europe for photographers. Photographing bustards and sandgrouse in the early morning sun or lammergeiers in the mountain tops remains a highlight for me and it must be on everyone’s list of places they have to go!”
Derek Charles, UK, June 2007

But don’t take Derek’s word for it. Although no one is denying the particular lure of every single region in the magical world that is Spain, try Catalonia for your self and you will return home in the knowledge that, like Jonathan and Robert above, you have just experienced the best of the best and already thinking about your return trip.

Stephen Christopher, Catalan Bird Tours

This introduction was written thanks to advice from the following photographers:

Alex Vargas, Alister Lynn, Blair Morrison, R. Bruce Richardson, Derek Charles, John Fox, Michael Cox, Steve Stansfield, Stewart Abbott and Zac Hinchcliffe.

Alex Vargas - http://
R. Bruce Richardson - http://www.flickr.com/photos/40090747@N05/sets/72157626807242174/
Derek Charles - http://www.pbase.com/derekcharles
John Fox - http://www.dublinbirding.ie/
Michael Cox - http://gardenbirder.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
Zac Hinchcliffe - http://zacswildlifeblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/spain.html