Portrait photographer in Barcelona

Barcelona hands a portrait photographer two opposite problems. Outdoors the light is either hard and directional — the seafront is lit head-on at six in the morning and a wall of glare by two — or it is the soft, four-stops-darker light well of the Gothic Quarter, which is lovely but exists only in three-metre streets. On top of that, 31 degrees at 70 per cent humidity is a poor condition in which to sit in front of a camera looking composed. A studio portrait is the answer when the picture has to come out the same whatever the month: a profile photo, a press kit, an actor’s or a model’s book, made against a background you chose, at ten in the morning or seven in the evening, in January or in August. The city’s light is worth using for a different picture. This one is about control.

When to book in Barcelona

Because the light is controlled, the calendar is yours. What still matters is you: book a morning if you look fresher early, avoid the day after a long flight, and in July and August come to the studio by metro or taxi rather than on foot, since the humidity shows on skin within ten minutes. Leave a day or two before the picture is needed, so there is time to choose and retouch. Actors with a casting season in mind should plan a few weeks ahead.