5 Stars

The first in a series on the ancient Moorish bathhouses in the South of Spain.
Before going back to the province of Andalusia for the third time I had several ideas of what I wanted to focus on in terms of photography and these baths were top of the list.
The shaped holes where the light comes through and the textured centuries old walls make great subjects. This one was taken in the Bañuelo in Granada, the oldest muslim structure in Spain dating from the 11th century.

(1/80, F4, ISO1600, 10mm)

Tags: Andalucia, Arabic, Architecture, Art, Baño, Bath, Light, Moorish, Photo, Photography, Ruin, Spain, Texture, wall

57 thoughts on “5 Stars”

restlessjo on May 24, 2013 at 22:27 said:

Looking forward to more! 🙂

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- rondje on August 27, 2013 at 15:16 said:
  
  Oh there were some, but also very critical of myself nowadays to not exaggerate the series, just cuz i have so many shots 😉
  Have a great day, Ron.
  
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R. on May 19, 2013 at 16:38 said:

Wow—these images are absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing; I never would have seen them otherwise.

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- rondje on August 27, 2013 at 15:20 said:
  
  Hola, thanks for the interest! Great to hear this is new to you and so happy to show you its brilliance!
  Thanks for stopping by, Ron.
  
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Photographs by Peter Knight on May 15, 2013 at 17:04 said:

Wow what a picture! They don’t make buildings like they used to; great shot.

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- rondje on August 27, 2013 at 15:14 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Peter, they really don´t, such craftmanship and knowledge of light and ambiance is hard to find nowadays, i think.
  Glad you like the way I documented it, hope all is great, greetings, Ron.
  
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Nicholas Merrynote on May 14, 2013 at 21:31 said:

A billion star picture Ron ! Congrats ! Never give up on this work. We need it in front of our eyes. Really.

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- rondje on August 27, 2013 at 15:11 said:
  
  Oh wow, thanks so much, Nicholas, very cool to hear you like this view of mine! Hope all is great and will try to deliver…
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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  - Nicholas Merrynote on August 27, 2013 at 17:53 said:
    
    it was really an honest comment Ron. Come to check our work soon for even more inspiration on great pictures such as the one we are talking about. Kindest regards,
    
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martaperegrina on May 9, 2013 at 06:09 said:

Interesante texto muy bien acompañado por la presente imágen.
Que disfrutes de una hermosa jornada.
Un abrazo

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:37 said:
  
  Muchas gracias, Marta. lo siento por mi español, pero entiendo bien tus palabras y me gusta mucho!
  un abrazo para ti tambien y saludos, Ron.
  
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verdant1 on May 9, 2013 at 05:57 said:

Wonderful composition – those stars really draw the eye. I also like the warmth of the light and stone.

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:38 said:
  
  Thank you very much, the lights coming thru these holes and these old walls were very attractive to photograph. Glad you like the result, greetings, Ron.
  
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Marianne on May 8, 2013 at 16:04 said:

Perfect composition, Ron.

I haven’t visited el Bañuelo … yet!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:23 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Marianna, definitely worht a visit and so close to Plaza Nueva or Albaycin if you´re there. Also bigger and a bit better preserved than the baths in the Alhambra if you ask me…
  Muchas gracias por tu cumplido, saludos, Ron.
  
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KyoZyh on May 8, 2013 at 09:53 said:

Very beautiful ambiance and composition!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:30 said:
  
  Merci beaucoup, very nice of you to comment me ont hsi one, hope all is well, Ron.
  
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vastlycurious.com on May 8, 2013 at 04:58 said:

Bookmarked it ! I am going!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:26 said:
  
  Haha, thats a nice compiment, i guess! But combined with the Alhambra and all the sites Granada and its surroundings have to offer you won´t be disappointed, i promise 😉
  thanks for your support always, Katrina, greetings, Ron.
  
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  - vastlycurious.com on May 18, 2013 at 05:36 said:
    
    I have been to Granada, the home of no birds left but not yet Alhambra. On my wish list as aforementioned!
    
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drawandshoot on May 7, 2013 at 21:50 said:

I very much like the way you have composed this. An amazing interior!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:17 said:
  
  Thank you, Karen, very cool to hear that; and definitely very interesting interiors, so weird to be walking these rooms and knowing they were filled with people around 1000 years ago!
  warm greetings from Spain, Ron.
  
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littledogslaughed on May 7, 2013 at 14:31 said:

Fantastic! I cannot imagine what it must be like to see these buildings first hand. Thank you for sharing them with us-

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:20 said:
  
  Thank YOU, Meg, very nice to hear you enjoy seeing this; at first hand for me it is always important its not too crowded and if you visit at the right time (they´re free) it´s like going back in time. Hope the photo portrays a bit of that!
  All the best, have a good week, Ron.
  
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lisa on May 7, 2013 at 12:06 said:

What a wonderful image this is!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:12 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Lisa, makes me very happy to read that!
  All the best to you, Ron.
  
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Journey Photographic on May 7, 2013 at 01:37 said:

Great shot, love the composition.

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:15 said:
  
  Thansk JP, its pretty daring but seemed logical to me 🙂
  have a great week, Ron.
  
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Carlos GF - fotografía on May 6, 2013 at 23:47 said:

A point of view very suggestive. Great image !!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:07 said:
  
  Muchas gracias, Carlos, I wanted those five stars and the entrance to the rest of the baths to show as much of the scene and light possible!
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Tina Schell on May 6, 2013 at 23:11 said:

They are indeed beautiful. I’m waiting for a photo of those walls tho!

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:06 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Tina, hope there are enough walls in the following view, but its all about the shaped holes in combination with those walls, i guess 🙂
  Thanks for your support, very much appreciated, all the best, Ron.
  
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Jane Lurie on May 6, 2013 at 21:52 said:

Beautiful light and interesting composition.

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:04 said:
  
  Gracias, Jane, wanted to grab as much of the scene and different light sources in my frame, glad you like it.
  Hope all is well, greetz, Ron.
  
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Claire Edwards on May 6, 2013 at 21:48 said:

Great shot, at first I thought they were star shaped lights hanging down, looks an amazing place.

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- rondje on May 14, 2013 at 14:03 said:
  
  Hola Claire,
  If you dont have electricity this is the closest to lamps hanging from the ceiling, i guess 😉
  Thanks for stopping by and your appreciation, greetings, Ron.
  
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disperser on May 6, 2013 at 20:25 said:

I can see the light!

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 14:21 said:
  
  haha, i even see more than one 😉
  Have a good day, Ron.
  
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mariayarri on May 6, 2013 at 18:46 said:

Fantastic photo and interesting text // Maria

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 14:08 said:
  
  Thans you, Maria, such a fascinating place and history, nice you like it, greetings, Ron.
  
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joserasan66 on May 6, 2013 at 17:59 said:

Una Fotografía Impresionante, Su Luz Y Su COmposición,… Muy Buena.

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:55 said:
  
  Muchas gracias, Jose. Este lugar es maravilosa. Buenos dias, Ron.
  
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Mark Simms on May 6, 2013 at 17:47 said:

Hi Ron – we are going to Granada in September. 😊

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:52 said:
  
  Hi Mark, thats great, if you need any insights (spent more than three weeks there all together!) let me know. This bath is free and if you´re early the light is nice and still pretty quiet as you can see from the empty spaces in my photos 🙂
  enjoy your current holiday
  
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Louis on May 6, 2013 at 17:42 said:

A photographer’s dream. The rotation of the image uses the various light sources very effectively creating a strong composition.

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:50 said:
  
  Gracias, Louis, you are totally right about it being a dream; after going there a couple of timees and shooting these baths a little i dreamt of how and where to shoot this time going there. Nice to hear you enjoy the weird angle!
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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mobius faith on May 6, 2013 at 15:37 said:

Wow. Looks like a fabulous location. Perfect for your processing style.

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:49 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Terry, thought these lights and textures suited my style too!
  As for processing, not sure where that ends or begins as i do all light-temperature, contrast, sharpness from the original raw-file. Nothing is done in-camera as I like to be in control 😉
  For me this is stuff that your camera decides for you when you shoot in JPEG and apart from composing, lighting and focusing the rest is done afterwards!
  Not wanting to justify anything, just wanted to give you some insight 🙂
  have a great day, Ron.
  
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  - mobius faith on May 9, 2013 at 13:57 said:
    
    Thanks for the insight Ron. 🙂
    
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Frances antoinette on May 6, 2013 at 15:09 said:

I do like the star shaped holes!

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:40 said:
  
  Thanks, Francois, I too was very intrigued by these shapes of light when I first saw these, really love em!
  All the best to you, Ron.
  
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2me4art on May 6, 2013 at 15:04 said:

That is so very, very beautiful. -amy

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:38 said:
  
  Wow, thats very nice of you to say, Amy, thanks, have a great day, Ron.
  
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eldinsmille on May 6, 2013 at 15:03 said:

Really wow!

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:37 said:
  
  Thanks, Eldin, thats great to hear, hope the rest of the series gets your approval too 😉
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Sydney Fong on May 6, 2013 at 15:01 said:

This is really eye opening! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

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- rondje on May 9, 2013 at 13:36 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Sydney, you´re welcome, very happy to get responses like yours!
  All the best, Ron.
  
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