Cell Phone Photograhy

Who takes this kind of photography seriously?
I don't know, sometimes I feel sort of ashamed admitting how much joy I get from photographing with my cell phone. I like the convenience, I like that it doesn't require me carrying my camera because after all, after that experience in Como, Italy of dropping my camera, I am even more afraid to carry it around too much. Besides, it seems that electronics and I don't seem to get along too well.
Don't even get me started about my last year with cell phones. In 2010 have gone through four phones, one iphone and three blackberries. I am over expensive cell phones. It appears I am not responsible enough to own an expensive cell phone so I caved in and got a simple phone. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay, my new cell phone only has 2 mega pixels. I didn't think about this fact, after all my second calling in life is cell phone photography. Oh well, such is life.
So in honor of the cell phone images I have taken in the past, I decided to share some of my favorite ones from my trip in Europe this summer. Besides I am suffering from wanderlust but hey, what else is new?

 London, England

Beveren, Belgium

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: My friend Siemen, who I met in California summer 2009.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: My wonderful Greek friend George that I met while in Holland.

Den Haag, The Netherlands

Den Haag, The Netherlands

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: My Dutch sister Joanna aka Juanita

Paris, France (do I really even need to label this?)

Paris, France

Florence, Italy: The best breakfast in all the world, cornetto and cappuccino.

Perugia, Italy: Umbria Jazz Festival. The band playing is Libbico and the Almost Blues.

Perugia, Italy

Perugia, Italy

Loro Ciuffenna, Italy: The studio of the amazing artist Venturino Venturi.

Chianti, Italy

Chianti, Italy

Milan, Italy

Como, Italy

Como, Italy

Barcelona, Spain: Casa Mila

Barcelona, Spain: La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona, Spain: Parc Guëll

Barcelona, Spain: Parc Guëll

Barcelona, Spain: Parc Guëll

Barcelona, Spain: ME!

Holland and the World Cup

The madness of the World Cup has never been fully understood or recognized by Americans. Americans fail to see the importance of this international sport that most countries call football and not soccer. I got little tastes here and there of this fever known as the World Cup in my latin household. I grew up with my Sunday mornings dedicated to watching my dad play soccer in Oakland. It was a ritual accompanied by going to church. I was a devoted follower of my father, admiring him from the sidelines thinking My dad is the best player of the whole team. It is a strange sensation to look at this same old man age...but I am getting off topic.

The madness of the World Cup in Holland was like nothing I had ever seen for soccer before. Even those Sunday mornings cheering my father from the sidelines. Watching other fans yell and scream in Spanish could never amount to the thrill of the World Cup that I experienced from the moment I was in Europe. What a great time to go! The whole world united under this common goal of watching and supporting their team. It was a union of brotherly competition that brings the world together! I love that. I love that differences within countries dissipate and people come together for this beautiful sport.

I can't lie and say that I watch futbol religiously or even know the different teams. I know a little bit here and there but not enough to say I know anything worthwhile. There was a little girl in me that frothed from the ashes when I was in Amsterdam that watched with all the thrill I used to feel watching my papito play. So I screamed and yelled as if I was   a lifetime faithful to the Holland team. I wore my oranje (orange in Dutch) shirt and I supported "my" team to the end. After all, I was in Holland and Holland has always been good to me.
Anyway, I have so many photographs from the World Cup games leading to the semi-finals, the semi-finals, and the final itself. Sadly, Holland didn't win but in any case there is always the next championship. Hup, Holland Hup!

I have not dedicated myself to editing all the photos of this amazing experience but I want to share some with you all. From the Holland vs Uruguay game:

My Hermanita, Joanna

My friend Siemen

Celebration!

Save the toilet paper

Winners!

Madness in the streets

Many hours later...still celebrating victory into the finals:

P.S. Don't forget to support my new endeavor FCC.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Oh bad, bad, bad Mariana! I did not take as many photos as I wanted to...I want to list my excuses here but there really are none. My problem in Europe is that it was my first time there and though the natural tourist wants to snap every possible photo they can take, as a photographer naturally I am first an observer. How can I take it all in if I am behind my camera? There is so much to see and do, there was no possible way I could capture it all on lens.
Amsterdam was beautiful but super cold! I don't think this California girl was quite prepared for a winter wonderland like this especially being in warm tropical Nicaragua only three days prior.
I saw many interesting things, such as the infamous Red Light District which I found to be fun and curious being that you can't see anything 'round these parts. There is also a lot of art in Amsterdam. I visited many museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, The Anne Frank House, and Rijksmuseum...I also went to Den Haag to a museum there (oops don't remember the name**just informed it is Gemeentemuseum) with my dear friend John who was also my lovely host.
I have to admit that I am really looking forward to going again but hopefully when it's just a tad bit warmer!
So without further ado, Amsterdam...proost!