In honor of Fete de la Musique 2012 (21 June)

According to Friedrich Nieztsche, "Life without music would be a mistake". The worldwide celebration known as Fete de la Musique attempts to be an assurance that at least one day during the year there will be no chance of such a mistake. Celebrated in more than 100 countries across Europe and around the world, every 21st of June (which corresponds with the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere), citizens can enjoy free concerts and organized musical events of every genre throughout their participating localities/countries.
Here are just a few images which I shot while in Paris a few years ago during the Fete de la Musique celebration.

Prints & products featuring images of travel destinations & nature

Photo Theme: Lamps & Lampposts

Shot in Barcelona, Spain

Shot in Venice, Italy

Shot in Ericeira, Portugal

Shot in Ericeira, Portugal

  
Check out more images from this set here

Simply Ericeira

Simply Ericeira
Originally uploaded by ArgenticVision
Orange & Turquoise together - one of my favorite color combinations.

This photo was captured during a recent trip to Ericeira, Portugal.

Via Flickr:
Captured in Ericeira, Portugal

New Store Item: Paris by Night Journal, $23.99

(Paris by Night journal, front cover)

What do you do when you love a work of art so much that you don't want to be separated from it for even a moment? I've received so much feedback about my photograph of the City of Lights sparkling at night that I've made it possible for you to take it with you all the time by featuring it prominently as the cover design of this journal.
Buy Paris by Night - Journal
Each journal measures 5.5" x 8.5" and comes with 40 lined pages for you to fill with your ideas, thoughts, travel notes, song lyrics, love poems and anything else which strikes your fancy.
Get some for yourself or buy in bulk to present to your loved ones as stocking stuffers!

(below left: inside front cover; below right: sample lined page)

New Store Item: Color Photo Journal (Lisbon architecture), $23.99

(Journal, front cover)

Writing just became a lot more fun. Grab this colorful journal when you feel inspired to jot down your thoughts, recipes, doodles, inspirations and anything else that comes to mind.

Buy Color Photo Journal-Lisbon architecture

The cover photo depicts an architectural element of a train station in Lisbon, Portugal juxtaposed against the bright blue sky; bottom front cover displays the text:"Little Notes, Big Ideas." Each journal measures 5.5" x 8.5" and comes with 40 pages of lined paper.
Treat yourself or give them as gifts to connoisseurs of style in your circle.

(bottom left: inside front cover; bottom right: lined page)

Video: B&W Fine Art Images of Paris

Afternoon on the docks of the Seine

Every time I look at this image I'm transported back to the moment when I shot it. I'm able to enjoy reliving the peace and tranquility I felt when I composed the shot. On this particular afternoon I had just finished doing some shooting around the area of Notre Dame and decided to go down to the docks to take a break to just hang out and relax. The natural light and shadows were so beautiful I had to take out my camera to shoot a few frames - the icing on the cake was that the boat in the foreground came cruising by so I included it too.

View from the Underground

I shot this image in London while changing trains on the Jubilee line on my way to spend an afternoon shooting in the immediate vicinity of the Palace of Westminster. The station has such an ultra-cool and modern look due to its industrial design aesthetic, which is a great contrast to the Gothic architecture of the Palace and Abbey of Westminster. The station has a distinct look and feel that sets it apart from any of the other stations in the Tube system. I couldn't resist taking my camera out of my bag and snapping a few frames while I was standing on the escalator before reaching the platform to catch the next train.

Day Trip to Bruges: Quiet Contemplation & Spiritual Reflection

Whenever I'm in Europe, I always try to take a side trip to a nearby country, even if it's just for the day. It's so easy to do given the numerous high speed train lines that connect the various major cities and besides, I love train travel. During a recent visit to Paris, I decided I to take a day trip to Bruges, Belgium, which is just a few hours away. The train ride was beautiful and scenic and in no time at all I arrived in Bruges and started to wander around to explore, discover, etc.
For a Spring day, it became quite sunny and hot by the mid-afternoon so I decided to get some relief by ducking into a church (St. Magdalena/Magdalenakerk) which seemed to be significantly shaded by some extremely tall and beautiful trees. In stark contrast to the flurry of activity on its grounds and even on the doorstep leading inside, the interior of the church was so quiet and peaceful. In fact, it was so quiet that I tried to tread extra quietly so as to minimize the potential of disturbing anyone inside.
As I walked around, I enjoyed the beautiful architecture and the way that the stained glass windows cast such a beautiful glow on everything inside. In the foyer of the church there was a reflecting pool, which apparently is usually adorned with some type of art display created by some of the local artists. On this day, the reflecting pool was perfect in its simplicity, free from any obstruction. Given that I'm such a sucker for interesting images of reflections, I composed this shot. For a moment I thought about not doing it because I was afraid that the sound of my shutter would be too loud, but I'm glad I did.

Double Vision

Shadows are amongst my favorite compositions. I’m not sure exactly why I find them so appealing but in certain instances, I find them irresistible. Of course, not all shadows interest me enough to want to photograph them but the ones that do stand out in my mind long after I’ve captured them on film.

The photograph you see here was shot in London-I was walking through the Kensington area and happened to glance up for a moment which is when I noticed the shadow of the street lamp falling on the building. At that moment I couldn’t walk away without shooting a few frames.

Abre la puerta (Open the door)

I shot this image in Barcelona as I was walking along Gran Via one afternoon. In composing this image, I focused in on the door knocker since I found it to be so unique and visually interesting. I'm sure you're asking yourself if it's just a decorative element or if it's actually a fully functional door knocker...I wondered the same thing and after trying it found out that it works perfectly :)

Argentic Adventures in Europe: A Slideshow

Reflection Within a Reflection

Shot in Venice, Italy. Buildings on opposite side of Grand Canal reflecting in a mirror in a store window display.

You Can't Rush Perfection

La Sagrada Familia, the famous cathedral in Barcelona, is considered to be Antonio Gaudi's masterpiece. He spent over 40 years of his life working on this massive project, dedicating the last 15 years of his life exclusively to it. Apparently when he was asked about the lengthy construction timetable he replied, "My client is not in a hurry." Considering the fact that the project started in 1883 with current estimates indicating a scheduled completion date of sometime in 2026, the circumstances support Gaudi's sentiment that it's really not possible to rush perfection.
During my visit to Barcelona last Spring, I had set out specifically to shoot La Sagrada Familia. On the day I shot this image, I tried to mask the scaffolding and construction equipment as best as I could by using a wider angle and incorporating the trees and shadows into the composition in order to achieve a more balanced and artistic image.

I Like What I See In Your Rear View

During my visit to Paris last year I had made it a point to make time to shoot the sculpture at the Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre Metro station, known as Le Kiosque des Noctambules (created by the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel). The entire bouche de metro is enveloped by two huge crown-shaped sculptures made of aluminum and colored glass. While it’s a bit odd-looking it’s incredibly cool at the very same time.

When I finally got there I encountered huge masses of people gathered around to watch a group of street performers. I made numerous attempts to maneuver around the crowd for quite some time in the hopes of getting a clear shot of the sculpture but it became pretty obvious that it just wasn’t going to happen.

As I walked away from the crowd to head across the street for a coffee break, I had to pass by a row of scooters and motor bikes which were parked along the curb. I caught a glimpse of part of the sculpture reflecting in the rear view mirror of one of the parked scooters and I decided to take the shot so that’s what you see in this image.

Aside from being a fun experience it was a learning lesson too because it taught me that there is more than one way to get the shot you want, you just have to be creative, patient and persistent. As it turns out, this is one of my favorite images and each time I look at it, I remember the circumstances that led me to be able to capture it.

Scrabble a la Francaise

There are many interesting and quite beautiful metro stations all throughout Paris and none more so than the Concorde metro stop (Metro Line 12). While you're standing there hanging out just waiting for the train to pull into the station, it's doubtful that too much thought is given to the seemingly endless alphabet soup that appears on the tiled walls of this station.
In fact, a lot of thought did go into this design which was the conception of the artist Francoise Schein. The text on the walls is actually that of the Declaration of Human Rights from the French Revolution of 1789, a juxtaposition that is very apropos considering that Place de la Concorde is the very location where King Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793 during the French Revolution.

Pigeons care about time management too!

This sculpture is located right outside Gare St. Lazare (train station) in Paris. I remember wanting to venture to that part of town just to shoot this sculpture which is the creation of Armand Pierre Fernandez titled "L'heure de tous". When you get up close to it, it's hard not to notice the significant amount of urea from the birds which is all around the sculpture itself as well as on its base. I was trying a few different angles to get a clear shot of the sculpture as well as of Gare St. Lazare in the back and at that moment a pigeon flew into the shot (center foreground).

Repair the World - Do Not Destroy It

(London, England - Trafalgar Square 2008 - Copyright, Lili Rahmati - All Rights Reserved)

I shot this image during an accidental encounter with a Middle East rally while visiting London in the summer of 2008. The man holding the sign was the only symbol of peace amidst the chaotic scene I witnessed that day. Since I captured this image I haven't known how to use it, but I think the time has come for me to share it as its message has never been more relevant than it is now.
As an Iranian by birth who has spent most of her life in the West after having to flee Iran just before the 1979 revolution, it is with great personal interest that I follow the events unfolding in my native country. I am hoping for peace and freedom for the Iranian people as well as all human beings who are suffering from oppression and tyranny in our world. I'm posting this photograph in dedication to them and in so doing perhaps I can give a voice to those who no longer have one, or whose voice has been silenced.

My photo exhibit: (Groupshow) Universal Art Gallery, Venice from June 13-July 12 2009

I'm one of 13 photographers being featured in a groupshow at Universal Art Gallery in Venice, CA. The opening reception was this past Saturday, June 13th and the exhibit will run until July 12, 2009. The evening of the opening was a great experience full of awesome art and it was quite well attended by invited guests as well as locals from the Venice/Marina del Rey/Santa Monica area.
I have 12 works on display (hand-made archival silver gelatin B&W fiber prints) featuring images of Barcelona, London, Paris and Venice, which were shot over the course of the past three years (2007 to 2009).
I had a great time talking to guests, customers as well as the other artists. who were exhibiting. The range of talent in the show is extremely diverse and all of the photographers are awesome, both in terms of their photographic skill as well as the fact that they are just amazingly nice and gracious people.
If you are in the area and have a chance to stop by, I would encourage you to do so as there is likely to be something to suit every taste/photographic aesthetic, etc.
Enjoy!